Intercultural Interactions

Catalog description

In this course students learn about cultural influences in education and develop their ability to successfully navigate intercultural interactions while working with diverse populations within the United States or internationally. Course topics include definitions of culture, its deep structure and surface level expressions, relationships between culture and language and individual identity, how culture is expressed and transmitted in education, culturally-responsive teaching, and intercultural competence. Students compare their own cultural values across diverse groups and learn to apply culturally responsive pedagogy to diverse teaching contexts where they are likely to work in the future. Depending on individual focus, students create a case study or a unit plan focused on teaching culture and improving intercultural interactions. Students leave this course with greater cultural awareness, an understanding of how cultures are learned and taught especially in educational settings, and the intercultural competence to live and work with those from cultures distinct from their own. Prerequisite: one of the following: TSL 250 ; AP foreign language score of 3 or higher; placement into 201-level or higher foreign language course; score 70 or higher on La Crosse Battery (non-native speakers of English); grade "B" or better in 102-level or higher foreign language course taken at UWL (taught in foreign language). Offered Spring.