1. SYLLABUS
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS
Instructor: Angelica Yunzhi Huang
Contact Hrs: 20
Language of Instruction: English
SHANGHAI, CHINA
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Living in Shanghai offers you two important learning experiences. The first (more obvious) one concerns
Chinese life and culture, specifically as it is lived out around you in Shanghai day by day. What is
important to people here? What patterns are woven into their lives? What about their history, their
hopes, their daily dilemmas? The second learning opportunity involves coming to understand the cultural
baggage that you have (inevitably) brought with you to Shanghai and the implicit assumptions that you
use in understanding Shanghainese life. The juncture of these two learning experiences for students
living and studying in Shanghai is the focus of this course.
We will examine how we accomplish what we need through interaction (such as agreement,
disagreement, persuasion and so forth). We will consider intercultural communication as situated within
historical, social, and political contexts in understanding the ways in which people behave in intercultural
interactions.
We will examine who we are as language and cultural learners and what it means to develop and
“possess” intercultural communicative competence.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students who successfully complete this course will:
 Understand themselves and others as cultural beings.
 Gain the knowledge of the elements of culture such as value orientations, non-verbal
communication and communication styles that inform daily life.
 Become familiar with the levels of cultural awareness, intercultural sensitivity and cross-cultural
adjustment.
 Develop cultural observation and participation skills.
 Develop knowledge and skills that are both culture-specific (pertinent to the host culture) and
culture general (relevant to all intercultural experience.)
SHANGHAI Intercultural Communications 3/12

2. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY
 The first class will introduce you to the basic concepts of intercultural communication.
 Successive classes are based on class discussions, small group work and excursions. The
suggested readings provide important background information for the homework assignments and
the discussions.
METHOD OF EVALUATION (GRADING)
Grades (A-F) will be based on the following components:
1) Intercultural Assessment Questionnaire 5%
Individual notes handed in personally at the start of class on the due date.
2) Participation in class discussions 15%
If you are absent on any given day, your participation will be considered “0” for that day. You
are expected to engage actively in the discussions and exercises which will be based on the
assigned tasks and readings.
3) Out Group Observations and Presentations 30%
We will go on excursions for in-person cultural experience as part of our class activities. You will
work in groups, and conduct observations on one certain topic that is relevant to the week’s topic.
You will then present your observation and reflections to the class in the following week’s class
meeting. Detailed instructions will be provided in a separate hand-out at the beginning of the
term.
4) Reflection Essays 20%
Two reflection essays (2-3 pages). One will be due at the beginning of the term, one at the end of
the term. Detailed instructions will be provided in a separate hand-out for the content and format
of these papers. 10% each.
5) Journal Entries 30%
You will write three entries (1-2 pages) focusing on three small incidents that you have
personally observed/experienced related to the topics that we’ve discussed in class. Detailed
instructions will be provided in a separate hand-out for the content and format of these papers.
Follow these guidelines carefully. The entries will be returned to you (with comments/feedback)
on the following week. 10% each.
COURSE OUTLINE
Classes consist of study and discussion or debate of different topics, comments on readings and daily
experiences in Shanghai. Homework will consist mainly of the observation/interpretation papers and
jigsaw readings that relate to the topics discussed in class.
CLASS 1 Introduction: Understanding yourself as a cultural being
CLASS 2 Examining Pragmatics across Languages and Cultures
CLASS 3 Politeness and Face Between Chinese and US Cultures
SHANGHAI Intercultural Communications 3/12

3. CLASS 4 Examining Language and Intracultural Variation Language Choice in Intercultural
Communication
CLASS 5 Attitudes and Stereotypes in Intercultural Communication: How to Avoid
Miscommunication in Intercultural Communication
CLASS 6 Conclusion; Reflection (may be held during the last excursion of the term)
Course Reading Plan
Students are required to read estimated 1-2 articles per week from the corresponding COURSE
READINGS list below. Each text relates to the eight (8) topics listed. Additional articles will also be
assigned from time to time. Many slides will be used throughout the course. Readings are available as pdf
on course website. The reading plan below is arranged in chronological order in two categories:
1) Core: Everyone reads
2) Jigsaw Readings: You will be divided in to reading groups. Each group is responsible for and
become an “expert” in one assigned reading. Each jigsaw ‘reading group’ is encouraged to meet
before class and to discuss their assigned reading.
Week 1: Introduction: Examining Underlying Dimensions of Culture
NO READINGS
Week 2: Examining Pragmatics Across Languages and Cultures
Core:
Samovar, Porter “The Messages of Action, Space, Time, and Silence”
& McDaniel
Jigsaw Reading:
Yang “Nonverbal Affiliative Phenomena in Mandarin Chinese Conversation”
Liu “Intercultural Communication in Letters of Recommendation”
(compares Chinese and English)
Available at http://www.immi.se/intercultural/nr13/jing.htm
Spencer-Oatey “Managing Talk and Non-talk in Intercultural Interactions: Insights from
& Xing Two Chinese-British Business Meetings” (Business)
Yang Series “How to Say No in Chinese: A Pragmatic Study of Refusal Strategies in Five TV
Uljin Is Interrupting Impolite: Some Temporal Aspects of Turn-taking in
Chinese-Western and Other Intercultural Business Encounters” (Business)
Week 3: Politeness and Face Between Chinese and US Cultures
Core: None
Jigsaw Reading:
Hua, Wei & Yuan “The Sequential Organization of Gift Giving in Chinese”
SHANGHAI Intercultural Communications 3/12

4. Mortenson, S. “Cultural Differences and Similarities in Seeking Social Support as a Response
to Failure: A Comparison of American and Chinese Students”
Week 4: Examining Language and Intracultural Variation Language Choice in Intercultural
Communication
Core:
Xiao-Quan “Linguistic Diversity in Shanghai”
Jigsaw Reading:
Luna & “Advertising to Bilingual Consumers: The Impact of Code-Switching on
Peracchio Persuasion”
Zhang “Code-choice in Bidialectal Interaction: The Choice between Putonghua and
Cantonese in a Radio Phone-in Program in Shenzhen”
Week 5: Attitudes and Stereotypes in Intercultural Communication: How to Avoid
Miscommunication in Intercultural Communication
Core:
Williams & Johnson “Why can’t we all be friends? Multicultural Attitudes and Friendships with
International Students”
Jigsaw Readings:
Trilokekar & Kukar “Disorienting Experiences during Study Abroad: Reflections of Pre-Service
Candidates”
Spencer-Oatey “Managing Rapport in Intercultural Business Interactions: A Comparison of
& Xing Two Chinese-British Welcome Meetings” (Business)
SHANGHAI Intercultural Communications 3/12