Communication Across Cultures

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This task helps learners reflect on their geographic experiences and sense of home as a starting point for exploring cultural identity.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What the task asks: create a visual map showing countries visited and the place you call home.
• The tool: uses VisitedPlaces website with a globe template to mark locations.
• The reflection component: after creating the map, learners write about their experiences and export their work.
• Purpose in the module: serves as an introductory activity before defining culture, connecting personal geography to cultural awareness.

🗺️ The mapping activity

🗺️ What you create

• A personalized globe showing:
  • Countries you have visited (marked under the "Visited" column)
  • Your home location (selected from a dropdown menu)
• The output is a downloadable image (PNG or JPEG format).

🛠️ How to complete it

The task provides step-by-step instructions:

1. Navigate to the VisitedPlaces website
2. Select "Globe with Continent Focus" from Quick Templates
3. Mark visited countries in the "Visited" column
4. Choose your home from the "My home is" dropdown
5. Download the image using the Share/Download section
6. Complete a reflection question
7. Export your answer and insert the downloaded image

📝 The reflection component

• After creating the map, learners respond to a reflection prompt (specific content not provided in excerpt).
• The reflection is written in a box within the activity interface.
• Learners then export their answer as a document and insert their map image.

🎯 Purpose and context

🎯 Where it fits in the module

• This is the first task in "Module 1: What is culture for you?"
• It precedes other tasks about defining culture (Tasks 2, 3, and 4 are mentioned).
• The module aims include:
  • Identifying ways culture can be defined
  • Developing your own definition of culture
  • Understanding how cultural ideas and behaviors are acquired

🌐 Connection to intercultural learning

• The task links geographic movement and "home" to cultural identity.
• By visualizing where you've been and where you belong, it sets up questions about cultural experience.
• Example: Someone who has visited many countries versus someone who has stayed in one place may have different perspectives on cultural diversity.

🔄 Integration with other tools

• The booklet mentions using Hypothes.is (a web annotation tool) throughout activities.
• Learners can annotate and comment as they work through tasks.
• There is also a self-assessment questionnaire on intercultural communication competence to complete before and after using the book.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Culture encompasses the shared patterns of values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and symbols that groups develop and transmit across generations to enable cooperation and survival.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What culture includes: language, knowledge, traditions, rituals, tools, objects, arts, food, drink, and values—all the ways groups organize life together.
• How culture works: it is learned (usually without awareness), transmitted through symbols and communication, and passed from generation to generation.
• Culture has two faces: external representations (artifacts, roles, institutions) and internal representations (values, attitudes, beliefs).
• Common confusion: culture feels natural and invisible because we learn it from birth through interaction, observation, and imitation—we rarely notice the messages culture sends.
• Culture is dynamic: all cultures are predisposed both to change (through environment, technology, contact with others) and to resist change.

🧩 What culture encompasses

🗣️ Language and symbols

• Language is one of the words people think of when they think of culture.
• Culture is transmitted through a variety of symbols: language, words, letters, paintings, gestures, etc.
• Communication and culture are linked—communication makes culture a continuous process.

🎨 Tangible and intangible elements

The excerpt lists multiple dimensions of culture:

• Knowledge and stories
• Traditions and rituals
• Tools and objects
• The arts
• Food and drink
• Values

Example: Everyday culture includes clothes, food, holidays, music, knowledge and beliefs, traditions and innovations, and family life—these established cultural norms affect the lives of each social group and each person.

🏛️ External vs internal representations

Culture has both external (e.g., artifacts, roles, institutions) and internal representations (e.g., values, attitudes, beliefs).

• External: the visible, tangible parts—objects, social roles, organizational structures.
• Internal: the invisible, mental parts—what people value, how they think, what they believe.
• Don't confuse: culture is not only "things you can see"; the internal attitudes and beliefs are equally part of culture.

🌱 How culture is learned and transmitted

📚 Culture is learned (the most essential characteristic)

Culture is learned (the most essential characteristic of culture).

• Learning happens through interaction, observation, and imitation.
• Learning cultural perceptions, rules, and behaviors goes on without our being aware of it.
• The essential messages of culture get reinforced and repeated.
• Because culture influences us from birth, we are rarely aware of many of the messages that culture sends.

Example: A person growing up in a community absorbs customs and manners by watching others and participating in daily life, often without consciously thinking "I am learning my culture."

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Sources of cultural learning

We learn our culture from a large variety of sources:

• Family
• Church
• School
• Friends
• Society
• Mass media
• Country

Each source teaches and reinforces cultural norms.

🔁 Culture is transmitted from generation to generation

• Culture is passed down through symbols (language, words, letters, paintings, gestures, etc.).
• Communication makes culture a continuous process: cultural habits, principles, values, and attitudes are formulated and communicated to each member of the culture.
• This transmission ensures that the group's way of life persists over time.

🤝 Why culture exists

🏘️ Cooperation and survival

People have grouped together into communities in order to survive. Living together well and smoothly, people developed forms of cooperation which created rules, customs, manners, common habits, behaviors, and ways of life. All of these are called culture.

• Culture emerges from the need to live together effectively.
• It provides the "rules of the game" for cooperation: what behaviors are acceptable, how to communicate, how to organize social life.

🌍 Shared and learned behavior

Culture is shared and learned behavior that is transmitted from one generation to another generation to promote individual and social survival, adaptation, and growth and development.

• Culture is not individual—it is shared by an identifiable group with a common history.
• It serves practical functions: survival, adaptation, growth, and development.

🔄 Culture is dynamic

⚖️ Change and resistance

All cultures are inherently predisposed to change and, at the same time, to resist change.

• Cultures are not static; they evolve.
• Yet they also have mechanisms to preserve core elements and resist disruption.

🌐 Causes of cultural change

Cultural change can have many causes:

• The environment: shifts in climate, resources, or geography.
• Technological inventions: new tools and methods alter how people live and work.
• Contact with other cultures: interaction between societies may produce or inhibit social shifts and changes in cultural practices.

Example: An organization adopting new communication technology may change its internal culture (e.g., norms around meetings or collaboration), while still preserving core values.

🔍 External influence

• Cultures are externally affected via contact between societies.
• This contact can either encourage change (adoption of new ideas) or inhibit it (reinforcement of traditional practices in response to outside pressure).

📖 Defining culture: key formulations

The excerpt provides several complementary definitions:

Definition focus	Key phrase	Implication
Accumulated pattern	"An accumulated pattern of values, beliefs, and behaviors, shared by an identifiable group of people with a common history and verbal and nonverbal symbol system"	Culture is collective, historical, and symbolic
Transmission	"Shared and learned behavior that is transmitted from one generation to another generation"	Culture persists over time through teaching and learning
Internal + external	"Culture has both external (e.g., artifacts, roles, institutions) and internal representations (e.g., values, attitudes, beliefs)"	Culture operates on multiple levels—visible and invisible
Cooperation	"Forms of cooperation which created rules, customs, manners, common habits, behaviors, and ways of life"	Culture arises from the practical need to live together

Don't confuse: Culture is not a single thing (like "art" or "food"); it is the entire system of shared meanings, practices, and symbols that a group uses to organize life.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Students are guided to find and record a formal dictionary definition of "culture" that they can reference later in their learning journal.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• The task objective: locate a definition of the word "culture" from a credible source.
• Recommended sources: online dictionaries such as Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, or Collins Dictionary.
• What to record: copy and paste the definition along with a reference showing where it was found.
• Future use: the definition may be used later in Task 7 (learning journal).

