Pragmatics of Inter- and Cross-Cultural Communication-2

Master 2024/2025

Type: Compulsory course (Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication)

Area of studies: Linguistics

Delivered by: School of Foreign Languages

Where: School of Foreign Languages

When: 2 year, 1-3 module

Mode of studies: distance learning

Online hours: 20

Open to: students of all HSE University campuses

Instructors: Мошняга Елена Викторовна

Master’s programme: Иностранные языки и межкультурная коммуникация

Language: English

ECTS credits: 9

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The course explores such issues as the communication theory of identity, psychological identity is dwelt upon through the lens of Hall's theory of "cultural grammar" and Hofstede's theory of cultural dimensions. The course reveals the approaches to the classification of business cultures by Lewis and the analysis of organizational culture on the basis of the classification of cultures by Schein and Trompenaars. The issues of overcoming intercultural conflicts are considered. Emphasis is placed on the stages and processes of intercultural competence development. Particular attention is paid to the methods of communication research.

Learning Objectives

The purpose of the discipline is the formation of students' competencies in the field of intercultural and cross-cultural communication, in-depth intercultural understanding, cultural awareness, sensitivity and intelligence. Cross-cultural perspective will enable students to competently contemplate, comprehend, analyze, and compare similar phenomena in different cultures.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Students conceptualize communication as a field of pragmatics.
Students apply the principles of pragmatics while modelling communication.
Students analyze and interpret communication as a metamodel and communication theory as a metadiscourse.
Students analyze national cultures through the lens of context, time, and space.
Students model communicative behavior with due consideration of high vs. low context, monochronic vs. polychronic time, high vs. low contact.
Students analyze cultures through the prism of parametric models of psychological identity.
Students model communicative behavior on the basis of cultural value systems.
Students analyze cultures on the basis of cultural dimensions by Geert Hofstede and can develop a communicator’s profile with due consideration of the dimensional continua.
Students apply cultural dimensions for the analysis of interactions, narratives, discourses.
Students detect and analyze barriers in intercultural communication.
Students analyze causes and types of intercultural barriers in communication.
Students model and project ways to overcome intercultural barriers.
Students distinguish different types of intercultural conflicts.
Students pragmatically analyze factors and causes of intercultural conflicts.
Students model conflict management and resolution strategies.
Students distinguish different types of facework.
Students draw distinction between positive and negative politeness strategies.
Students analyze the pragmatics of Face Threatening Acts (FTAs) and elaborate ways to avoid them.
Students apply facework strategies in group activities.
Students apply business cultures classification by Richard Lewis for the analysis of intercultural communication in business settings.
Students model business communicators’ profiles according to the dominant type of activity: monoactive, polyactive, or reactive.
Students apply dimensions of cultures by Fons Trompenaars for the analysis of intercultural communication in business settings.
Students model business communicators’ profiles according to the seven dimensions of cultures by Fons Trompenaars.
Students project the “Servant-Leadership” managerial model by Fons Trompenaars for practical business cases.
Students detect and analyze culturally-sensitive areas in intercultural business communication.
Students distinguish different types of organizations and analyze the factor cultural diversity in them.
Students analyze corporate cultures and the impact of national cultures on them.
Students model intercultural negotiating in different business settings.
Students distinguish cultural differences in educational settings.
Students analyze trends and challenges of multicultural education.
Students model multicultural competence of teachers and educators.
Students analyze and modify components of intercultural competence.
Students model intercultural competence of citizens and professionals in a multicultural environment.
Students develop projects for tolerance-building in a multicultural community.
Students distinguish quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods of research in communication.
Students selectively apply different methods of field research and unobtrusive methods.
Students develop research projects in intercultural communication with due consideration of Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity.

