Intercultural Communication & Competence

Understand and compare foreign cultures - develop communication strategies!

Whoever deals with people from other cultures wants to understand them. Our introductory course offers a compact overview of the most important topics in intercultural communication and provides you with initial strategies for action in dialog across cultural boundaries.

Communicating with people from unfamiliar cultural backgrounds is not always easy: expectations are disappointed, conflicts of values are felt, frustration is experienced. Sometimes it seems as if people are talking past each other. This is precisely why a self-confident and at the same time empathetic approach to the other person is so important.

After our introductory course, you will know how culture influences our thoughts, feelings and actions. You will be able to understand and compare your own and other people's thought patterns. This equips you to develop strategies for intercultural interaction.

Topics discussed:

• Dealing with the foreign and unknown
• Cultures and cultural perception
• Stereotypes and their influence on our cultural perception
• Culture shock - when the difference becomes a problem
• Comparing Cultures - Developing Strategies
• Comparing Cultures: Models according to Hall, Hofstede and Trompenaars
• Developing intercultural competence
• Strategies to cope with cultural difference

This course is ideal for:

• Professionals who work with people from different cultural contexts
• Candidates for international assignments and their families
• Frequent travelers
• Students preparing to study abroad

Your benefits:

• Gain awareness of differences between cultures
• Understand the relationship between culture and communication
• Develop your ability to act appropriately in different cultural contexts