📖 What the task asks students to do

📖 Finding a definition

• Students are instructed to find a definition of the word "culture" after having explored the concept in previous tasks.
• The task assumes students "may have an understanding of culture" by this point, building on earlier activities.

📚 Suggested resources

The excerpt recommends starting with online dictionaries:

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Oxford Dictionary
• Collins Dictionary

These are presented as starting points ("You can start using..."), suggesting students may also look elsewhere.

✍️ Recording requirements

Students must:

• Copy and paste the definition (not paraphrase or summarize)
• Include a reference showing the source
• Save this information for potential use in Task 7

🔗 Connection to the learning sequence

🔗 Position in the module

• This is Task 3 in Module 1: "What is Culture for You?"
• It follows Task 2 ("A Concept of Culture"), which explored various aspects of culture through words like language, traditions, values, food, etc.
• It precedes Task 4 ("What is Culture?"), which involves watching videos about culture definitions.

🔗 Purpose in the learning journey

• The task bridges informal exploration (Task 2) and formal academic definitions.
• By requiring a cited definition, it introduces academic referencing practices.
• The instruction to save the definition for Task 7 indicates this is foundational material for later reflection or writing.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Culture is a learned, shared, and transmitted system of values, beliefs, behaviors, and symbols that shapes how identifiable groups of people live together and adapt across generations.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What culture encompasses: rules, customs, behaviors, values, beliefs, and both external elements (artifacts, institutions) and internal representations (attitudes, values).
• How culture works: it is learned through interaction and observation, transmitted via symbols and communication, and passed from generation to generation.
• Culture is dynamic: all cultures both resist and accept change, influenced by environment, technology, and contact with other cultures.
• Common confusion: culture vs. biology—the excerpt emphasizes that big differences among human groups result from culture, not biological inheritance or race.
• Learning is mostly unconscious: cultural messages are reinforced and repeated from birth, so we are rarely aware of many cultural influences.

🧩 What culture is

🧩 Core definition and scope

Culture is defined as an accumulated pattern of values, beliefs, and behaviors, shared by an identifiable group of people with a common history and verbal and nonverbal symbol system.

• Culture developed when people grouped together into communities to survive; cooperation created rules, customs, manners, and ways of life.
• It includes both external representations (artifacts, roles, institutions) and internal representations (values, attitudes, beliefs).
• Example: An organization's culture includes visible elements like dress codes and office layout (external) as well as shared attitudes about teamwork and hierarchy (internal).

🌍 Everyday manifestations

The excerpt lists concrete examples of culture in everyday life:

• Clothes, food, holidays, music
• Knowledge and beliefs
• Traditions and innovations
• Family life

These established cultural norms affect the lives of each social group and each individual.

🎯 Purpose and function

Culture is shared and learned behavior that is transmitted from one generation to another to promote individual and social survival, adaptation, and growth and development.

• Culture enables people to live together well and smoothly.
• It supports survival, adaptation, and development at both individual and social levels.

📚 How culture is learned

📚 Learning is the most essential characteristic

The excerpt identifies learning as "the most essential characteristic of culture."

• Learning takes place through interaction, observation, and imitation.
• Cultural perceptions, rules, and behaviors are learned without our being aware of it.
• Essential cultural messages get reinforced and repeated.

👶 Unconscious acquisition from birth

• Because culture influences us from birth, we are rarely aware of many messages that culture sends.
• We learn from a large variety of sources: family, church, school, friends, society, mass media, and country.
• Example: A child absorbs communication styles, politeness norms, and social expectations by watching family interactions, without explicit instruction.

🔄 How culture is transmitted

🔄 Symbols and communication

Culture is transmitted through a variety of symbols such as language, words, letters, paintings, gestures, etc.

• Communication and culture are linked: communication makes culture a continuous process.
• Cultural habits, principles, values, and attitudes are formulated and then communicated to each member of the culture.
• Don't confuse: transmission is not one-time teaching; it is an ongoing, continuous process across generations.

👥 Generation-to-generation transfer

• Culture is transmitted from generation to generation.
• This ensures continuity of shared patterns while also allowing for gradual evolution.

⚡ Culture and change

⚡ Dual nature: stability and change

All cultures are inherently predisposed to change and, at the same time, to resist change.

• There are dynamic processes that encourage acceptance of new ideas and things.
• There are also processes that encourage changeless stability.
• This creates tension: cultures evolve but also maintain core elements.

🌐 Causes of cultural change

Cultural change can have many causes:

Cause	How it works
Environment	External conditions prompt adaptation
Technological inventions	New tools and methods alter practices
Contact with other cultures	Interaction may produce or inhibit social shifts and changes in cultural practices

• Cultures are externally affected via contact between societies.
• Example: When two groups interact, they may adopt each other's practices (producing change) or reinforce their own distinctiveness (inhibiting change).

🧬 Culture vs. biology

🧬 Human differences are cultural, not biological

The excerpt quotes Nanda and Warms:

"All human beings belong to the same species and have the same biological features.…the big differences among human groups are the result of culture, not biological inheritance or race."

• This is a key distinction to avoid confusion: observable differences in behavior, values, and practices across groups stem from learned culture, not genetic or racial factors.
• Don't confuse: biological sameness across humanity vs. cultural diversity—the former is constant, the latter is learned and variable.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Culture is a learned, transmitted, and changeable pattern of shared values and behaviors that shapes social groups across generations, with differences among human groups stemming from culture rather than biology.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Culture is learned: the most essential characteristic; we acquire cultural perceptions, rules, and behaviors through interaction, observation, and imitation, often without conscious awareness.
• Culture is transmitted generationally: passed down through symbols like language, gestures, and communication, making culture a continuous process.
• Culture is subject to change: all cultures are predisposed both to change and to resist change, influenced by environment, technology, and contact with other cultures.
• Common confusion: culture vs. biology—big differences among human groups result from culture, not biological inheritance or race.
• Culture has dual representations: external (artifacts, roles, institutions) and internal (values, attitudes, beliefs).

🎓 How culture is learned

🎓 Learning as the essential characteristic

Culture is learned (the most essential characteristic of culture).

• Learning happens primarily through interaction, observation, and imitation with others in our social group.
• Most cultural learning occurs without conscious awareness—we absorb perceptions, rules, and behaviors automatically.
• Example: a child learns appropriate greetings, meal customs, or personal space norms by watching family members and peers, not through formal instruction.

🔁 Reinforcement and sources

• Essential cultural messages get reinforced and repeated throughout our lives.
• Because culture influences us from birth, we are rarely aware of many messages culture sends.
• We learn from multiple sources: family, church, school, friends, society, mass media, and country all teach culture.
• Don't confuse: culture is not a single lesson but an ongoing, multi-source process that shapes us continuously.

