Intercultural Communication Summer School
The Intercultural Communication Summer School in Kassel is a unique short term education program specially dedicated to students and graduates who would like to learn to recognize, understand and cope with cultural differences in communication. Every year about 20 participants from around the world with different cultural backgrounds join this class creating an environment that encourages learning about another culture through class activities, discussions, simulations and role plays.
Based on their personal interest students are able to gain useful insights in the chosen field of study and improve their intercultural communication skills in a highly international learning environment.
The university program is combined with excursions to companies, historic places/towns near Kassel and several leisure time activities. All included in the program fee. Kassel's location in central Germany makes other destinations in Germany and Europe easily reachable within a few hours. A excursion to Berlin is optional.
In addition, students will be accommodated at a host family for the time of their stay. Due to this structure the program guarantees a broad and realistic impression of German culture, historical heritage and daily life in modern society.
Program
Intercultural Competence Lab - Theory and Practice of Intercultural Communication
40 contact hours and 6 credit points
Lecturer: Dr. Cosima Meyer, email: cosima.pm@intercultural-relations.de
Overview and learning objectives
Good intercultural communication skills are a prerequisite for successfully staying abroad and an essential qualification for professional success in today`s globalized world.
This course gives an introduction to intercultural theory and practice. You will learn about culture and its dimensions and about intercultural sensitivity, competence and communication between people with diverse cultural backgrounds.
The intercultural encounter inside and outside the classroom will enable you to reflect on your own intercultural experience and to connect theory to real life situations. You will learn to analyze the dynamics of intercultural interactions from various points of view and thus increase your own intercultural awareness.
After completing this course students
- understand the models and concepts for analyzing cultures,
- are able to reflect upon their own cultural backgrounds critically,
- know the concepts of intercultural competence and intercultural sensitivity,
- recognize and understand the background of cultural differences in communication, conflict resolution and team processes – and will be able to cope with these differences,
- are able to transfer their learnings to diverse working and everyday contexts.
- To achieve these learning objectives, a variety of methods will be used, like lecturing, discussions, simulations, role plays, exercises, text analysis and presentations.
Course topics:
- Introduction – course structure, formalities, expectations
- Culture - definitions, meaning, models, dimensions
- Intercultural competence – concepts, sensibility, communication
- Towards Cultural Understanding – changing perspective
- Case studies, interactive exercises
- Roundup - discussion, evaluation, reflection
Participant Ratings
German Language Course
40 contact hours and 4 credit points
German as a Foreign Language
Studying German in Germany and practicing your skills in everyday situations is a very effective way to improve your German.
The Summer School offers German language courses at three different levels - depending on the number of participants and their German language skills. Students will be assigned to the level that best fits their competence.
Our language courses are designed to fit the criteria of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (European Language Portfolio). The ISU program offers courses at the following levels: A1 (beginners) and, depending on the level of the participants, A2, B1, B2 and C1. The description explains which language skills you will have AFTER the course [... more Information].
The applied teaching and learning methods are based on a progressive and innovative concept which includes, among others, team work, games, and CALL (computer-aided language learning), etc. Students will study in small groups and in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
Our experienced teachers are carefully selected. They are especially qualified for teaching German as a foreign language.
Participant Ratings
