The basic collegiate course in speech communication, with its attention to public speaking, can provide experiences which increase international understanding. To widen sources of information, students could be assigned to conduct an interview with a foreign student or professor or a U.S. soldier who has returned from overseas, providing both…

These instructor and student manuals contain the content for a course on getting a job for students of English as a Second Language. The course emphasizes the cultural values and nuances of U.S. culture that students may expect to encounter during the job search and job interviews. Topics covered include exploring cultural assumptions, culture…

This paper addresses the many uses of the writing portfolio in general education at the college level, particularly in classrooms teaching business communication. It describes what elements could be contained within a portfolio, the role the portfolio can play in the assessment process, and the pedagogical implications of a class that is organized…

This paper argues the importance of preparing business managers for a global marketplace and addresses who is responsible for the training and how to go about it. The establishment of an MBA (Master of Business Administration)-level course in intercultural communication is examined. Areas discussed involve determining what the goals of the course…

The need for teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) to have cultural sensitivity is discussed. First, it is proposed that ESL teachers must develop multicultural understanding and sensitivity to the cultural needs of students in order to help them reach their full potential. This means avoiding cultural domination, treating students as…

The design of a videotape recording for teaching politeness to learners of English as a Second Language is described. The recording attempts a step-by-step analysis of politeness realization markers and acts, especially face-threatening acts, simultaneously mapped onto the paralinguistic features accompanying them. It contains four bank scenes in…

This paper discusses the problems faced by Minnesota's Supporting Diversity in Schools organization in communicating their goal of making schools responsive to students of differing ethnic backgrounds. It was found that using terms such as "multicultural curriculum" and "isolation of schools and communities of color from one…

Business/vocational education has the unique opportunity to introduce multicultural education from the perspective of world trade, business, economics, and comparative advantage. Vocational educators also have a responsibility to foster respect for the human rights of all people and oppose current and historical practices such as oppression,…

This book examines issues critical to women and their families who go abroad to live. In advising how to cope effectively with the problems that arise, the book illuminates the advantages of living overseas and offers practical suggestions and guidelines that help women take advantage of the opportunity to share in another culture. Divided into 13…

The guide provides a conceptual framework for teaching cultural awareness and intercultural adjustment skills. Designed in the context of an intensified English second language program, the approach is recommended for students at the intermediate or advanced levels of language learning or for monocultural classes. In this approach, four stages of…

The University of Rhode Island's International Engineering Program leads to two degrees: a B.A. in German and a B.S. in engineering. A major problem in program development was lack of appropriate instructional materials and recommended methodology for technical German courses. An instructional unit on the diesel motor illustrates how materials…

Three topics were dealt with during this panel discussion on how Hmong, Khmer, Laotian, and Vietnamese refugees see the American school system: (1) the general issues of acculturation and assimilation; (2) conflicts between school and home expectations; and (3) the use of students and other nonprofessionals as interpreters and translators in…

This manual contains materials to provide Peace Corps Volunteers with the skills to make the transition from one culture to another, to enter and become fluent in another culture, and to understand the current political, social, and religious context. The approach to training is "skill building" for continued learning. Introductory materials…

Before students and teachers can really understand another culture, they need to learn about their own culture. Considering the products, practices and perspectives of their own families, for example, can open new pathways in their knowledge about family artifacts, foods, patterns of behavior and appreciation of their family's cultural traditions…

This book uses an ethnographic approach to collect and analyze patterns of language and culture that affect interracial communication and culture. The study selects patterns of behavior, or elements within patterns, and maps black and white cognitive territory in order to reveal the cultural reasons for communications difficulties. The book…