🔗 How culture is transmitted

🔗 Generational transmission through symbols

• Culture is transmitted from generation to generation through various symbols.
• Symbols include: language, words, letters, paintings, gestures, and more.

💬 The link between communication and culture

• Communication and culture are linked: communication makes culture a continuous process.
• Through communication, cultural habits, principles, values, and attitudes are:
  • Formulated (created and shaped)
  • Communicated to each member of the culture
• Example: an organization passes down its work practices through storytelling, training sessions, and written guidelines, ensuring new members adopt established norms.

🔄 How culture changes

🔄 The paradox of change and stability

• All cultures are inherently predisposed to change and, simultaneously, to resist change.
• Dynamic processes operate in two directions:
  • Some encourage acceptance of new ideas and things
  • Others encourage changeless stability

🌍 Causes and mechanisms of cultural change

Cultural change can have many causes:

Cause	How it affects culture
Environment	Physical surroundings create pressures for adaptation
Technological inventions	New tools and methods alter practices and values
Contact with other cultures	External contact between societies may produce or inhibit social shifts and changes in cultural practices

• Cultures are externally affected via contact between societies.
• Don't confuse: change is not always progress or improvement; it is simply adaptation and response to various pressures.

🧬 Culture vs. biology

🧬 The biological unity of humans

According to Nanda and Warms:

"All human beings belong to the same species and have the same biological features.…the big differences among human groups are the result of culture, not biological inheritance or race."

• This is a critical distinction: culture, not biology, explains major differences among human groups.
• We share the same biological foundation; our diversity comes from learned and transmitted cultural patterns.

🎭 External and internal representations

Culture operates on two levels:

Representation type	Examples
External	Artifacts, roles, institutions
Internal	Values, attitudes, beliefs

• External representations are visible and tangible.
• Internal representations shape how we think and feel.
• Both work together to form the complete cultural pattern that defines an identifiable group with a common history and symbol system.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Culture is a learned, shared, and evolving system of values, beliefs, and behaviors transmitted across generations that shapes how identifiable groups navigate their social world.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What culture encompasses: accumulated patterns of values, beliefs, behaviors, plus both external elements (artifacts, roles, institutions) and internal representations (values, attitudes, beliefs).
• Culture is learned: the most essential characteristic—acquired through interaction, observation, and imitation, often without conscious awareness.
• Culture is transmitted: passed from generation to generation through symbols like language, gestures, and communication.
• Culture is dynamic: inherently predisposed to both change and resistance to change, influenced by environment, technology, and contact with other cultures.
• Common confusion: culture vs. biology—major differences among human groups result from culture, not biological inheritance or race.

📚 Defining culture

📚 Three core definitions

The excerpt provides three complementary definitions:

Culture is defined as an accumulated pattern of values, beliefs, and behaviours, shared by an identifiable group of people with a common history and verbal and nonverbal symbol system.

Culture is shared and learned behaviour that is transmitted from one generation to another generation to promote individual and social survival, adaptation, and growth and development.

Culture has both external (e.g., artefacts, roles, institutions), and internal representations (e.g., values, attitudes, beliefs).

🔍 What these definitions emphasize

• Culture is accumulated and shared—not individual or random.
• It involves an identifiable group with common history and symbol systems.
• It serves practical functions: survival, adaptation, growth, and development.
• It operates on two levels: what we can see (artifacts, roles) and what we cannot (values, attitudes).

🎓 Culture is learned

🎓 The most essential characteristic

• Learning culture is the foundational feature that distinguishes it from biological traits.
• Learning happens through interaction, observation, and imitation.
• Most cultural learning occurs without conscious awareness—we absorb perceptions, rules, and behaviors automatically.

🔁 How cultural learning works

• Essential messages get reinforced and repeated throughout our lives.
• Because culture influences us from birth, we rarely notice many of its messages.
• Multiple sources teach culture: family, church, school, friends, society, mass media, and country all contribute.
• Example: A child learns appropriate greetings, personal space norms, and communication styles by watching family members and peers, often without explicit instruction.

🔄 Culture is transmitted across generations

🔄 The transmission mechanism

• Culture moves from one generation to the next through symbols: language, words, letters, paintings, gestures, and more.
• Communication and culture are linked: communication makes culture a continuous process.

🔗 How transmission maintains culture

• Cultural habits, principles, values, and attitudes are formulated and then communicated to each member.
• This creates continuity—each generation receives and passes on cultural knowledge.
• Example: An organization's values are communicated through stories, rituals, and everyday language, ensuring new members learn "how things are done here."

🌊 Culture is subject to change

🌊 The paradox of change and stability

• All cultures are inherently predisposed to both change and resist change simultaneously.
• There are dynamic processes encouraging acceptance of new ideas alongside forces promoting stability.

🔧 What causes cultural change

Three main sources drive change:

Cause	How it works
Environment	Changes in physical surroundings require adaptation
Technological inventions	New tools and methods alter practices and possibilities
Contact with other cultures	External contact may produce or inhibit social shifts and changes in cultural practices

⚖️ The tension between change and stability

• Cultures are externally affected through contact between societies.
• Some processes encourage innovation; others maintain tradition.
• Don't confuse: change-readiness with abandoning culture—both forces operate within every culture.

🧬 Culture vs. biology

🧬 The fundamental distinction

According to Nanda and Warms (quoted in the excerpt):

"All human beings belong to the same species and have the same biological features.…the big differences among human groups are the result of culture, not biological inheritance or race."

🚫 What this means

• Human biological similarity is universal—we share the same species characteristics.
• Major group differences are cultural, not biological.
• This distinction is crucial: variations in behavior, values, and practices stem from learned culture, not genetic inheritance.
• Example: Communication styles, family structures, and social norms differ widely across groups, but these differences reflect cultural learning, not biological programming.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

A learning journal transforms acquired knowledge into deep learning by helping learners reflect on, understand, interpret, and apply what they have studied.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Purpose of a learning journal: it is a reflective tool that deepens understanding beyond surface-level acquisition.
• What it helps with: acquiring, understanding, interpreting, and applying knowledge.
• How it works: through reflection, learners transform information into meaningful, integrated learning.
• Common confusion: a learning journal is not just note-taking or summarizing—it requires active reflection to convert knowledge into deep learning.

📝 What a learning journal does

📝 Core function

A learning journal is a way for you to reflect on what you have learned so as to transform it into deep learning.

• The excerpt emphasizes reflection as the key mechanism.
• It is not passive recording; the act of reflecting changes how knowledge is internalized.
• The goal is transformation: moving from surface awareness to deeper, more usable understanding.

🔄 Four knowledge processes

The excerpt states a learning journal can help you:

Process	What it means
Acquire	Gain new information or skills
Understand	Grasp the meaning and significance
Interpret	Make sense of it in your own context
Apply	Use the knowledge in practice

• These four stages build on each other.
• Example: A learner might acquire facts about culture, understand their definitions, interpret how they relate to personal experience, and apply them when encountering a new cultural setting.

🎯 Why reflection matters

🎯 From shallow to deep learning

• The excerpt contrasts simple learning with deep learning.
• Reflection is the bridge: without it, knowledge may remain superficial or disconnected.
• Don't confuse: reading or listening alone does not guarantee deep learning—active reflection is required to integrate and internalize the material.

