Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Tutor Susana Catalina Prat susana.catalina@mq.edu.au Contact via susana.catalina@mq.edu.au W6A 325 Mondays 3 - 4pm Unit Convenor Martina Mollering martina.mollering@mq.edu.au Contact via martina.mollering@mq.edu.au W6A213 By appointment Tutor Constanze Dressler constanze.dressler@mq.edu.au Contact via constanze.dressler@mq.edu.au
Credit points	Credit points 3
Prerequisites	Prerequisites Admission to BIntStud or BIntStudLLB
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit is designed to introduce students to issues of cross-cultural communication and to relate those issues to the language studies that students undertake as a part of their degree. Particular emphasis is given to the interrelationship of language and culture, and how this connection plays out in international settings. The unit develops analytical as well as practical skills for communication in multicultural settings, such as multinational businesses or the diplomatic service. It is essential preparation for the study abroad program to be undertaken by students in the Bachelor of International Studies program at 300 level.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

to obtain factual knowledge about a range of European & Asian languages and cultures
acquire knowledge about different theoretical approaches to cross-cultural communication
to analyse and reflect critically on different concepts of culture
to gain an appreciation of cultural diversity and a range of issues related to cultural and cross-cultural questions
to engage with relevant key concepts arising from cross-cultural studies
to develop your research skills on a topic provided, with initial guidance through lectures and tutorials
to become familiar with the basic conventions of academic research, such as referencing and quoting correctly
to work and collaborate with others effectively

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Due
Essay 1	30%	April 13
Essay 2	40%	June 13
Tutorial Participation	20%	ongoing
Online Discussion Forum	10%	ongoing

Essay 1

Due: April 13
Weighting: 30%

Assignments are compulsory and must be submitted on time. As a general rule, extensions will not be granted without a valid and documented reason (e.g. medical certificate). Late submissions will be penalised by 5% for each day (including weekends) the assignment task is late. No assignments will be accepted after assignments have been corrected and feedback has been provided. Assignment tasks handed in early will not be marked and returned before the due date.

On successful completion you will be able to:

to analyse and reflect critically on different concepts of culture
to gain an appreciation of cultural diversity and a range of issues related to cultural and cross-cultural questions
to engage with relevant key concepts arising from cross-cultural studies
to develop your research skills on a topic provided, with initial guidance through lectures and tutorials
to become familiar with the basic conventions of academic research, such as referencing and quoting correctly

Essay 2

Due: June 13
Weighting: 40%

On successful completion you will be able to:

to analyse and reflect critically on different concepts of culture
to gain an appreciation of cultural diversity and a range of issues related to cultural and cross-cultural questions
to engage with relevant key concepts arising from cross-cultural studies
to develop your research skills on a topic provided, with initial guidance through lectures and tutorials
to become familiar with the basic conventions of academic research, such as referencing and quoting correctly

Tutorial Participation

Due: ongoing
Weighting: 20%

Beginning in week 2, tutorial attendance and participation are required. Tutorials will explore the unit themes and engage in critical analysis of unit readings. They wil also address research techniques and essay writing skills.

The tutorial is a compulsory component of this unit. No more than two tutorials should be missed. Absence from more than two tutorials needs to be supported by relevant documentation such as medical certificates and presented to the corresponding tutor. Unexplained absence from two or more tutorials is a possible ground for exclusion from the unit.

Please arrive on time for classes. Arriving late is very disruptive. All classes start five minutes past the hour. If you should arrive late, it is your responsibility to find out what you have missed.

On successful completion you will be able to:

to obtain factual knowledge about a range of European & Asian languages and cultures
acquire knowledge about different theoretical approaches to cross-cultural communication
to analyse and reflect critically on different concepts of culture
to gain an appreciation of cultural diversity and a range of issues related to cultural and cross-cultural questions
to engage with relevant key concepts arising from cross-cultural studies
to develop your research skills on a topic provided, with initial guidance through lectures and tutorials
to become familiar with the basic conventions of academic research, such as referencing and quoting correctly
to work and collaborate with others effectively

Online Discussion Forum

Due: ongoing
Weighting: 10%

Beginning in week 2, students are required to participate in online discussion through iLearn. The online discussions are designed to generate the informal exchange of ideas which stem from the lecture topics and readings. Students will be assessed on the relevance of their contributions and not on the format (spelling, grammar, etc) of the presentation.

On successful completion you will be able to:

to obtain factual knowledge about a range of European & Asian languages and cultures
acquire knowledge about different theoretical approaches to cross-cultural communication
to analyse and reflect critically on different concepts of culture
to gain an appreciation of cultural diversity and a range of issues related to cultural and cross-cultural questions
to engage with relevant key concepts arising from cross-cultural studies
to work and collaborate with others effectively

Delivery and Resources

INTS 100, “Cross-Cultural Communication”, is offered internally in first semester. Assessment is by coursework. The unit includes a weekly 1 hour lecture and a 1 hour tutorial.

The unit will be taught in English; all assessment components should be submitted in English.

