Ateneo - UPO

The course introduces to the theme of intercultural communication in educational and professional contexts, offering the tools to describe and investigate its main characteristics and to design educational or training interventions. The course is open to students interested in teaching or in professions that require interactions with different cultures and to international students wishing to reflect on their experience of contact with the Italian language, culture and pragmatics.

Since the course is built on the basis of the needs and interests of the participating students, reading materials will be made available on DIR.

Teaching resources on DIR

Reading:
Hua Z. (2019), Exploring Intercultural Communication. Language in Action, Routledge Introduction to Applied Linguistics.

Further readings:
Holliday A., Hyde M., Kullman J. (2004), Intercultural Communication. An advanced resource book. Section A. Defining concepts, pp. 1-50.
Hofstede, G. (2001), Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
McConachy T., Liddicoat A.J. (2022), “Introduction: Second Language Pragmatics for Intercultural Understanding”, in T. McConachy T., A.J. Liddicoat (eds.), Teaching and learning second language pragmatics for intercultural understanding, pp. 1-18.
Nakata C. (2009), “Going Beyond Hofstede: Why We Need to and How”, in C. Nakata (ed.), Beyond Hofstede. Cultural Frameworks for Global Marketing and Management, New York, McMillan, pp. 1-15

Martinez Flor A., Sanchez-Hernandez A., Baron J. (2023), L2 Pragmatics in action, Amsterdam, John Benjamins Publishing.
Roever C. (2022), Teaching and testing second language pragmatics and interaction. New York/London, Routledge.Félix-Brasdefer J.C. & Mugford G., (2017), “(Im)politeness: Learning and Teaching”, in J. Culpeper, M. Haugh, D.Z. Kàdàr (eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Linguistic (Im)politeness, pp. 489-516.
Glaser K. (2018), “Enhancing the role of pragmatics in English teacher training”, Glottodidactica XLV/2, pp. 119-131.
LoCastro V. (2013), Pragmatics for language educators: A sociolinguistic perspective, New York, NY, Routledge.
Ruhlemann C. (2018), Corpus Linguistics for pragmatics, London, Routledge.
Jablonkai R.R., Csomay E.(eds.) (2022), The Routledge Handbook of Corpora and English Language Teaching and Learning, London, Routledge.

Knowledge and understanding: Acquisition of the knowledge necessary to: understand basic notions on intercultural communication; analyze intercultural contexts; become aware of one's own intercultural competence; planning training interventions in professional or teaching contexts.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: Acquire ability to analyze intercultural contexts; actively reflect on one's own communicative experiences in intercultural contexts; detect, select or use intercultural communication strategies; develop research-action projects.

Expression of judgments: ability to analyze communication contexts, training or teaching materials.

Communication skills: Ability to explain the concepts learned in an orderly and clear way, using an appropriate language and moving independently among the topics covered.

Study skills: knowing how to read scientific articles or educational research.

Knowing at least one foreign language

Group activities, exercises, simulations, analysis of experiences and research, collaborative projects.

Due to its theoretical-practical nature, attendance is recommended
Students are invited to register on the DIR platform.

Essay. The written paper consists in the presentation of a research project dedicated to: 1) analysis and reflections around one's own intercultural experiences in the light of theoretical constructs; 2) collect and/or analyze interactions in intercultural contexts; 3) design educational interventions aimed at developing intercultural communication skills. A text that demonstrates an organic vision of the topics covered in class, ability to analyze and synthesis, good expressive skills, ability to analyze and re-elaborate the topics covered will be evaluated as passed. A test demonstrating important training gaps, inappropriate language, inability to contextualize, lack of orientation within the program will be evaluated as insufficient.

The course introduces to intercultural communication. In particular, students will be able to reflect critically on the link between language, culture and identity. Through the analysis of situations and authentic conversations, they will be able to become aware of their own "intercultural competence", learn to analyze problematic situations and identify strategies capable of contributing to communicative success, both in school and professional contexts. Finally, students will be guided in reflecting on the possible implications in the educational and professional fields.

Teaching units:
- Identity and representations
- Cultural frameworks, a historical excursus
- Intercultural communication in the school context
- Intercultural communication at work and in business
- Developing skills in intercultural communication

Ability to observe and study communication in intercultural contexts; Ability to analyze educational or training materials; Ability to design educational or training interventions to encourage the development of intercultural and pragmatic skills; Ability to explain clearly and in appropriate language the concepts and methodologies studied.