🧠 Making knowledge usable

• By interpreting and applying what you've learned, a journal helps turn abstract concepts into practical tools.
• Example: Instead of just knowing a definition, a learner reflects on how it connects to their own experiences, making it easier to recall and use later.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Culture shock is the anxiety-driven reaction that occurs when individuals lose familiar social cues in a new cultural environment, and it typically unfolds through four distinct stages that vary in intensity and duration across individuals.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What culture shock is: anxiety resulting from losing familiar signs and symbols of social interaction in a new culture.
• How reactions vary: responses range from mild and brief (for frequent cross-cultural travelers) to severe (depression, physical symptoms, anger) depending on the individual.
• The four-stage pattern: culture shock typically progresses through four stages, though the order and impact differ greatly among individuals.
• Common confusion: not everyone experiences all stages in the same order or with the same intensity—the stages are guidelines, not rigid rules.
• Why it matters: understanding these stages helps people adapt and cope with new cultural environments.

🔍 Defining culture shock

🔍 Core definition

"Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse." (anthropologist Oberg)

• The key mechanism is loss of familiar cues: people rely on social signs and symbols to navigate daily interactions; when these disappear, anxiety follows.
• It is not simply "being in a new place"—it is specifically about losing the interpretive framework you normally use.
• Example: A person moves to a new culture and suddenly cannot read social signals about politeness, personal space, or appropriate behavior → anxiety builds.

🎭 Individual variation in reactions

The excerpt emphasizes that culture shock is not uniform:

• Frequent cross-cultural travelers: may experience only mild, brief anxiety periods because they have developed adaptation skills.
• Others: may face severe reactions including depression, physical symptoms (headaches, body pains), anger, or aggression toward the new culture.
• Don't confuse: severity is not about "weakness"—it reflects individual experience, frequency of exposure, and context.

📊 The four-stage framework

📊 What the stages represent

• The excerpt introduces a four-stage model of culture shock progression.
• These stages provide guidelines for understanding adaptation, not fixed rules.
• Important caveat from the excerpt: "the order and impact of each stage can differ greatly"—individuals may skip stages, repeat them, or experience them in different sequences.

🔄 Flexibility of the model

Aspect	What the excerpt says
Order	Can differ greatly among individuals
Impact	Varies in intensity per person
Purpose	Guidelines for adaptation and coping
Universality	Not everyone follows the same pattern

• Example: Person A might move quickly through all four stages; Person B might linger in one stage or cycle back; Person C might experience stages in a different order.
• The framework helps identify where someone might be in their adjustment process, not predict exactly what will happen.

🎯 Purpose and application

🎯 Why learn about culture shock

The excerpt frames culture shock knowledge as practical:

• Adaptation: understanding the stages helps individuals recognize what they're experiencing.
• Coping: knowing that reactions are normal and often temporary can reduce distress.
• Preparation: awareness allows people to develop strategies before or during cross-cultural transitions.

🌍 Context of study

The excerpt situates this material within a broader intercultural communication curriculum:

• Module 2 aims to explore culture shock and management strategies.
• Students are asked to identify characteristics of each stage and demonstrate understanding.
• The approach encourages both outside observation (analyzing culture shock objectively) and inside understanding (empathizing with those experiencing it).

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Culture shock is an anxiety-driven reaction to losing familiar social cues when encountering a new culture, and its severity and duration vary widely depending on the individual and their prior cross-cultural experience.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What culture shock is: anxiety caused by losing all familiar signs and symbols of social interaction in a new cultural environment.
• How reactions vary: responses differ greatly between individuals—some experience mild, brief discomfort while others face depression, physical symptoms, anger, or aggression.
• Experience matters: people who frequently encounter other cultures tend to have milder and shorter anxiety periods.
• Common confusion: culture shock is not just feeling different—it is specifically the loss of familiar social cues that triggers anxiety.
• Physical and emotional range: symptoms can include psychological effects (depression, anger) and physical reactions (headaches, body pains).

🔍 What culture shock means

🔍 Core definition

"Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse." — anthropologist Oberg

• The key mechanism is loss of familiar cues: not just encountering something new, but losing the social signals you normally rely on.
• This loss creates anxiety as the primary emotional driver.
• "Social intercourse" refers to everyday social interactions and communication patterns.

🎯 Why it's about loss, not just newness

• Don't confuse: culture shock is not simply being in a new place or seeing unfamiliar things.
• The excerpt emphasizes that shock comes from losing what you know, not just gaining what's unfamiliar.
• Example: A person might feel culture shock not because a greeting custom is different, but because they no longer know which social signals indicate friendliness or hostility.

🌡️ How culture shock manifests

🌡️ Individual variation in reactions

The excerpt stresses that "reactions associated with culture shock vary from individual to individual."

Factors affecting severity:

• Prior cross-cultural exposure: people who constantly encounter other cultures experience milder and briefer anxiety periods.
• Individual differences: the same cultural transition affects different people differently.

🩺 Range of symptoms

Culture shock can be characterized by multiple types of reactions:

Category	Examples from excerpt
Psychological	Depression, anger, aggression towards the new culture
Physical	Headaches, body pains
Intensity	Can range from mild/brief to serious

• These are not separate types of culture shock—one person may experience multiple symptoms.
• The excerpt notes reactions can be "serious," indicating culture shock is not trivial.

⚠️ Aggression toward the new culture

• One notable reaction is "aggression towards the new culture."
• This suggests culture shock can create negative attitudes, not just internal discomfort.
• Don't confuse: this aggression is a symptom of culture shock (the anxiety response), not a personality trait.

🔄 Experience and adaptation

🔄 Frequent cross-cultural contact

• The excerpt notes: "For the person who is constantly encountering other cultures, the anxiety period might be mild and brief."
• This implies culture shock can be managed or reduced through repeated exposure.
• The anxiety doesn't necessarily disappear, but its intensity and duration decrease with experience.

🧠 Implication for adaptation

• Culture shock is not a permanent state—the excerpt's reference to an "anxiety period" suggests it is temporary.
• Familiarity with the process of cultural adjustment appears to help, not just familiarity with one specific culture.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Culture shock is an anxiety-driven reaction that occurs when people lose their familiar social cues in a new culture, and it typically unfolds through four distinct stages that vary in intensity and order for each individual.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Core definition: Culture shock is anxiety caused by losing familiar signs and symbols of social interaction (Oberg).
• Individual variation: Reactions differ greatly—some experience mild, brief discomfort; others face depression, physical symptoms, anger, or aggression.
• Experience matters: People who frequently encounter other cultures tend to have milder and shorter anxiety periods.
• Four-stage framework: Culture shock usually involves four stages, though the order and impact vary by person; these stages provide guidelines for adaptation and coping.
• Common confusion: Culture shock is not a single event but a process with multiple phases that people move through differently.

🔍 What culture shock means

🔍 Anthropological definition

"Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse." (Oberg)

• The core mechanism is loss of familiar cues: people rely on social signs and symbols to navigate daily life; when these disappear, anxiety results.
• It is not simply "feeling different" but specifically an anxiety response to the absence of known social frameworks.
• Example: A person moves to a new culture and no longer understands how to interpret gestures, greetings, or social expectations → anxiety emerges from this disorientation.

