Bachelor of Languages - International Communication

The Australian National University

In the contemporary globalised world, where the tempo and intensity of international contacts are continually strengthening, international communication has become increasingly crucial. This interdisciplinary major is intended to help students understand cross-cultural and cross-linguistic issues involved in international communication and a working knowledge of another language.International communication is inseparable from intercultural communication - in the era of 'global English' more than ever, since one 'international English' can conceal deep differences in cultural assumptions and understandings. This major will introduce students to issues involved in interaction between speakers from different language backgrounds and equip them with conceptual tools to explore those issues.Learning Outcomescritically examine the complex and multifaceted relations between communication, culture, language and identitydemonstrate an understanding of the limits of translatability of key concepts across languages, and the implications of these limits for international communicationexplain the sources of miscommunication between speakers of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds who communicate using English as a lingua francademonstrate an understanding of potential sources of miscommunication within multilingual and multi-cultural societies such as Australia andcommunicate effectively in another language and understand the issues that can arise in international communication due to linguistic differences.

073988B