Cmm 106 Intercultural Communication Answers Assessment Answers

Scenario: Intercultural Communication and Online Delivery of Courses

The situation: Review the article in your Learning Resources for Scenario III.

Imagine that you are a consultant to a local university that seeks to create a series of joint, synchronous online classes with a Chinese university. The model for dual teaching and interaction from your country’s professor and the Chinese professor is found within the article.

To prepare for your Assignment, consider the following:

• How do you maximize the expertise of both professors for the benefit of the students?

• If you analyze both cultures involved, what would be the three major points ofcontention and misunderstanding between the cultures?

• How would you recommend turn taking in conversations and debates in the class?

• The goal is to introduce one subject area at a time. What would be the first three subject areas you would recommend and why? Make sure you take into account interests and needs of both countries

• What additional questions would you ask or what additional information would you need?

Your Task: Present a report with an approach and rationale for development of the joint, synchronous classes. Define significant factors and possible intercultural communication barriers involved in creating the classes. Propose an instructional approach to promote effective intercultural communication in the classroom.

Intercultural Communication

Introduction

The following scenario focuses on local university that has created a joint online class with a Chinese university. With the aspect of online teaching, there is the involvement of the local professor of the university as well the Chinese professor. As the consultant to the local university, I have been assigned the responsibility of a consultant to improve the internal communication and delivery of the students.

Expertise of the Professors

First, to maximize the expertise of both the professors, it is essential to close the language gap between them (Imamura & Zhang, 2014). Communication is a vital aspect for any kind of medium and once communication improves between the two professors, then it would be simple for the students to understand them. It is evident that the two professors are from two different countries therefore it is normal that their cultural views and understanding will be different.

Cultural Misunderstandings

Being a professor from the United States, it is evident that while speaking to a Chinese professor there would be many cultural differences. Hierarchy is very much important to the Chinese culture whereas in American culture has very flat structures. Also the conversation in Chinese culture is somewhat is direct that seems overly personal to many culture, America included (Liu, Volcic & Gallois, 2014). The Chinese culture is also overly formal in professional scenarios, the relationship between a student and a professor is only about the subject matter, where in America the professors are quite friendly with the students. If these factors are kept in mind then it would be easier for the professors to understand each other.

Turn Taking Conversation

Taking turn in conversation is also important as there would lie a huge communication gap even if the above measures are taken. Therefore when there is a turn base conversation, it is easier for the recipients to understand each other. Turn base conversation would help a lot in this scenario as when one of the professors would speak the other can interpret what he is saying and reply according rather than a freestyle conversation (House, 2014). This would make the students easier to follow the entire class.

Subjects to Include

Three subjects that would be beneficial at this online class would be Grammar, Sociology and General Knowledge. With grammar, it would be easier for the students to know the language of the opposite country they are talking to. Once basic grammar is understood, it is easier for the participants to understand and communicate. Sociology is important here to understand the opposite society. Once the recipients understand the culture, religion and history of the opposite country, then the participants has converse easily (Baker, 2015). Finally, including general knowledge, helps in getting information about the country. This would also increase the eagerness of the participants that would make the conversation and the class better.

Questions to be Asked

The questions that can be asked in this scenario include:

“What were the difficulties while teaching?”

“What were the most interesting part of the class?”

“If there were to be any changes made for the next class, what would they be?”

Additional information includes getting proper feedback of both the professors and the students about the class. These feedbacks would help in making the next class better.

Conclusion

Therefore, from the above discussion it can be conclude that intercultural communication helps a lot in escalating the learning process. Not only does it help in creating a better and interactive class but communicating with a foreign country helps in knowledge transfer.

References

Baker, W. (2015). Culture and identity through English as a lingua franca: Rethinking concepts and goals in intercultural communication (Vol. 8). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.

House, J. (2014). Moving across languages and cultures in translation as intercultural communication. In Translational action and intercultural communication (pp. 14-46). Routledge.

Imamura, M., & Zhang, Y. B. (2014). Functions of the common ingroup identity model and acculturation strategies in intercultural communication: American host nationals’ communication with Chinese international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 43, 227-238.

Liu, S., Volcic, Z., & Gallois, C. (2014). Introducing intercultural communication: Global cultures and contexts. Sage.