🧩 Why it varies so much

The excerpt emphasizes that reactions are not uniform:

• The same cultural transition can produce very different responses in different people.
• Factors affecting intensity and duration are not fully detailed, but experience level is mentioned.

🎭 Range of reactions

😔 Mild to severe responses

Reaction type	Description from excerpt
Mild	Brief anxiety period, especially for those constantly encountering other cultures
Moderate to severe	Depression, serious physical reactions (headaches, body pains), anger, aggression toward the new culture

• Don't confuse: Physical symptoms (headaches, body pains) are genuine manifestations of culture shock, not separate illnesses.
• The excerpt notes that frequent cross-cultural exposure tends to reduce severity—familiarity with the process of cultural adjustment appears protective.

⚡ Experience as a moderating factor

• "For the person who is constantly encountering other cultures, the anxiety period might be mild and brief."
• This suggests that repeated exposure builds some form of resilience or adaptability.
• Example: Someone who has lived in multiple countries may recognize the disorientation as temporary, reducing anxiety compared to a first-time traveler.

📊 The four-stage framework

📊 General structure

The excerpt introduces a four-stage model without detailing each stage's characteristics in this section:

• Culture shock "usually involves going through four different stages."
• These stages are presented as guidelines for adaptation and coping, not rigid rules.
• Important caveat: "every individual's experience of these stages is different, and the order and impact of each stage can differ greatly."

🔄 Flexibility of the model

• The stages are not necessarily sequential or equal in duration.
• Some people may skip stages, repeat stages, or experience them in different orders.
• The framework's purpose is descriptive and practical—to help people understand and manage their adjustment process.
• Don't confuse: The four stages are a general pattern, not a universal law; individual experiences will deviate from the model.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Culture shock typically unfolds through four distinct stages that individuals experience differently as they adapt to new cultural environments.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Four-stage framework: Culture shock usually involves going through four different stages that provide guidelines for adaptation.
• Individual variation: Every person's experience of these stages differs—the order and impact of each stage can vary greatly.
• Adaptation process: The stages represent how people cope with and adapt to new cultures over time.
• Common confusion: Don't assume everyone experiences the stages in the same order or with the same intensity—the framework is a guideline, not a rigid sequence.

🎭 The Four-Stage Framework

🎭 What the framework describes

Culture shock usually involves going through four different stages.

• The excerpt does not name or detail the specific four stages, but indicates they exist as a recognized pattern.
• These stages are presented as a framework for understanding cultural adaptation.
• The stages are meant to help people recognize and navigate their experiences in new cultures.

🔄 How the stages work

• The stages provide guidelines for how people can adapt and cope with new cultures.
• They are not prescriptive rules but rather patterns that help explain the adaptation journey.
• Example: A person moving to a new country might recognize their feelings and reactions as part of a predictable stage, making the experience less confusing.

🧑 Individual Differences in Experience

🧑 Variation in order and impact

• Every individual's experience of these stages is different.
• Two key dimensions of variation:
  • Order: The sequence in which stages occur can differ from person to person.
  • Impact: How strongly each stage affects someone varies greatly.

⚠️ Don't confuse with a fixed path

• The framework is not a one-size-fits-all model.
• Don't assume: "Everyone must go through Stage 1, then Stage 2, then Stage 3, then Stage 4 in that exact order."
• The excerpt emphasizes that the stages are guidelines, not a rigid prescription.

🎯 Purpose and Application

🎯 Why the framework matters

Aspect	What it provides
Understanding	Helps explain what people experience during cultural adaptation
Coping	Offers guidelines for how to adapt to new cultures
Recognition	Allows individuals to identify where they are in the adaptation process

📚 Context of use

• The framework is introduced in the context of studying abroad and intercultural communication.
• It helps people anticipate and make sense of their emotional and psychological responses to cultural difference.
• Example: A student feeling overwhelmed in a new country can recognize this as part of a normal adaptation stage rather than a personal failure.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The excerpt provides a quiz activity on culture shock as part of a structured learning module, following earlier tasks that introduced the four-stage culture shock model and preceding tasks on identifying personal stages and coping strategies.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Task structure: Task 5 is positioned between learning about the four-stage culture shock model (Task 4) and self-assessment of personal stage (Task 6).
• Format: The quiz is an interactive H5P element embedded in the online textbook, with optional supplementary videos.
• Context: Part of a broader intercultural communication curriculum covering culture shock experiences, stages, and strategies.
• Common confusion: The excerpt itself contains no quiz content—only references to interactive elements excluded from this text version.

📋 Task positioning and purpose

📋 Where Task 5 fits in the sequence

The excerpt shows Task 5 appears after:

• Task 3: Introduction to what culture shock is, with personal reflection prompts
• Task 4: Explanation of the four-stage culture shock model through two videos

And before:

• Task 6: Self-assessment to identify which of the four stages the learner is experiencing
• Task 7: Strategies for overcoming culture shock

🎯 Implied purpose

• The quiz likely assesses understanding of the four-stage model introduced in Task 4.
• It serves as a checkpoint between learning the theory (Task 4) and applying it personally (Task 6).
• Example: A learner watches videos explaining honeymoon, frustration, adjustment, and acceptance stages, then takes the quiz to confirm comprehension before self-diagnosing their own stage.

🔧 Format and accessibility

🔧 Interactive element structure

The excerpt states:

"An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://usq.pressbooks.pub/interculturalcommunication/?p=238#h5p-8"

• The quiz exists only as an online interactive component.
• H5P is a framework for creating interactive content in web-based learning materials.
• This print/text version cannot display the actual quiz questions or format.

📹 Optional supplementary content

After the main quiz element, the excerpt mentions:

"Optional: Watch Videos"

Followed by three more excluded H5P elements (h5p-27, h5p-28, h5p-76).

• These are additional video resources, not required for completing the quiz.
• The excerpt does not describe their content or topics.

⚠️ Content limitation notice

⚠️ What the excerpt does not contain

Important: This excerpt provides only the task heading and technical references to interactive elements. It does not include:

• The actual quiz questions
• Answer choices or correct answers
• Specific culture shock concepts being tested
• Learning outcomes or assessment criteria
• Instructions beyond the implicit "complete the quiz"

🔗 Relationship to surrounding tasks

The excerpt does show how Task 5 connects to the module's learning arc:

Prior tasks	Task 5	Following tasks
Learn what culture shock is (Task 3)	Quiz to check understanding	Self-assess personal stage (Task 6)
Study the four-stage model (Task 4)		Learn coping strategies (Task 7)

This positioning suggests the quiz reinforces knowledge before moving to application and strategy development.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Culture shock typically unfolds through four distinct stages that individuals experience differently, providing guidelines for adapting to and coping with new cultures.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Four-stage framework exists: Culture shock usually involves going through four different stages that help explain cultural adaptation.
• Individual variation is significant: Every person's experience of these stages differs—the order and impact of each stage can vary greatly.
• Purpose of the framework: The stages provide guidelines for how people can adapt and cope with new cultures, not rigid rules.
• Common confusion: The stages are not fixed or universal—don't expect everyone to experience them in the same order or with the same intensity.

