Students

INTS1015 – Intercultural Language Project 1

2025 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor
Mei-fen Kuo
mei-fen.kuo@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
Room 342, Level 3, 25C Wally's Walk
by appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Can various experiences, practices and perspectives of a culture tell us something unique about that culture? This project-based unit seeks to promote a greater awareness of, and engagement with, lived experiences in the broad context of the intersection of language, culture and society. It focuses on helping students broaden their appreciation of aspects of intercultural life and practices as well as sites of meaning in a culturally and linguistically specific environment. Through a semi-guided project, students will be encouraged to explore one aspect of intercultural life by reviewing, collecting and analysing relevant data related to a specific language and cultural context.

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:

  • ULO1: Design and conduct a project-based activity in an intercultural context within and outside the university environment.
  • ULO2: Collate, analyse and evaluate data collected during intercultural encounters.
  • ULO3: Communicate a targeted aspect of language specific cultural life to peers, teachers and the public using written, oral and/or digital media in a detailed and comprehensive manner.
  • ULO4: Identify ways in which society and culture interact and locally manifest in a specific cultural context.
  • ULO5: Demonstrate adequate library and information retrieval skills relevant to the nominated project.
  • ULO6: Demonstrate capacity for self-organisation and effective project management.

General Assessment Information

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of 0 (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. 

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

These are serious penalties that will substantially alter your final grade and even determine whether you pass or fail this unit. Please make every effort to submit your assignment by the due dates.

If you find you cannot submit your assignment on time, please apply for Special Consideration through AskMQ. Make sure you read Macquarie University's policy regarding Special Consideration requests before you apply:

https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Research plan 25% No 12/09/2025
Critical Essay 15% No 10/10/2025
Presentation of project results 25% No Slides (23.55 27/10/2025); Presentation (10.00 31/10/2025)
Research report 35% No 07/11/2025

Research plan

Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 12/09/2025
Weighting: 25%

 

Plan that details scope, activities and timeline of the project

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Design and conduct a project-based activity in an intercultural context within and outside the university environment.
  • Collate, analyse and evaluate data collected during intercultural encounters.
  • Communicate a targeted aspect of language specific cultural life to peers, teachers and the public using written, oral and/or digital media in a detailed and comprehensive manner.
  • Identify ways in which society and culture interact and locally manifest in a specific cultural context.
  • Demonstrate capacity for self-organisation and effective project management.

Critical Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 10/10/2025
Weighting: 15%

 

A short essay including critical evaluation of the unit readings and supported by relevant examples.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify ways in which society and culture interact and locally manifest in a specific cultural context.
  • Demonstrate adequate library and information retrieval skills relevant to the nominated project.

Presentation of project results

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Slides (23.55 27/10/2025); Presentation (10.00 31/10/2025)
Weighting: 25%

 

Oral presentation using digital media

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Communicate a targeted aspect of language specific cultural life to peers, teachers and the public using written, oral and/or digital media in a detailed and comprehensive manner.
  • Demonstrate capacity for self-organisation and effective project management.

Research report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 07/11/2025
Weighting: 35%

 

Report of findings and conclusions

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Design and conduct a project-based activity in an intercultural context within and outside the university environment.
  • Collate, analyse and evaluate data collected during intercultural encounters.
  • Communicate a targeted aspect of language specific cultural life to peers, teachers and the public using written, oral and/or digital media in a detailed and comprehensive manner.
  • Identify ways in which society and culture interact and locally manifest in a specific cultural context.
  • Demonstrate adequate library and information retrieval skills relevant to the nominated project.
  • Demonstrate capacity for self-organisation and effective project management.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Online Unit

Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/

Is my unit in iLearn?: http://help.ilearn.mq.edu.au/unitsonline/ to check when your online unit will become available.

Technology

Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.

For students attending classes on campus we strongly encourage that you bring along your own laptop computer, ready to work with activities in your online unit. The preferred operating system is Windows 10.

