01 Introduction

Lecturer: H. Cindy Lee

Fu-Jen / 2004-5
Intercultural Communication &
English Education
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
 Communication Model
• Communication: The exchange of meaning

[Context] Noise [Context]

Source Encoding Message Channel Receiver Decoding

Receiver
Feedback
Response

(Jandt, 1995 in Gibson, 2002)

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.
Key Concepts of IC
• Cultural differences or misunderstanding
won’t simply dissolve because two people
speak the same language.
• To guarantee successful communication,
cultural understanding is crucial.
• Intercultural competence thus becomes the
5th element of language ability (in addition
to the traditional 4 skills [ 聽說讀寫 ] ).
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.
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…
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……
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
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).
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.)
Reference
• Jandt, F. 1995. Intercultural
Communication: an Introduction. Sage.

• Gibson, R. 2002. Intercultural Business

Communication. Oxford University
Press.
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~