🌊 The Nature of Culture Shock Stages

🌊 What the four-stage model describes

Culture shock usually involves going through four different stages.

• The excerpt introduces a framework for understanding how people adapt to new cultural environments.
• These stages are descriptive patterns observed in cultural adaptation, not prescriptive steps everyone must follow.
• The model helps individuals recognize where they might be in their adjustment process.

🔄 How the stages work in practice

• The excerpt emphasizes that the experience is not uniform: "every individual's experience of these stages is different."
• Two key sources of variation:
  • Order: The sequence of stages can differ from person to person.
  • Impact: The intensity and effect of each stage varies greatly across individuals.
• Don't confuse: This is not a checklist where everyone moves 1→2→3→4 in the same way with the same feelings.

🎯 Purpose and Application

🎯 Why the framework matters

Aspect	What the excerpt says
Function	Provide guidelines for adaptation and coping
Nature	Descriptive patterns, not rigid rules
Benefit	Helps individuals understand their cultural adjustment process

🧭 Using the stages as guidelines

• The stages serve as guidelines for adaptation—they offer a map, not a mandatory route.
• They help people:
  • Recognize their current experience in the adaptation process.
  • Understand that their feelings and reactions are part of a broader pattern.
  • Develop strategies for coping with new cultures.
• Example: Someone feeling frustrated in a new culture can recognize this as potentially part of a stage, rather than a personal failure.

📚 Context and Resources

📚 Supporting materials mentioned

The excerpt references multiple learning resources:

• Two videos explaining the four stages of culture shock (3:43 mins and 4:41 mins).
• Interactive elements for self-assessment and reflection.
• A culture shock quiz to test understanding.
• A self-assessment tool asking "Which of the four stages are you in?"

🤔 Reflection component

• The excerpt includes prompts for personal reflection: "Have you ever been in a situation so different from what you were used to that it surprised you?"
• Learners are encouraged to identify their own experiences and share stories of culture shock.
• The framework is meant to be applied to both overseas and local experiences of cultural difference.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The excerpt directs learners to read an article on culture shock strategies, reflect on which approaches would work for them, and practice writing imperative instructions for applying those strategies.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Task structure: read an article (especially the strategies section), evaluate personal fit, and write about experience with those strategies.
• Active application: learners must identify strategies that suit them personally and write imperative sentences as instructions.
• Language practice: the task includes a grammar component (using imperatives) with a reference to a language point resource.
• Reflection component: learners are asked whether they have additional strategies beyond those in the article.

📖 What the task asks you to do

📖 Reading requirement

• The excerpt instructs: "Read this article, particularly the section with strategies for overcoming culture shock."
• Focus is on the strategies section specifically, not the entire article.
• The article itself is not provided in the excerpt; only the instruction to read it externally.

✍️ Writing and reflection tasks

The excerpt lists three numbered sub-tasks:

Sub-task	What you must do
1	Read the article (strategies section)
2	Identify which strategies would work for you; write about your experience with those strategies
3	Share any additional strategies you have; write one sentence per strategy as an instruction using the imperative form

• "Which strategies would work for you?" asks for personal evaluation and selection.
• "Write about your experience" suggests reflection on past use or imagined application.
• The phrase "using the strategies you have just read about" links the writing back to the article content.

🗣️ Grammar component

🗣️ Imperative form requirement

• Sub-task 3 specifies: "write one sentence as an instruction to use this strategy, using the imperative."
• The imperative is a command or instruction form (e.g., "Do X," "Try Y").
• The excerpt provides a note: "Read about language point Imperatives to help with this task."
• This indicates a separate resource exists to explain imperative grammar, but that resource is not included in the excerpt.

🔍 Purpose of imperatives

• Imperatives turn strategies into actionable instructions.
• Example format (generic, not from excerpt): if a strategy is "keeping a journal," the imperative instruction might be "Keep a daily journal of your feelings."
• The task combines content understanding (strategies) with language practice (imperative construction).

🧩 What is missing from the excerpt

🧩 No strategy content provided

• The excerpt does not include the article text or list any specific strategies for overcoming culture shock.
• All substantive content about strategies is external (linked as "this article").
• Therefore, no specific mechanisms, techniques, or approaches can be extracted or explained from this excerpt alone.

🧩 Interactive elements excluded

• The excerpt notes: "An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text."
• The interactive component likely contained the article link, writing prompts, or submission interface.
• Learners using the original platform would access the article and complete the task through that interactive element.

🎯 Learning goals implied by the task

🎯 Personal application

• The question "Which strategies would work for you?" emphasizes individual fit rather than memorization.
• Writing about "your experience" encourages connecting strategies to personal context.
• This approach assumes learners are either experiencing culture shock or can imagine doing so.

🎯 Contribution and extension

• "Do you have any other strategies?" invites learners to contribute beyond the article.
• This positions learners as active participants who may have valuable insights from their own backgrounds.
• The task values both external expertise (the article) and personal knowledge.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The excerpt provides only structural navigation elements and task titles from an intercultural communication course without presenting substantive content for review.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What the excerpt contains: page headers, task titles, and references to interactive elements that are excluded from this text version.
• Module 3 aims mentioned: awareness of ethnocentrism dangers, acceptance of cultural diversity, and development of critical thinking for global community living.
• Key concepts referenced: ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, culture shock stages, and intercultural challenges.
• Common confusion: the excerpt itself does not explain these concepts—it only points to external videos, articles, and interactive activities.
• Limitation: no definitions, explanations, mechanisms, or examples are provided in the text itself.

📋 What this excerpt provides

📋 Course structure elements

The excerpt consists primarily of:

• Task headings (Task 4 through Task 8, then Module 3 Tasks 1–4)
• Page numbers and navigation markers
• Notices that interactive H5P elements have been excluded
• Links to online resources (videos, articles, interactive exercises)

🎯 Module 3 stated aims

The only substantive content appears in Module 3's aims section:

• Be aware of the dangers of ethnocentrism and develop open-minded attitudes toward other cultures
• Understand the importance of accepting and welcoming cultural diversity in a global community
• Demonstrate willingness to learn and practice critical thinking skills for global community competencies

🔍 Concepts mentioned but not explained

🔍 Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism

The excerpt mentions these terms in task titles and brief definitions embedded in instructions:

Ethnocentrism: The belief that one's own culture is superior to others and judging other cultures based on the standards of one's own.

Cultural Relativism: The perspective that all cultures are equally valid and should be understood and judged within the context of their own values and beliefs, without imposing the standards of one's own culture.

However, no further explanation, examples, or application guidance is provided in the text itself.

