Course Description
As novelist Chimamanda Adichie puts it, ‘the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.’ To ‘complete’ this picture, the course draws on similarities and differences among cultures to raise students’ awareness of English as a lingua franca for co-constructing meaning in intercultural encounters. Students would critically analyze intercultural scenarios and anticipate possible courses of action through readings, videos, discussions, role-plays and ideally exchanges with individuals from other cultures. At the end of the course, students will have learned something new or salient about different cultures. They are expected to have learned to suspend judgment, reflect on the cultural lens through which we see, think and act, and anticipate issues in intercultural encounters. In other words, students would have developed a key CUHK graduate attribute, i.e., intercultural understanding and sensitivity. Assessment tasks include quizzes and reflection based on weekly reading, one paired presentation that involves a sketch, and an outline for the presentation.