PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION IN INTERCULTURAL CONTEXTS - 2025/6

Module Overview

In today's international professional environment, professionals must communicate effectively across linguistic, cultural, and technological boundaries. This includes not only engaging with a range of stakeholders through written and spoken genres, for example advertising, social media and forms of generative AI (e.g. chatbots) but also building effective working relationships and demonstrating leadership within diverse teams. This module helps students develop descriptive and analytical tools to examine both spoken and written professional communication across various contexts. Students will also learn to apply theoretical concepts and empirical evidence to reflect critically on complex professional situations, identifying appropriate communication strategies and solutions.

Module provider

Literature & Languages

Module Leader

DIPPOLD Doris (Lit & Langs)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

The module content is split into six main themes: 

1. Types of writing and speaking in professional contexts and their characteristics 
2. Managing relationships ¿ Digital communication (incl. generative AI) 
3. Working across languages and cultures 
4. Developing yourself and others
5. Study and research skills 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Recorded presentations: Students work to the same specifications as in the original assessment Scenario-based written assignment: New scenarios will be provided Project: Students will work to the same specifications as the original assessment

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with opportunities to apply theoretical concepts to the analysis and production of professional communication, and to develop skills in critical reflection, audience awareness, and professional presentation. Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of: 15 minute recorded individual presentation (addresses learning outcomes 1, 3, 4): In this assessment, students will talk about their own personal interests in professional communication. They then relate these experience to empirical evidence on these issues, e.g. leadership, politeness, etc. This assessment develops digital capabilities through engagement with a digital presentation mode, employability through research-led reflection on communication issues in a work context, the outcome of which can be applied to students¿ own contexts. It also develops resourcefulness and resilience by engaging with an experience (oral presentations) that may be unsettling and unfamiliar, and global and cultural capabilities by considering their findings within a global and intercultural context. Scenario-based written assignment (addresses learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4) In this assignment, students will be presented with approx. four scenarios relating to spoken or written professional communication to which they respond in writing. Scenarios may include researching and critically discussing sources (which also includes the need to appropriately apply referencing guidelines), transcribing sections of of their own talk and / or talk from fly on the wall documentaries or analysing examples of professional communication through the lens of the analytical frameworks. Depending on the specific focus of the chosen scenarios, this assessment has potential to develop employability by developing students' ability to make recommendations through evidence-led reflection on communication issues, global and cultural capabilities by considering their communication issues within global and intercultural context, digital capabilities by considering the specific affordances of digital communication, and sustainability by discussing communication in relation to the dimensions of ethicality and equality. Project (addresses learning outcomes 2, 4, 5): In this project, students will have a choice. They can either choose a professional communication artefact or issue relating to their own professional context (e.g. intercultural training for new graduates entering the workplace, a social media presence that needs updating etc.) or they can choose an existing artefact / professional group outside their immediate sphere of experience. Their task will be to create a new artefact or training event that addresses the specific issues / problems they have identified with the chosen artefact or group. For example, they may choose to revamp the social media presence relating to a product or service, or design training in professional or intercultural communication for a chosen group of people. This assessment develops employability by providing experience in applying concepts to authentic scenarios, with a project that can be showcased through CV. Depending on the project chosen, students may also develop their digital skills. Students also develop resourcefulness and resilience by planning a larger independent project. Formative assessment: Students will receive verbal feedback on practical exercises throughout the class. They will be able to discuss their plans for the assessment with the module tutor and with peers. Feedback and feed-forward on assessments 1 and 2 will scaffold students' skills for assessment 3 and for assessment in other modules; students will be made aware of these links whenever possible. Feedback: Students will receive detailed written feedback on their scripts. I addition, they will receive a summative comment which matches feedback against the assessment rubrics. This includes feed-forward, i.e. concrete pointers on what to improve. In addition, some class time will be used to give group feedback.