Students are required to access the online unit in iLearn by the end of Week 1 and follow any relevant instructions and links for downloads that may be required. If applicable, students are required to download the relevant language package prior to Week 2.

Please contact your course convenor before the end of Week 1 if you do not have a suitable laptop (or tablet) for in-class use.

For central technical support go to:  http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

For student quick guides on the use of iLearn go to:  https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/tools-and-resources/ilearn/ilearn-quick-guides-for-students.

Electronic submission of assignments via Turnitin.com

Macquarie University subscribes to the Turnitin plagiarism detection system. All students will be required to submit all of their written work through this system. See Assessment Submission for details. 

Library Databases

The library databases offer access to thousands of academic journal articles on all relevant subject areas.Make a point of searching these databases for scholarly articles for sources of information for assignments.The library enquiry desk is a good point of assistance in the use of these databases.You can also the ‘Ask a Librarian’ service by phone or live chat. http://www.mq.edu.au/on_campus/library/

Please direct any questions about passwords, access, and iLearnto the IT helpdesk: http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

Unit Schedule

INTS1015: Unit Schedule (Session 2, 2025)

Unit Focus: Cultural Placemaking & Local Festivals

Delivery Mode: Blended Model (3 Online Seminars, 3 Individual Consultations, plus Offline Activities & Guided Independent Study)

Note: This schedule is designed as a flexible roadmap to guide your personal research journey throughout the session.

Week

Date (w/c)

Topic & Focus

Key Activities & Learning Mode

1

1 Aug

Unit Orientation & Foundations

Guided Independent Study (Asynchronous)

2

8 Aug

First Seminar: Deconstructing Multiculturalism

Online Seminar 1 (Friday, 10am-12pm): Live discussion

3

15 Aug

From Policy to Place: The Ryde Case Study

Online Seminar 2 (Friday, 10am-12pm): Analysis of how local governments implement policy, focusing on the Granny Smith Festival case study.

4

  

Independent Research Week

Offline Activity

5

  

Reading the Festival: A Cultural Analysis Toolkit

Guided Independent Study: Learn theoretical frameworks for analysing public events and prepare to select your comparative case study via discussion on the iLearn forum.

6

5 Sept

Consultation Week 1: Research Plan

Individual Consultation (Consultation 1, 10am to 12pm Friday): One-on-one online meeting with the convenor to discuss the draft of the Research Plan.

7

  

Independent Research Week and Offline Field Works

Guided Independent Study: Finalise and submit your research plan.

DUE: Research Plan (12 Sept)

8

19 Sept

Consultation Week 2: Critical Essay Prep

Individual Consultation (Consultation 2, 10am to 12pm Friday): One-on-one online meeting to discuss progress.

   

Mid-Session Break

(No classes - use this time for independent research and essay writing)

9

  

Independent Research and Offline Fieldwork

Guided Independent Study and Offline Fieldwork: Prepare for your presentation and conduct preliminary fieldwork if applicable.

DUE: Critical Essay (10 Oct)

10

  

Core Activity: Festival Fieldwork

Offline Fieldwork: Students attend the Granny Smith Festival (18 Oct) in person to conduct and record their observations.

11

24 Oct

Consultation Week 3: Post-Festival Debrief

Individual Consultation (Consultation 3, Friday 10am to 12pm): One-on-one meeting to debrief the festival fieldwork and discuss how to integrate observations into the final report.

12

31 Oct

Live Presentations & Peer Feedback

Online Seminar 3 (Friday, 10am-12pm): Students deliver their presentations live online, followed by a Q&A and peer feedback session.

DUE: Presentation Slides (27 Oct)

DUE: Live Presentation (31 Oct, 10am to 12pm)

13

  

Final Report Writing & Additional Support

Additional Consultation (Optional): Final drop-in session for any remaining questions on the written report.

DUE: Project Written Report (7 Nov)

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

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

Unit information based on version 2025.02R of the Handbook