INTL 591 Cultural Competence for Working Professionals

June 23-27, 2008
3 graduate credits

Syllabus [PDF]
Schedule [PDF]

“If I am not who you say I am, then you are not who you think you are…” C.S. Lewis

This highly interactive and participatory course is designed for anyone concerned about the effectiveness of people working and living in multicultural societies. The course experiences will include lecturettes, group discussions and activities, intercultural simulations and games, case studies and more. All course activities are designed for application to adult learners’ everyday encounters with individuals from other cultures.

Learners will find this course valuable at several levels. First, the course provides an intellectual framework and a solid theoretical base for understanding and interpreting various cultures. Second, the course bridges theory and practice through a series of hands-on exercises, simulations, stories and real-world examples. Third, the many exercises and simulations in this course involve all three learning realms (cognitive, affective and behavioral), thus optimizing learners’ skill development necessary for effective intercultural communication. In addition, the course’s approach and structure allows learners to obtain insights into their own ways of thinking and acting when they deal with people from other cultures.

The course major topics include:

• Communication and culture
• Explaining cultural differences: beliefs, values and norms across cultures
• Interpersonal relationships across cultures
• Constructive intercultural conflict management
• Cultural adaptation and culture shock

All the instructional materials, including exercises, simulations and games, will be provided in class. No prior knowledge of the above mentioned concepts is necessary.

Lead instructor
Dr. Tatyana Thweatt
E-mail: tsthweatt@vcu.edu

For more information about these workshops contact Anna Jones at (804) 828-8831.