Module aims

• Introduce students to key analytical tools and theoretical approaches for describing and analysing both written and spoken examples of communication in professional contexts
• develop students¿ ability to apply these tools to critically analyse a range of texts and communication events across different media and professional contexts
• enable students to use theory and evidence to evaluate and make evidence-led decisions to improve communication strategies (e.g. in advertising campaigns, through training etc) in professional settings
• equip students with the skills to design effective stakeholder communication artefacts or training events
• develop core study and research skills (e.g. finding academic sources, analysis of spoke talk, transcription) of text and talk in professional settings

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to help students apply theoretical concepts in a practical manner and discuss their ideas with others. The module is taught primarily in seminar-style, with lecture-type input by the tutor which is followed by practical examples and exercises. Students will be encouraged to discuss self-generated or collected examples. The learning and teaching methods include: Weekly seminar sessions: The seminar sessions include a mixture of lecture-type and interactive elements. In each session, theoretical concepts and analytical frameworks will be introduced by the tutor. Students are given the opportunity to apply these practical exercises and relate them to their own professional experiences, thus developing their resourcefulness and resilience and global and cultural capabilities through skills for cultural comparison and conceptualization. Students will also be able to explore how communication relates to longer-term sustainability through ethical, inclusive and culturally sensitive communication practices. Students will develop their digital skills through practical and theoretical engagement with a range of digital formats, including social media and generative AI. Some sessions will be dedicated to develop key study skills and prepare for assessments. Considering issues in professional communication from an evidence-led way will contribute to students' employability, adding another skillset to traditional professional perspectives. Captured content: Captured content provided for each weekly session include the Pdf slides for the sessions as well as the Panopto-recorded lecture-elements for each class. The captured content aims to develop understanding of key concepts and theories. Students are expected to engage with the captured content to deepen their engagement with the materials and complete the guided learning exercises. Guided learning: Students' in-class learning is supported by a structured programme of guided learning activities to do at home. Students do practical analysis exercises, read relevant literature and find examples of their own which can be further discussed in class.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CMCM068

Other information

The School of Arts, Humanities and Creative Industries is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas: 

Digital capabilities: This module scaffolds the development of students¿ digital capabilities across academic and professional contexts. Students are introduced to foundational digital research skills as well as digital tools for communication with key stakeholders (e.g. social media, chatbots). Students will learn to critically harness the power of generative AI for study and work purposes. These experiences equip students to produce effective digital artefacts for a range of audiences. 

Employability: This module plays a central role in developing students¿ employability by fostering skills in written and spoken communication, critical analysis, and audience awareness. Students work collaboratively and independently with peers from diverse backgrounds, strengthening interpersonal skills and preparing them for global workplace environments. Assessments are designed to mirror real-world professional contexts. This helps students build a portfolio of work and capabilities directly relevant to their respective professional contexts.

Global and cultural capabilities: Organisations - commercial, voluntary, and public sector - typically serve diverse audiences. This requires sensitivity to cultural values and adaptability of communications to different audiences. In this module, students learn to navigate these complexities by engaging with real-life examples of professional communication across cultures. Through a blend of theory, reflection, and practice, students explore concepts such as linguistic politeness, moves, ethos, logos, and pathos, and English as a lingua franca. They analyse authentic materials (e.g. advertising campaigns, company apologies, customer interactions), reflect on their communicative effectiveness, and consider how these strategies would need to be adapted or trained for. Where possible, non-English-centric examples are used, and students are encouraged to contribute their own materials, promoting global perspectives and intercultural understanding. 

Resourcefulness and Resilience: Reflecting on one's professional communication experiences, especially in unfamiliar formats, can challenge students¿ confidence and resilience. This module is designed to support personal growth by creating a supportive environment for experimentation and feedback. Whether preparing a presentation or designing communication artefacts and training, students are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences, manage challenges, and adapt their strategies to prepare for the demands of more and more diverse professional settings. 

Sustainability: This module encourages students to consider how language and communication choices impact not only immediate outcomes but also longer-term relationships with customers, clients, and the public. By examining how organisations adapt their messaging for different audiences and social contexts, students develop an awareness of the role communication plays in promoting equity, transparency, and resilience within diverse societies.

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.