🌊 Culture shock

• Task titles reference "Four-Stage Culture Shock," "Culture Shock Quiz," and "Strategies for Culture Shock"
• The excerpt mentions an "Adaptation Cycle" video (4:41 minutes)
• No actual content about the stages, symptoms, or strategies appears in the text

🎬 Learning activities referenced

Task 4 describes a video analysis exercise:

• A hidden camera show about discrimination against a Latino/Hispanic waiter
• Students are instructed to watch without sound, listen without video, then combine both
• The task asks students to note keywords and describe what happened
• The actual video content and learning points are not included in the excerpt

⚠️ Content limitation notice

⚠️ Why substantive notes cannot be created

• The excerpt is a table of contents and activity instruction framework
• All explanatory content resides in excluded interactive elements, external videos, and linked articles
• No mechanisms, comparisons, examples, or detailed explanations appear in the provided text
• The excerpt serves as navigation structure rather than learning content itself

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

The excerpt contains only structural elements and interactive placeholders from a textbook module on intercultural challenges, without substantive content explaining concepts or theories.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• The excerpt consists entirely of task titles, interactive element notifications, and navigation text from an online textbook.
• No actual explanatory content, definitions, theories, or substantive information is present in the provided text.
• The excerpt references topics (culture shock stages, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism) but does not explain them.
• All meaningful content appears to be contained in excluded interactive elements (videos, H5P activities) that are not accessible in this text version.

📋 What the excerpt contains

📋 Structural elements only

The provided text is composed of:

• Task headings (Task 1 through Task 8, continuing into Module 3)
• Repeated notifications that "An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text"
• References to external videos and articles that are not included
• Brief instructions directing learners to access content elsewhere
• Module aims listed as bullet points

❌ What is missing

• No explanations of intercultural communication concepts
• No definitions provided in the excerpt itself (only references to definitions in excluded videos)
• No examples, case studies, or scenarios
• No theoretical frameworks or mechanisms explained
• All substantive educational content resides in the excluded interactive elements

🔗 Referenced topics (not explained)

🔗 Mentioned but not detailed

The excerpt mentions these topics without explaining them:

• Adaptation cycle
• Four-stage culture shock model
• Strategies for overcoming culture shock
• Ethnocentrism
• Cultural relativism
• Intercultural challenges

Note: To access the actual content on these topics, one would need to view the interactive elements at the URLs referenced in the excerpt.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Ethnocentrism creates intercultural challenges by judging other cultures through one's own cultural standards, while cultural relativism offers an alternative approach by understanding cultures within their own contexts.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What ethnocentrism is: believing one's own culture is superior and judging others by one's own cultural standards.
• What cultural relativism is: viewing all cultures as equally valid and understanding them within their own value systems.
• Common confusion: ethnocentrism vs cultural relativism—the first imposes your standards on others; the second seeks to understand others on their own terms.
• Why it matters: recognizing ethnocentrism helps develop open-minded attitudes and competencies needed for living in a global community.
• The challenge: accepting and welcoming cultural diversity requires critical thinking skills and willingness to learn.

🔍 Core definitions

🔍 Ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism: The belief that one's own culture is superior to others and judging other cultures based on the standards of one's own.

• This is not simply having cultural pride; it is actively using your culture as the measuring stick for all others.
• The judgment flows in one direction: from your cultural norms outward.
• Example: A person believes their cultural practices are the "right" way and views different practices as inferior or wrong.

🌍 Cultural relativism

Cultural Relativism: The perspective that all cultures are equally valid and should be understood and judged within the context of their own values and beliefs, without imposing the standards of one's own culture.

• This approach suspends judgment and seeks understanding first.
• It does not mean agreeing with everything; it means understanding practices within their own cultural context.
• Example: Instead of labeling a different cultural practice as "strange," a person asks why that practice exists and what it means within that culture.

⚖️ Comparing the two perspectives

⚖️ Key differences

Aspect	Ethnocentrism	Cultural Relativism
Judgment basis	Uses one's own cultural standards	Uses each culture's own standards
View of cultures	One's own culture is superior	All cultures are equally valid
Approach	Judges and compares	Understands and contextualizes
Outcome	Creates barriers and conflict	Promotes understanding and acceptance

🚫 Don't confuse

• Ethnocentrism is not the same as having cultural identity—it specifically involves viewing your culture as superior.
• Cultural relativism is not about abandoning your own values—it is about understanding others without imposing your standards on them.

🎯 Practical implications

🎯 Recognizing ethnocentric behaviors

• The excerpt emphasizes taking notes on "examples of ethnocentric behaviours."
• Ethnocentric behaviors involve judging, discriminating, or treating others as inferior based on cultural differences.
• Example: In the excerpt's reference to a video scenario, customers discriminate against a waiter based on ethnicity—this represents ethnocentric behavior in action.

🌐 Developing intercultural competence

• The module aims to help learners "develop open-minded attitudes towards other cultures."
• This requires:
  • Awareness of the dangers of ethnocentrism
  • Willingness to learn about cultural diversity
  • Critical thinking skills to navigate cultural differences
• The goal is building "competencies required to live in a global community."

🤔 Reflection questions for self-assessment

The excerpt includes questions to help identify and challenge ethnocentric thinking:

• Do you understand different cultural views, even if they differ from yours?
• Can you explain why you agree or disagree without simply imposing your own standards?
• How do cultural differences make you feel, and why?

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This task asks learners to predict the content of a video about discrimination against a Latino/Hispanic waiter by using the title to generate expected vocabulary and a short narrative before viewing.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Pre-viewing prediction strategy: learners use the video title to anticipate content before watching.
• Two-stage process: first individual vocabulary brainstorming, then collaborative story construction.
• Vocabulary focus: learners identify and can use dictionaries for words/phrases they expect to encounter.
• Collaborative element: predictions are shared in small groups or using a discussion tool (Hypothe.sis).
• Purpose: activating prior knowledge and setting expectations helps prepare learners for comprehension.

📝 The prediction task structure

📝 What learners are asked to do

The task centers on a video titled "What Would You Do: customers discriminate against Latino/Hispanic waiter?"

Learners must predict what will happen based solely on this title, before watching any content.

🔤 Individual vocabulary work

• Work alone: write down words and/or phrases you expect to hear in the video.
• Dictionary use is explicitly permitted and encouraged.
• This step activates relevant vocabulary and helps learners prepare for listening comprehension.

Example: A learner might predict words like "restaurant," "complaint," "accent," "service," or "unfair treatment."

👥 Collaborative story construction

• Work with a small group: share your predicted story (around 100 words).
• Sharing can happen in small group discussion or using the Hypothe.sis annotation tool.
• The collaborative element allows learners to compare predictions and build a richer anticipatory framework.

🎯 Pedagogical purpose

🎯 Why predict before viewing

• Activates schema: thinking about the topic beforehand helps learners connect new content to existing knowledge.
• Focuses attention: having predictions creates specific things to listen for during viewing.
• Reduces cognitive load: pre-teaching or self-generating vocabulary means fewer unknown words during the actual video.

🔗 Connection to the module theme

This task appears in Module 3: "Intercultural Challenges – Recognising and Dealing with Difference."

The video scenario (discrimination in a service setting) directly relates to:

• Ethnocentrism (judging others by one's own cultural standards)
• Cultural conflict in everyday situations
• How people respond to witnessing discriminatory behavior

Don't confuse: This is a preparation task, not the main analysis—the actual viewing and reflection come in subsequent tasks (Task 4 and Task 5).

