Intercultural Communication
Paper details:
AT LEAST 5 References
Assessment 2 Essay
Task description
Assessment 2: Essay (2250 words) 50% of the total weighting
Due: Monday Week 10; 12 pm
For this essay, you have two options. You can base the essay on three experiences of intercultural communication you have had (option one), or you can base your essay on a case study that exemplifies your understanding of intercultural communication in contemporary society (option two). You can draw on the experience or example you used in assessment 1.2 for this task. Read through the two options below and choose one which will suit you best.
Option One:
In this option, you are required to explain your understanding of intercultural communication through three experiences you have had. Drawing on ideas from the course, relevant literature (including course readings) and your own experience/interests, describe and reflect on three experiences that you have had of intercultural communication. One of these experiences could be the same as the one you presented in Assessment 1.2, in which case you must take a different approach or angle to the one taken for the presentation by applying different concepts and literature to support your analysis. For the two remaining experiences, you should identify different encounters – these should be actual interactions you have had and that you can adequately reflect on to demonstrate your growing awareness and knowledge of intercultural communication.
Option Two:
In this option, you are required to explain your understanding of intercultural communication through a contemporary case study. The case study chosen can be something that is looked at in the course or another cultural phenomenon you are interested in. During the course various examples have been used to illustrate the concepts focused on for example: online communities such 8Chan, presidential campaign speeches, branding in the wine industry and diversity in health care amongst many others. You may choose to take any of these examples further, or use any cultural, social or political phenomenon in the contemporary world. You will need to focus on a specific, concrete example. If in doubt contact the teaching team to discuss your choice.
You have the option of submitting a plan to receive feedback on your ideas for the essay. If you choose this option, you will need to incorporate the feedback on your essay plan into the final essay.
More details about the optional essay plan will be provided in the Announcements section in Week 6.
Your essay should:
introduce the key ideas that will inform your reflections on your experiences
explain why you chose these experiences as examples of intercultural communication
describe what you observed during the experiences (about yourself and others)
reference relevant literature, by discussing your reflections on what it is that is going on in these experiences, suggesting how these experiences exemplify intercultural communication in the contemporary world
show consideration about how these experiences and reflections have affected your thinking about yourself and others in intercultural communication, including language, culture and communication
If you choose to submit an essay plan, your essay may also
include your essay plan as an appendix to your final submission (non-graded)
include your observation notes on the three examples of intercultural communication or case study as an appendix (non-graded)
Essay structure and academic conventions
In addition to the above guidance, your essay should also demonstrate:
a clear structure (an introduction that presents the focus and main arguments, a body that presents and illustrates the main points and shows how they relate to the task, and a brief conclusion)
the use of appropriate referencing style (in text referencing of material used from other authors and accurate list of references); and
the use of appropriate language conventions such as grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Assessment criteria for essay
Content: Demonstrates sophisticated understanding and application of reflection and reflexivity (30%)
Argument and Critical thinking: Demonstrates critical thinking in their understanding and application of relevant literature to the task (30%)
Structure and presentation: The introduction, body and conclusion of the assessment are well structured and fluently connect each section together (20%)
Referencing: Sources are paraphrased and integrated, and referencing is correctly formatted using the UniSA Harvard Referencing System (10%)
Written expression: Uses formal, objective and concise language with correct grammar and spelling (10%)
Course learning objectives
This assessment will enable students to:
CO1: Demonstrate an understanding of themselves in relation to their own and others’ cultures
CO 2: Identify cultural and linguistic factors which influence social and professional communication in intercultural contexts
CO 3: Evaluate how people construct and negotiate meaning in intercultural communication.
CO 4: Demonstrate an ability to manage their communication effectively in intercultural communication.
Task aims
You will learn how to present a balanced argument drawing on academic literature and examples. This task will incorporate both reflection and reflexivity, which are key qualities needed for developing and demonstrating critical thinking.
Relevance to your study program: Learning to write well in in your study program will not only help prepare you for the future, but will help you get more out of your courses. Essay writing trains you to be analytical.
You will be taking the thoughts and ideas of others and putting together an argument based on that research. By doing this, you’re forming a new argument and joining the dialogue on the subject. By completing this assessment task, you will develop skills in critical thinking and academic writing which is a significant component of many of the assessment tasks.
Relevance to the professional context: Good writing skills are a key asset at every stage of your career especially if your role requires significant amount of written communication on a daily basis. Expressing yourself well sets you apart from the crowd. Clear, concise communication always stancgods out as an impressive credential.
