Assignment 4

Intercultural communication

Responsible: Marja-Riitta Hirvonen

Workload: 15 hours

Table of contents

1. Competences
2. Content of the assignment
3. Outline of the steps
4. Approach/didactics/methods
5. Criteria for the assessment
6. Task by failure
7. Link to the diary
8. ECTS Workload for students
9. Supervision/tutoring
10. References

1. Competences:

1.1. Knowledge
• The student is able to incorporate his/her knowledge of cultural
barriers and possibilities in intercultural communication

• The student is able to deepen his/her knowledge base and methods in

intercultural communication within his/her professional field

1.2. Attitudes
• The student is able to recognize his/her own prejudices, values,
standards, … in intercultural communication

• The student is able to be open to culturally sensitive dialogue

1.3. Skills
• The student is able to analyse and overcome communication barriers
due to cultural differences

• The student is able to use theoretical tools of intercultural

communication

• The student is able to handle specific intercultural situations including

intercultural mediators
2. Content of the assignment:

2.2. Active interaction with a person representing another culture and

reflection of the student’s own experience in an intercultural
communication moment

2.2. Description of one’s own experience and the different aspects in

intercultural communication

2.3. Critical definition of the concept of intercultural communication

2.4. Foundation and evaluation of the Theoretical tools for intercultural

communication

3. Outline

3.1. Step 1:
• Choose a person (a friend, a colleague, a client, a family acquaintance
and so on) representing another cultural background and start a
conversation with her/him

• Analyse this conversation and write a report in which you describe:

the context/environment, partners in the conversation, the
content/topic of the conversation, your experiences, feelings and
thoughts during the conversation

• Add your report to the Dileahs discussion forum

3.2. Step 2:

• Discuss the topic on the Dileahs Discussion Forum, in international

groups: difficulties, barriers one can experience during an intercultural
conversation. Please have a look at the groups from the Dileahs file
groups. Start the conversation with your group members.

• Summarize the different aspects of the group discussion: different

aspects in intercultural communication, barriers,
difficulties/problems ...and add them to the Dileahs.
3.3. Step 3:

Definition of the concept of intercultural communication

We are aware of the fact that intercultural aspects are involved in each kind of
communication. We define intercultural communication as communication in which
barriers and problems occur. For achieving a common understanding there will be a
need to recognise important cultural differences between the professional and the
person or group he/she interacts with. In intercultural dialogue there is a need for
explicit attention to the cultural dimensions of communication. Within intercultural
communication we always have to deal with different cultures and with the related
social identities. In addition to ethnic differences there are probably also other
differences in gender, age, sexual preference, religion, social-economic class, level of
education, state of health and wellbeing etc.
In addition to oral and written communication, messages are conveyed nonverbally
through gestures, body movements, posture, tone of voice, and facial expressions.
The environmental context imparts its own message and is influenced by the setting,
the purposes of the communication and the perceptions of the professional and the
person concerning time, space, distance, touch, modesty and other factors.
In order to overcome intercultural problems the professional can work on his/her own
or decide to work together with an intercultural mediator, a formal interpreter or an
informal interpreter.

* Read the definition of intercultural communication

Give some comments of the definition on the Discussion Forum.

Literature search:
• Select at least 1 major article or chapter from books concerning
theories and models of intercultural communication. The purpose is to
explain, structure and clarify your experiences. You can take a look at
the literature by references collected for assignment 4.

• Look for tools and methods to overcome cultural barriers. The tools
and methods can be found on the level of personal relations, context…
The objective of this part is to find new possibilities in intercultural
communication.

• Write an individual report of 2 pages about the models or theories

through which you clarify your experience and also describe the new
tools and methods that were useful for you and add the report to the
Digital Drop Box on the Dileahs.
3.4. Step 4:
• Write a short description of the new-found and the most valuable
tools for you and add the description to the Discussion Forum on the
Dileahs.

• Discuss the tools and methods to solve the problem on the Dileahs in
the same group. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these
methods.

