175-108 Communication Across Cultures

Credit Points

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

The main components of communicative events across cultures, the main linguistic approaches to analysing them, how they vary in a range of cultures from around the world (focused on case studies), and the difficulties and misunderstandings these difference create in inter-cultural and cross-gender communication. Specific topics include body language, titles and respect, turn-taking and turn maintenance, narrative structuring, intonation, requests, disagreement and criticism, information seeking, politeness, and business negotiation. The subject will be organised around case studies of half a dozen speech communities from around the world, including French, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Anglo-Australian, and Aboriginal Australian.

Assessment

A research assignment, an essay, and a two hour exam, totalling 4000 words.

Prescribed Texts

There is no set text. Students should purchase a copy of the course Readings from the Bookroom.