https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/L_AABACIW202The main goals for this course are:To become familiar with key concepts and findings from various approaches human communication and how it is shaped by and shapes culture;To apply key concepts and findings in analyses of communication across diverse settings, modalities, and media;To translate key concepts into research by performing small-scale analyses.In this course, the role of culture in both online communication and offline communication is examined. Much of what people do, say, think, and prefer is influenced by culture. This relationship is evident in cultural stereotypes, pop culture, verbal communication, non-verbal communication, online discourse, and so on. Drawing inspirations from everyday examples, we will identify common communication patterns, which will be analysed based on prominent theories in cross-cultural communication and discourse analysis. We will explore a range of communication phenomena, addressing questions such as:In what ways do members of different national cultures produce and interpret communicative acts differently, and why?Is communication gendered? How? Why?How is non-verbal communication shaped by cultural norms?How do communicative cultures emerge?The examples we work with during the course may vary and students will be asked to collect data for their own small-scale research analyses. Presentations, assignments, and discussions will always link to theories addressed in the course literature, actual (professional) practice, and to the real-life learning environment of the international classroom.The meetings for this course will be interactive lectures, and seminars in which you will apply theory to real-life examples (in total 3 meetings per week). We expect students to attend all classes. Very important: This course has seminars, but you cannot self-register for a group. If you want to know the times of all the workgroups, go to rooster.vu.nl, click on the options at the right-hand side of the course title and select ‘Choose groups’. In the first week, your specific seminar group will be assigned by the course coordinator.Group assignments (30%); assessment of learning objectives 1-3 Oral presentation (pass/fail); assessment of learning objectives 1-3Multiple choice exam (70% of your final grade); assessment of learning objectives 1-2To pass the course, you must achieve a 5.5/10 on the exam and in the course as a whole.Will be announced on Canvas.Second year students in CIS; exchange students are welcome