CJVA403 Intercultural Communication and Study Skills

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s). Recommended Type of Completion: z (credit). Other types of completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Athena Alchazidu, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Bc. Klára Hanzlíková (assistant)
Mgr. Linda Krahula Doleží, Ph.D. (assistant)
Joseph Lennon, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Athena Alchazidu, Ph.D.
Language Centre Faculty of Social Studies Division – Language Centre
Contact Person: Bc. Klára Hanzlíková
Supplier department: Language Centre Faculty of Social Studies Division – Language Centre
Prerequisites
((FAKULTA(FSS)&&FORMA(P)&&TYP_STUDIA(MN))||(OBOR(MUSFSS)))&&(( ADAPT_B2 Adaptive Test B2 ))&&(!NOWANY( CJVA403 Intercultural Communication and Study Skills ))
Passing ADAPT_B2 Adaptivní test B2 with the result indicating that you are on the B2 level or higher.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 18 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/18, only registered: 2/18, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/18
Course objectives
This course, intended for master’s students of all disciplines, is a skills-based course at the B2+ level of the European Referential Framework of Languages. Its aim is practise students’ academic language and critical thinking skills. Students will practice listening (listening to lectures and note-taking, identifying the speaker’s point of view), speaking (delivering presentations, developing an argument, small talk), reading (how to understand academic articles, strategies helpful for efficient reading) and writing (writing a presentation abstract and position paper, paraphrasing and summarizing).
The skills will be practised in an intercultural context. Intercultural concepts and issues will be discussed and presented and students´ intercultural awareness will be raised.
Syllabus
  • 1. culture - introduction, sharing, reflecting, what is culture
  • 2. language and culture - idioms, jokes, stories that we have in us
  • 3. politeness in cultures - how different languages / cultures work? lots of practical examples including body language, how not to offend... (videos)
  • 4. stereotypes - where do they come from? how to fight them?
  • 5. cultural onion - workshop on Hofstede´s concept of layers (symbols, heroes, rituals, values)
  • 6. presentation session
  • 7. concepts / companies working in / with different cultures - marketing slogans from different languages, family and family members in different languages, justice in different cultures
  • 8. Lewis model, Hofstede´s dimensions
  • 9. videoconference 10. intercultural competence - the step beyond the intercultural communication, global citizenship, volunteering...
  • 11. students´ choice + case study deadline
  • 12. case studies round table discussion
Literature
  • PILLER, Ingrid. Intercultural communication : a critical introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011, ix, 197. ISBN 9780748632831. info
Teaching methods
discussions based on readings and videos, self-reflection and peer reflection, presentations, writing assignments
Assessment methods
active attendance
students will prove with their portfolio that they will have worked a total of 50 hours (that equal 2ECTS credits) by the end of the term
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught every week.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2017.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2026/CJVA403