As this unit involves a series of lectures in preparation for independent research, attendance at all lectures is highly recommended, attendance at tutorials is compulsory. Students who miss more than two tutorials without evidence of an unforseen and serious disruption (e.g. illness, supported by a medical certificate) may be excluded from the unit. Ongoing work commitments are no valid reason for missing classes.

It is expected that you prepare for each lecture with the help of the reading material which is provided to you via the ILearn online platform. Each lecture will then provide you with information, references and relevant sources guiding you towards more independent research. For each lecture, you will be given focus questions to discuss online in preparation for your tutorials. Adequate preparation will help you to engage with the topics discussed in the tutorials.

For each week of the semester, an abstract of the respective lecture will be made available via ILearn; an audiorecording of the lecture (via ECHO), as well as lecture notes will be uploaded into ILearn after the lecture. In each week’s ILearn component, you will also find the set readings for the week’s lecture as well as the focus questions for discussion online in preparation for your tutorials, and where relevant, a list of references for further readings.

Beginning in Week 2, the tutorials provide you with the opportunity to actively participate in discussions and to enhance your essay writing skills.

You are expected to visit the ILearn site for INTS 100 at least once a week to obtain all updates in information, to access the set readings and to post your online contributions to the focus questions.

Submission of Essays

Please submit both essays online via Grademark in your online unit. In the Assessment folder of your ILearn unit you will find the submission link for your assignments. Please note that assignments have to be submitted by 5pm on the day of the due date.

Advice on Essay Writing

Students are expected to present a very clear and concise answer. You are advised to ensure that every sentence you write relates directly to the question and contributes to your argument.

In contrast to the online discussion, your formal writing skills will be assessed. The better the writing, the clearer your argument. You are strongly advised to proof-read your essay prior to submission. Spellcheck will not identify a correctly spelled word used incorrectly in a sentence ("where" instead of "were" as one example of a common mistake which will alter the meaning of your sentence and detract from your argument). Proofread for spelling, style, syntax, vocabulary and grammatical mistakes, all of which will weaken your essay and have the potential to change the meaning of what you had hoped to express. Do not leave either the reading or the writing for the Essays until the last moment. If you rush reading on the topic, you will not have time to develop your thoughts. If you rush writing on the topic, you will not have time to re-read for content and style or to proof-read for errors. The Essay is intended to be an exercise in addressing a particular question and developing your arguments. Every author and website referenced in the essay must appear in your bibliography. Referencing styles are explained and illustrated at: http://www.lib.mq.edu.au/readyref/cites.html.

Be consistent with the referencing style you choose. Essay 2 requires wider reading and you are expected to use a range of sources. Please note that Wikipedia and Encarta are not considered academic references for the purposes of the Essay and the Take Home Exam.

Students absent due to illness or other valid reasons should notify the relevant staff member or Ms Jennifer Heward, Department Administrator, W6A 217, phone: +61 2 9850 7005. Medical certificates can be handed in at the next lecture.

Required and recommended texts

You will be supplied with references for each individual lecture on ILearn. In addition to taking notes in class, please use ILearn and E-Reserve (Library) to obtain the necessary information.

Please familiarise yourself with the material available in the library by attending one of the library information tours offered at the start of each semester.

Plagiarism

Assignments are to be your own work. Using someone else's words (either another student's, from a book, a journal article or a website) without clear acknowledgement is plagiarism and can incur serious penalties. The University defines plagiarism in its rules: “Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one’s own.” Plagiarism is a serious breach of the University’s rules and carries significant penalties. Information about plagiarism can be found in the Handbook of Undergraduate Studies, on the web at http://www.student.mq.edu.au/plagiarism and on the Faculty of Arts cover sheet, which you must sign before you submit your assignments. If you are in doubt consult your lecturer or tutor.

Grading

The university has a set of guidelines on the distribution of grades across the range from fail to high distinction.

HD	High Distinction which denotes work of outstanding quality. This may be demonstrated in areas such as criticism, logical argument, interpretation of materials or use of methodology. This grade may also be awarded to recognise a high order of originality or creativity in student performance;
D	Distinction which denotes work of superior quality in the same areas of performance as above. This grade may also be awarded to recognise particular originality or creativity in student performance;
Cr	Credit which denotes work of predominantly good quality, demonstrating a sound grasp of content together with efficient organisation, selectivity and use of techniques;
P	Pass which denotes a clear pass and satisfactory achievement of unit objectives;
F	Fail which denotes that a candidate has failed to complete a unit satisfactorily.

Unit Schedule

Weekly Overview

Week	Topic
Week 1	Introduction and Overview Course outline Online unit component Essay writing skills
Week 2	The Relationship of Language and Culture
Week 3	Definitions of Culture and Cultural Values
Week 4	The role of Social Context
Week 5	Politeness and Face
Week 6 ESSAY 1: due on 13 April	Cross-Cultural Pragmatics
Week 7	Case Studies: German, Greek, Russian
Week 8	Case Study: Spanish
Week 9	Case Studies: French/Italian
Week 10	Case Studies: Chinese
Week 11	Case Studies: Japanese
Week 12	Towards Intercultural Competence: Bringing it all together
Week 13 ESSAY 2 due on 13 June	No Lecture/Queens Birthday

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.