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Language, Culture and Communication

Overview

  • Credit value: 30 credits at Level 7
  • Convenor: Dr Jackie Jia Lou
  • Assessment: an essay of 3500-4000 words (100%)

Module description

This module will provide you with a linguistically grounded introduction to language and intercultural communication. The first half of the module introduces you to core discourse analytical approaches, such as pragmatics, ethnography of communication and conversation analysis, which can then be applied in a variety of intercultural contexts in the second half of the module. The lectures will combine theoretical discussions with empirical case studies and encourage you to critically examine issues of power and inequalities underlying intercultural encounters.

Indicative syllabus

  • Intercultural vs. cross-cultural communication 
  • Linguistic Relativity Theory 
  • Intercultural pragmatics 
  • Ethnography of communication 
  • Conversation analysis 
  • Interactional sociolinguistics
  • Multicultural classrooms 
  • Intercultural communication in the workplace
  • Everyday intercultural encounters and urban conviviality 
  • Living with intercultural turbulences