Chapter IV Intercultural Communication
ⅠTeaching Objectives
1. To identify the definitions of intercultural communication, interpersonal communication,
intracultural communication, cross-cultural communication, international communication, interethnic communication, interracial communication, interregional communication. 2. To understand the four fundamental values of western ethics.
3. To understand the different ethics that belongs to the different part of the world. 4. To understand the definition and main components of intercultural communication.
Ⅱ Leading in
Ⅲ Teaching Procedures Step 1
Have students listen to the lead-in case What is Wrong? Ask students warming-up questions: ? What is going wrong in this case?
? Have you ever misunderstood someone who came from a different culture? ? What is intercultural communication?
? What intercultural communication skills do you know? Please list some of them.
Step 2
Culture and Communication
The metaphor of the journey and the map can help us understand the relationship between culture and communication. Cultures are both the maps of a place (the rules and conventions) and the journeys that take place there (actual practices).
Intercultural communication defined
Intercultural communication refers to communication between people whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are distinct enough to alter the communication event. 非洲部落的勇士 马赛部落的女人 穆尔西部落的女人 画满图腾的孩子 裹小脚的妇女 Forms of Intercultural communication a. Interpersonal Communication b. Intracultural Communication c. International Communication d. Interethnic Communication e. Interracial Communication f. interregional Communication
4.3.1 Interpersonal communication
Interpersonal communication is a form of communication that involves a small number of individuals who are interacting exclusively with one another and who therefore have the ability both to adapt their messages specifically for those others and to obtain immediate interpretations from them. 4.3.2 Intracultural communication Intracultural communication is defined as communication between and among members of the same culture. Generally, people who are of the same race, political persuasion, and religion or who share the same interests communicate intraculturally.
4.3.3 International communication
International communication takes place between nations and governments rather than individuals; it is quite formal and ritualized. 4.3.4 Interethnic communication
Interethnic communication refers to communication between people of the same race but different ethnic backgrounds.
4.3.5 Interracial communication
Interracial communication occurs when the sender and the receiver exchanging messages are from different races that pertain to different physical characteristics. 4.3.6 Interregional communication
Interregional Communication refers to the exchange of messages between members of the dominant culture within a country.
Intercultural communication ethics 4.4.1 Western ethics
? Autonomy
Being free to act consistent with one’ own principles. ? Justice
Impartiality; giving each person his or her legitimate due or portion of the whole. ? Responsibility
Accountability for the consequences of one’s actions, including a failure to act. ? Care
Partiality to those who cannot protect themselves and to whom we are in special relationships.
4.4.2 African ethics
African ethics stress the well-being of the community and economic considerations over political rights.
4.4.3 Buddhist ethics
Value is placed on patience, compassion, self-sacrifice, kindness, and love, which are to be pursued for the betterment of the person if not in this life, then in the next. 4.4.4 Hindu ethics
Hinduism strives for the oneness of reality, for the obliteration of all distinctions including individualism, to merge with the absolute. 4.4.5 Islamic ethics
Traditional Islamic perspectives on ethics are based on its religious concepts. There are different rules of ethical conduct for women and for men.
Step3
Raising Intercultural Awareness: 采访外国人：教师布置学生就某些特定问题采访一些外国人，并引导学生比较不同的受访者做出的回答，以及他们对采访和采访问题所表现出的态度和反应。
? 活动目的：该课堂活动旨在帮助学生了解不同文化对待某些事物看法和态度的异同。 ? 活动过程描述： 步骤一：
教师课前布置学生就某些共性的问题对外国人进行采访。最好每1至2位学生采访1位外国人，这有助于学生拥有足够的信息资源进行比较。
表7-6 样卷
Questionnaire 1． In your country, what kind of places are people likely to live in? Why? 2． What kind of places do you prefer to live? Why? 3． What kind of manners would you like to choose to deal with embarrassing moments? 4． What is your definition of the good life? 5． What are the two greatest problems facing our world today? 6． What is something positive that has happened in our world in the past year? 步骤二：
采访结束后，教师在课堂上引导学生就采访结果进行比较和讨论。
步骤三：
教师引导学生对采访过程进行讨论：
（1） 你是否对采访对象的某些言语或行为感到惊讶？为什么？ （2） 假如你是受访者，你会如何回答样卷中的问题？ （3） 你如何评价自己在这次采访中的英语交际能力？ 步骤四：
教师要求学生阅读下列一首小诗，并抒发其感想。
表7-7 例文 Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s Great Judgment Seat; But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth, When two strong men stand face to face, tho’ they come from the ends of the earth!
步骤五：
学生讨论该课堂活动的目的和从中获得的启发。 Step4
Homework and After-class activities
? Write a paper on Ethical Perspectives from Different Religions
? Surf on the internet to collect the information about the traditional Chinese ethics
Step5
Test Your Intercultural Competence
_____1.Generally, I am comfortable interacting with a group of people from different cultures.
_____2.I am tense and nervous while interacting in group discussions with people from different cultures.
_____3.While conversing with a person from a different culture, I feel very relaxed. _____4.I’m afraid to speak up in conversations with a person from a different culture. _____5.I face the prospect of interacting with people from different cultures with confidence. _____6.My thoughts become confused and jumbled when interacting with people from different cultures.
_____7.Communicating with people from different cultures makes me feel uncomfortable.
Ⅳ Supplimentary Materials
1. Key Terms:
1. Intercultural communication refers to communication between people whose cultural