Course Contents

Communication as a Field of Pragmatics
The Pragmatic Concept of "Cultural Grammar" by Edward Hall
The Pragmatics of Communication Theories of Identity
The Theory of Cultural Dimensions by Geert Hofstede
Barriers in Intercultural Communication. Stereotypes, Prejudices, Precedent Phenomena, Centrisms, Attribution
Intercultural Conflicts. Conflict Resolution and Mediation
Face Negotiation Theory. The Pragmatics of Politeness
Business Cultures Classification by Richard Lewis
Business Communication Across Cultures by Fons Trompenaars
Intercultural Communication in Business Settings
Intercultural Communication in Educational Settings
Intercultural competence
Research methods in intercultural and cross-cultural communication

Assessment Elements

Analytical article
Write an article on one of the issues of intercultural communication in educational settings
Analytical essay
Writing an analytical essay on the phenomena of changing identities and communication of different national mentalities
Practical and analytical assignments
Completing homework assignments within all topic segments of the course
Case study
Report presentation
Report presentation on one of the topics of the course, raising and analyzing the problem, providing illustrative material, examples, cases and solutions
Research project
Project
Class participation
Participating in the discussion of problems on all topics of the course, answering topical questions, commenting, providing arguments, examples and illustrative cases
Online course
Completing assignments and tests on the topics of the online course

Interim Assessment

2024/2025 1st module
0.25 * Case study + 0.25 * Class participation + 0.25 * Practical and analytical assignments + 0.25 * Report presentation
2024/2025 3rd module
0.1 * Analytical article + 0.1 * Analytical essay + 0.1 * Case study + 0.1 * Class participation + 0.1 * Online course + 0.1 * Practical and analytical assignments + 0.3 * Report presentation + 0.1 * Research project

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

A global view on intercultural management : challenges in a globalized world, Rothlauf, J., 2014
An introdution to intercultural communication : identities in a global community, Jandt, F. E., 2013
Communicating globally : intercultural communication and international business, Schmidt, W. V., 2007
Cross-cultural and intercultural communication, , 2003
Culture`s consequences : comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations, Hofstede, G., 2001
Cultures and organizations : software of the mind, Hofstede, G., 2005
Cultures and Organizations: software of the mind: intercultural cooperation and Its importance fo..., Hofstede, G., 2010
Doing cross-cultural research : ethical and methodological perspectives, , 2008
Doing pragmatics interculturally : cognitive, philosophical, and sociopragmatic perspectives, , 2017
Exploring intercultural communication : language in action, Hua, Z., 2014
Handbook of intercultural training, , 2004
Intercultural and international business communication : theory, research and teaching, , 2008
Intercultural business communication, Chaney, L. H., 2007
Intercultural communication : a contextual approach, Neuliep, J. W., 2015
Intercultural communication : building a global community, Patel, F., 2011
Intercultural communication in the global workplace, Beamer, L., 2008
Intercultural communication, , 2017
Language turned on itself : the semantics and pragmatics of metalinguistic discourse, Cappelen, H., 2010
Methods and data analysis for cross-cultural research, Vijver van de, F., 1997
Performing gualitative cross-cultural research, Liamputtong, P., 2010
Politeness, impoliteness and ritual : maintaining the moral order in interpersonal interaction, Kadar, D. Z., 2017
Riding the waves of culture : understanding diversity in global business, Trompenaars, F., 2014
Stereotypes, cognition and culture, Hinton, P. R., 2000

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Cross-cultural research methods in psychology, , 2011
Experimental pragmatics : the making of a cognitive science, Noveck, I., 2021
Impoliteness : using language to cause offence, Culpeper, J., 2011
Inquiries in philosophical pragmatics : issues in linguistics, Macagno, F., 2021
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., 306 p., Chaney, L. H., Martin, J. S., 2005
Intercultural communication : a new approach to international relations and global challenges, Sadri, H. A., 2011
Intercultural communication : a practical guide, Novinger, T., 2001
Intercultural communication in the global workplace, Beamer, L., 2001
Politeness in historical and contemporary Chinese, Pan, Y., 2012
Social performance : symbolic action, cultural pragmatics and ritual, , 2006

Authors

MOSHNYAGA ELENA VIKTOROVNA
BAKULEV Aleksey VALENTINOVICH

Course Syllabus