• Write an individual summary report (1 page): give pros and cons of

each method. Add it to Digital Drop Box on the Dileahs.

4. Approach/Didactics/Methodology

Step 1: Describing and analysing the student’s own intercultural

experience
Step 2: Reflecting on the experiences in a small group
Step 3: Abstracting the event of intercultural communication through
readings. Writing a report, describing tools and methods to overcome
communication barriers
Step 4: Group discussion and evaluation about the chosen methods on
the Dileahs

5. Assessment (pass / fail)

Step 1: Quality of the analysis of students’ conversation
Does the description include different aspects: the context, the partners
in the conversation, the topic of the conversation, the difficulties
experienced, students’ feelings and thoughts during the conversation

Step 2: Participation in the discussion on the Dileahs

Level of participation; quantity of open-ended questions; active – passive
role, positivism, openness
• Quality of the interventions
• Quality of the summary

Step 3: Quality of the report

Does the report contain sufficient and critical explanation of
• the possible barriers in intercultural communication
• models to analyse an intercultural communication moment
• methods, strategies to overcome cultural barriers on a personal level,
use of mediators, contextual needs ...
• the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods or strategies

Step 4: Participation in the discussion and quality of the summary report

6. Task by failure
We will ask the student who fails to describe a new encounter with a
person (an immigrant) representing another cultural background than
he/she. The assessor will give personal additional instructions, advice
and material for the student who has failed. There is a demand for the
student to give more in-depth reports or show his/her reframing skill and
growth during his/her learning process in different steps.

7. Link to the Diary

When you write down your experiences during this assignment in your
reflective diary, you can use the following questions:
• Which are, in your opinion, the most specific issues of this
assignment?
• What did you learn by doing this assignment?
• How did the assignment match your existing knowledge, meanings
and values about intercultural communication?
• How has working on this assignment changed your ways of thinking,
feeling and knowing?
• Did you gain new insights or tools enabling you to handle the
problems discussed in the future and in an adequate way?

8. ECTS workload

• Step 1: 3 hours
• Step 2: 2 hours
• Step 3: 6 hours
• Step 4: 3 hours
• Total workload: 15 hours

9. Assignment tutor
Marja-Riitta Hirvonen
e-mail: marja-riitta.hirvonen@stadia.fi
10. References

Andrews M. (2003). Theoretical Foundation of Transcultural Nursing Care

(pp. 3 – 14). In M. Andrews & J. Boyle, Transcultural Concepts in Nursing
Care. Fourth edition. Lippincott: Williams & Wilkins.

Andrews M. (2003). Cultural Competence in Nursing care (pp. 15 – 35). In

Andrews M & Boyle J. 2003 Transcultural Concepts in Nursing Care. Fourth
edition. Lippincott: Williams & Wilkins.

Gudykunst, W. & Mody, B. (2002). Cultural influences on the Expression and

Perception of Emotion (pp. 107 – 125). In W. Gudykunst & B. Mody, Handbook
of International and Intercultural Communication. Sage Publications.

Gudykunst, W. & Mody, B. (2002). Cognition and Affect in Cross-Cultural

Relations (pp. 127 – 142). In W. Gudykunst & B. Mody, Handbook of
International and Intercultural Communication. Sage Publications.

Gudykunst, W. & Mody, B. (2002). Cross-Cultural Face Concerns and Conflict

Styles ( pp. 143 – 163). In W. Gudykunst & B. Mody, Handbook of
International and Intercultural Communication. Sage Publications.

Gudykunst, W. & Mody, B. (2002). Intercultural Communication Theories ( pp.

183 – 205). In W. Gudykunst & B. Mody, Handbook of International and
Intercultural Communication. Sage Publications.

Pinto, D. (2000). Intercultural Communication. A three step method for dealing

with differences. Garant Publishers.

Van den Buys, E. (2000). Intercultural communication and education in health

care, The theory put into practice. Course material ICIC.