ENL-20004 - Module Specification
Language Centre
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

Barred Combinations

ENL-10043

Description for 2023/24

The focus of this module is to help prepare Keele students for their Study Abroad/Exchange/Erasmus programme. The module provides an introduction to the basic principles and issues related to communication within and across different cultural contexts. Lectures and seminars focus on the perception of culture and our ability to understand and function in an unfamiliar environment. The overall aim is to equip students with the framework to analyse and recognise the value of their overseas experience. By the end of the semester, study abroad students regardless of their specific destination, will be better equipped to function effectively in a different culture.
During the module you will meet students who have recently returned from their own study abroad experience and interview students who are currently studying at Keele from our partner institutions.
This module is particularly relevant for students who are intending to take part in the Study Abroad programme in semester 2.

The focus will generally be on the concept of culture and how it impacts upon our ability to understand and function in a new and unfamiliar environment. The module will concentrate on the skills, attitudes and behaviours which all study abroad students, regardless of their specific destination, will find useful. The overall aim is to equip students with the framework necessary to analyze and understand their overseas experience. By the end of the semester students will be better equipped to function effectively in a different culture.

Intended Learning Outcomes

learn basic skills for developing intercultural communication competence: 1
evaluate their own cultural opinions, attitudes and biases, and will gain an understanding of how the UK is perceived abroad, as well as the ways in which they will be perceived as national representatives: 1
gain skills in independent research and constructive team- working as culture-specific knowledge and expertise is developed: 1
describe and analyse differences between their own cultural idiolect and the their target culture: 1
develop the ability to discuss key concepts, including cultural stereotypes, cultural generalisations, high- and low-context communication styles, culture shock and re-entry: 1,2

Study hours

12 hours lectures
12 hours tutorials
86 hours of pre-class preparation and coursework
40 hours of group presentation preparation

School Rules

No entry requirements, but students should be intending to apply to study abroad in the second semester of their second year.

Description of Module Assessment