01 Introduction

Lecturer: H. Cindy Lee

Fu-Jen / 2004-5

Intercultural Communication & English Education

ICEE / Cindy Lee

Contents• Communication Model• Intercultural Communication (IC)• Key Concepts of IC• What Does Make IC Pervasive?• IC Also Takes at ‘Home’• The Aims of Language Education• IC & Language Education• IC & English Language Teaching and Learning • Reflection• Reference• End: Discussion & Assignment

ICEE / Cindy Lee

Communication Model• Communication: The exchange of meaning

Receiver Response

Feedback

Noise

Source Encoding Message Channel Receiver Decoding

[Context] [Context]

(Jandt, 1995 in Gibson, 2002)

ICEE / Cindy Lee

Intercultural Communication (IC)

• Intercultural communication takes place when the sender and the receiver are from different cultures.

• Communication can be very difficult if there is a big difference between the two cultures.

• If there is too much ‘cultural noise’, communication can break down completely.

ICEE / Cindy Lee

Key Concepts of IC•Cultural differences or misunderstanding won’t simply dissolve because two people speak the same language.

•Intercultural competence thus becomes the 5th element of language ability (in addition to the traditional 4 skills [ 聽說讀寫 ] ).

•To guarantee successful communication, cultural understanding is crucial.

ICEE / Cindy Lee

What does make IC Pervasive?

• New Technology and information technology

• Changes in the world’s population

• Global issues & cooperation

• The New Economic Arena

In brief, the ‘smaller’ the world becomes, the more international contacts increase.

ICEE / Cindy Lee

IC also takes place at ‘Home’• Immigration

Taiwanese Situation (TW):

e.g. More cross-cultural marriages in Taiwan/

Foreign manpower

• Co-cultures & Recognition

•Different ethnical groups

•Minority nationalities

•Different religious/political institutions…

ICEE / Cindy Lee

The Aims of Language Education

• What is the point of teaching, learning and using the language?

•Gain knowledge? Know about the outside world?

•Ensure pleasant interpersonal encounters?

•Contribute to international corporation?

•Create harmony in any communicative content?

All of them or even more……

ICEE / Cindy Lee

IC & Language Education

•Learning IC helps to develop intercultural understanding for communication purpose

•IC course includes developing cultural awareness and knowledge

•We will also see how culture influences communicative contexts/behaviors

ICEE / Cindy Lee

IC & English Language Teaching • In this course, we focus on English (though

the concepts of IC can be applied in mother tongue, too).

• Through study of English, we learn cultural knowledge and develop ‘interculturality’.

•Interculturality indicates two-way understanding (of both the foreign and home cultures).

ICEE / Cindy Lee

Reflection

• How might new technology, population changes, the new economic arena, immigration, and so on affect you personally?

• (Consider among other things: your plans for furthering your education and pursuing a career.)

ICEE / Cindy Lee

Reference

• Jandt, F. 1995. Intercultural Communication: an Introduction. Sage.

• Gibson, R. 2002. Intercultural Business Communication. Oxford University Press.

ICEE / Cindy Lee

Discussion & Assignment • Next section is about the meaning of

‘culture’. Please start to think about what it means to you!

• Now please go on the Discussion Section.

-End-

Thanks for your attention.

See you soon~