Intercultural Communication
Comm 304, Spring 2009
Instructor: Cynthia Apollo
Office: Sci 39
Email: capollo@ku.edu.tr
Phone: 1810
Office hours: by appointment
Course Context and General Objectives
Welcome!! In this course, we are all learners and teachers. Your experience and capacities
as human beings are valuable resources for us all. Respect for yourself and others is essential
for creating a positive learning environment in this class. I look forward to working with you
to make this happen.
This course is a journey. As most journeys, our travels take us to places both known and
unknown. In the process, we will learn a great deal about others—their values, ways of
thinking, behaving and communicating. We will also learn about ourselves. Self-reflection
is an important aspect of intercultural communication. In our exploration of new territory in
this class, we go away from home but also return home.
Throughout this course, you will have the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes
that will increase your intercultural communication competence. A variety of teaching
methods including lecture, discussion, group work, exercises, and creative modalities will be
used to address issues in this class.
The general purpose of this class is to understand the ways in which culture and
communication intersect and influence each other. An emphasis will be placed on
understanding the importance of context—social, cultural, historical, and political—in
intercultural interactions and communication.
Specific Course Objectives
1. To explore cultural self-awareness, other-culture awareness and the dynamics that arise
in interactions between people from different cultures.
2. To understand how communication processes differ among cultures and to acquire
knowledge and skills that increase intercultural competence.
3. To identify barriers--racism, sexism, and systems of privilege--that arise from histories of
colonization, exploitation, and discrimination and learn ways to creatively address these
inequities.
Required Texts
Listig, M. W. & Koester, J. (1996). Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication
Across Cultures. Fifth Edition. HarpersCollins College Publishers.
Other materials used will be on F-drive.
Course Requirements:
Classwork & Homework = 25%
This is an interactive, experiential class. Students are expected to engage actively in class
discussion, learning exercises, and group activities. There are many ways to participate
including active listening, thoughtful inquiry, as well as verbal and non-verbal
communication. Attendance is absolutely critical to meeting the overall requirements of
the course. Your participation grade will be evaluated based on your active
participation in all class activities. It is very difficult to participate if you are not here!!
Reading Responses & Quizzes = 20%
The purpose of the reading is to provide a foundation for the material covered in class. Class
discussion will build from the reading so it is assumed that the reading has been completed
before the assigned date. Reading quizzes and responses will be given in class or assigned as
homework throughout the semester to encourage you to keep up with the reading and make
sure you understand the concepts we will be working with.
Culture Collage = 15 points
Create a collage that can be used to visually tell the class about yourself. I would like you to
focus on telling us about your culture—your background, cultural values, cultural experience,
etc. This is a way for you to share who you are with the class. Take time and care with this
project. You are presenting yourself—use your creativity. The purpose of the assignment is
for you to reflect on yourself and your cultural background and have an opportunity to share
this with others. Evaluation is based on level of engagement not artistic ability.
Intercultural Field Experience and Reflection Paper (20 points each x 2 = 40% ):
This assignment requires that each student engage in an intercultural experience and write a
summary of the experience. The important consideration here is involvement, not just as a
bystander or observer, but engagement in an event with a group of people from a cultural
group other than your own, or involvement in an experience that is different culturally from
your own. You may decide to attend a cultural event (such as a fair, religious service, etc.) or
get to know someone in depth from a cultural group other than your own. Examples and
ideas will be discussed in class.
For this assignment, students are required to write a four to five page (double-spaced)
reflection paper that includes:
1.) A description of the experience.
2.) Application of concepts and ideas from the course.
3.) A summary of what you have learned from the experience.
Further guidelines for the reflection papers will be provided in class.
Note: Submitting all assignments is a minimum requirement, but not a guarantee, for passing the
course. The quality of your assignments will be the deciding factor.
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is presenting someone else's words or ideas as your own, without proper reference. You
are graded on your own individual work, not another's masquerading as your own. Any student found
plagiarizing on or colluding in writing assignments may fail the assignment, fail the course, and/or be
referred to the university's disciplinary council. This may result in suspension from the university.
You commit plagiarism when:
1. You copy someone else's writing and do not put it in quotation marks and identify the source;
2. You take someone else's writing, change some of the words, and do not identify the source.
3. You take someone else's ideas or sequence of ideas, put them into your own words, and do not
identify the source;
4. Someone else writes your assignments or changes your writing and thus creates a false impression
of your abilities;
You engage in collusion by receiving unauthorized help with your writing by paying or otherwise
inducing another person to do the writing for you.
Attendance Policy
Class attendance is required. You are allowed 3 absences excused or unexcused from class without
penalty. Each following absence, whether it is excused or unexcused, results in a reduction of your
overall course grade: 4 absences = 5% penalty, 5 = 10%, 6 = 15%, 7= 20%. If you miss more than 7
classes, you will automatically fail the course. Consult with your instructor if you believe there are
extenuating circumstances. If you are late (arrive after attendance has been taken) inform your
teacher after class to correct the attendance sheet. You will be marked ‘late’ and 3 ‘late’ marks equal
and absence.
Grading Scale
A = 100 – 93%
A- = 92 – 90%
B+ = 89 – 86 %
B = 86 – 83 %
B- = 82 – 80%
C+ = 79 – 77 %
C = 76 – 73%
C- = 72 – 70%
D+ = 69 – 67 %
D = 66 – 63 %
D- = 62 – 60%
F = 59 – 0
Course Guidelines and Expectations








Keep up with work and expectations. It is your responsibility to read the syllabus carefully and
completely and to keep track of assignments and deadlines. “I was absent,” or “I did not read the
syllabus” are not acceptable excuses for not meeting course responsibilities.
Behave respectfully toward the instructor and your fellow students. Come to class on time. Do not
converse with those around you, sleep, or talk, write, or play games on your cell phone during class.
Please turn off your mobile phones before entering the classroom and keep them out of sight during
class. Keep the classroom clean.
Communicate professionally and politely with your instructor. You should send email to your
instructor only about questions that cannot be answered by using the resources you already have (e.g.,
your syllabus, the instructor’s written directions, or KUAIS). When you do communicate with your
instructor via email, be sure that your message is composed of clear, grammatically correct complete
sentences. All emails should be addressed in a professional manner (“Dear …”) and must include your
full name, course, and section number.
Submit neat and professional work. All work submitted must be typed, double spaced, in 12 pt. font,
printed on only one side of the paper, with 2.5 cm margins on all sides. Of course, all work submitted
must be spell-checked, appropriately stapled or bound (according to your instructor’s directions), and
clearly marked with your first name, surname, and section number.
Come to class prepared. You must come to class prepared, with a pen/pencil, paper, the textbook or
reading pack, any assignments for that day’s class, and, when applicable, materials related to your
research project. If you are unprepared to participate in the class lesson you may be asked to leave and
you will receive an absence if that happens.
Follow instructions. If you are not sure what you are suppose to do, ask! If an assignment is not done
correctly it will be returned unmarked.
Other classes are not an excuse to miss this one. Every class is important. It is your responsibility to
manage your time.
No “Special situation” or “special circumstances” will persuade me to raise your final grade so
don’t ask. You will determine your own grade entirely by how hard and how well you work
throughout the course. At the end of the term I will add together all of the points you’ve earned by
completing the many large and small assignments I’ve given throughout the term. Your ‘point total’
will determine your final grade.