FRS 001B —
Sec. 001 —
(1 unit) — CRN 76128 — W 4:10 – 5:00 pm — 109 Olson
Communicating with Japanese: Introduction to
Intercultural Communication
Instructor: Noriko Iwasaki, Department of East Asian Languages &
Cultures, College of Letter and Science
Description: This course will help students develop
an understanding
of the problems which may occur when persons from different cultures or ethnic
background interact, highlighting Japanese culture. The course also
gives students
hands-on experience interacting with Japanese students (in English). Students
will learn about Japanese culture with the emphasis on verbal and
non-verbal behavior,
while also learning some important principles of intercultural communication.
The ultimate goal is to help students become open-minded to different cultures,
and be an understanding communicator by becoming aware of how values
and communication
styles diverge and how such differences may lead to misunderstanding.
The course
also emphasizes diversity within a culture, so as to make students more aware
of the dangers inherent in forming a stereotype of any culture.
Format: The students will read assigned chapters of
the textbook
by Donahue (1998) Japanese Culture and Communication,” and write reaction
papers. The students will also be asked to meet with a Japanese student weekly
to discuss the assigned topics that are related to values or verbal
behavior (e.g.,
how to address people, when and how to express politeness or
disagree), in addition
to students’ own questions that arise while reading Donahue (1998). The
students are required to write a journal about their experiences. The
instructor
will help class students to meet local Japanese students.
Grading:
Classroom participation: 20%; Reaction Paper: 20%; Journal writing:
20%; Presentation:
20%; Final Essay: 20%.
About the Instructor: Professor Iwasaki joined the faculty in
the Department of East Asian Languages and Culture in 2003. Her
research interests
include language production processes (how Japanese speakers put
sentences together
while speaking) and language acquisition. Current projects include studies of
Japanese onomatopoeia and other mimetic words. She currently teaches Japanese
language courses.