Enhancing Intercultural Communication Skills Among Local
and Overseas Students in a Tertiary Setting: Some New Directions
Susan Hellmundt, Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong,
NSW.
Abstract
The issue of overseas students studying at Australian universities
is of broad significance across disciplines in tertiary settings,
as evident in the literature surveyed. However, there appears
to be little documentation of comprehensive teaching strategies
to overcome perceived difficulties or, more particularly, to
promote intercultural communication among local and overseas
students.
This paper presents a description and analysis of some of
the teaching and learning strategies developed in a Business
Communication course where implicit in the activities is the
aim to foster intercultural communication skills. Experiential,
student centered activities beginning with a topic close to the
students' daily lives (Shor & Freire 1987) help to encourage
student participation and establish an environment in which students
feel able to give voice.
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