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

Task 4 guides learners through a multi-stage viewing activity analyzing a hidden-camera video about discrimination in a restaurant, using observation, listening, note-taking, and reflection to understand the situation and perspectives involved.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Staged scenario for learning: the video is a hidden-camera show depicting a made-up situation, not a real event.
• Multi-modal viewing strategy: learners watch without sound, listen without video, then combine both to build understanding progressively.
• Active note-taking and collaboration: students record keywords, define unknown terms, and work in pairs to construct a shared description of events.
• Reflection on discrimination: discussion questions prompt learners to identify the main issue, examine their feelings, and evaluate the customers' views.
• Common confusion: distinguishing observation (what happened) from evaluation (whether the customers' views are justified)—the task separates description from judgment.

🎥 The viewing activity structure

📺 Stage 1: Visual observation (muted)

• Watch the video until 0:39 with sound muted.
• Goal: get a general idea of what is happening from gestures and visual clues only.
• This stage isolates non-verbal communication and context before language is introduced.

🎧 Stage 2: Audio-only listening

• Minimize the screen and listen without watching.
• Focus shifts to language: tone, words, and phrases.
• Learners begin to capture vocabulary and dialogue structure.

✍️ Stage 3: Keyword capture and definition

• Write down five words from the video:
  • Words you remember, or
  • Unknown words and phrases you heard.
• Find their meaning and provide a definition for each.
• This step builds vocabulary and ensures comprehension of key terms.

👥 Stage 4: Paired description

• Watch the video with sound.
• Using notes and keywords, describe what happened from 0:00 to 0:39.
• Work with a partner to agree on a single description.
• Then compare your agreed description with another pair's version.
• Collaborative negotiation helps clarify understanding and fill gaps.

📝 Stage 5: Caption review and correction

• Watch the video with captions turned on.
• Review your notes: correct wrong words or phrases.
• Complete your notes by adding any important information you missed.
• Captions provide accurate text for self-correction and fuller comprehension.

🧐 Reflection and discussion questions

🧐 Identifying the issue

• What might be the main issue in this video?
• The task does not state the issue explicitly; learners infer it from the video content.
• The title mentions "customers discriminate against Latino/Hispanic waiter," so the main issue is likely discrimination based on ethnicity or language.

💭 Personal and empathetic responses

The task prompts three perspectives:

Question	Focus
How did you feel after watching it?	Learner's own emotional reaction
If you were a waiter, how would you feel?	Empathy for the person experiencing discrimination
Do you understand this situation and the customers' views?	Cognitive understanding vs. agreement

⚖️ Evaluating the customers' views

• If you agree with the customers' views, explain why.
• If you disagree with the customers' views, explain why not.
• The task separates understanding from endorsement: you can understand a viewpoint without agreeing with it.
• Don't confuse: describing what the customers said (observation) vs. judging whether their views are justified (evaluation).

🎯 Pedagogical approach

🎯 Scaffolded comprehension

• The multi-stage viewing breaks down a complex task:
  1. Visual context first.
  2. Audio input second.
  3. Combined audiovisual third.
  4. Text confirmation last.
• Each stage adds a layer of information, reducing cognitive overload.

🎯 Collaborative meaning-making

• Pair work and group comparison ensure that learners negotiate meaning together.
• Comparing descriptions across pairs reveals different interpretations and helps learners refine their understanding.

🎯 Critical reflection on discrimination

• The reflection questions move from observation ("what happened?") to empathy ("how would you feel?") to critical evaluation ("do you agree or disagree?").
• This progression encourages learners to engage with the ethical and cultural dimensions of the scenario, not just the language.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This task asks learners to record their own response demonstrating how they would manage a discriminatory situation shown in a video, using reflection questions about the main issue, personal feelings, and whether they agree or disagree with the customers' views.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• What the task requires: recording a personal response showing how to manage the situation from the video.
• Guidance provided: six reflection/discussion questions from Task 4 to structure the response.
• Core questions: identifying the main issue, describing feelings, understanding different perspectives, and explaining agreement or disagreement.
• Common confusion: this is not just summarizing the video—it is about proposing solutions and explaining your own position.
• Context: the video involves discrimination against a waiter, so responses should address cultural conflict management.

🎯 What you need to do

🎯 The recording requirement

• The task asks you to record your own response.
• Your response should show how to manage this situation in the video.
• You must use the reflection/discussion questions from Task 4 as your framework.

📝 The guiding questions

The excerpt lists six questions to structure your response:

Question	Purpose
What might be the main issue in this video?	Identify the core problem (discrimination/cultural conflict)
How did you feel after watching it?	Reflect on emotional response
If you were a waiter, how would you feel?	Take the perspective of the person experiencing discrimination
Do you understand this situation and the customers' views?	Show understanding of different viewpoints
If you agree with the customers' views, explain why.	Justify agreement (if applicable)
If you disagree with the customers' views, explain why not.	Justify disagreement (if applicable)

🛠️ How to approach the task

🛠️ Showing how to manage the situation

• "Manage this situation" means proposing solutions or responses, not just describing what happened.
• Example: you might explain how you would respond as a bystander, as the waiter, or as the restaurant manager.
• Your response should address the conflict shown in the video (discrimination against a waiter).

🧠 Using the reflection questions

• The questions guide you to cover multiple angles: the issue itself, emotional reactions, perspective-taking, and your own stance.
• Don't confuse: this is not a neutral summary—you must explain your agreement or disagreement with the customers' views.
• The task expects you to take a position and justify it.

🎤 Recording format

• The excerpt specifies "please record your own response," indicating an audio or video recording rather than written text.
• The recording should be structured around answering the six questions.

🔗 Connection to previous tasks

🔗 Building on Task 4

• Task 4 included the same reflection/discussion questions.
• Task 5 extends this by asking you to record a response that shows solutions, not just discuss.
• The video context (discrimination against a Latino/Hispanic waiter) carries forward from Task 4.

🔗 The broader learning sequence

• The excerpt shows this is part of a series: Tasks 2–6 all relate to ethnocentrism and cultural conflict.
• Task 6 (mentioned briefly) involves reading about cultural conflict resolution, suggesting that Task 5 prepares you to apply conflict-management concepts.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This task directs learners to explore readings or research about cultural conflict situations and resolution strategies to deepen their understanding of intercultural communication challenges.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Task structure: choose at least one provided reading or find your own research material about conflict or cultural conflict resolution.
• Topic scope: covers both conflict situations themselves and methods for resolving cultural conflict.
• Suggested resources: five reading links are provided, ranging from general cultural conflict to workplace-specific culture clashes.
• Learning approach: self-directed research and reading to build knowledge about managing intercultural misunderstandings.

📚 Task instructions

📖 What learners must do

• Select at least one of the provided readings listed in the task.
• Alternatively, conduct independent research to find information about:
  • Conflict situations (particularly cultural ones)
  • How to resolve cultural conflict

🔗 Provided reading topics

The excerpt lists five suggested reading areas (titles only; no content provided):

Reading title	Focus area
Cultural Conflict	General overview of cultural conflict
Conflict	Broader conflict concepts
How to Resolve Cultural Conflict: Overcoming Cultural Barriers at the Negotiation Table	Resolution strategies in negotiation contexts
The Best Way to Resolve or Handle Cultural Conflicts is by Learning About Other Cultures	Learning-based approach to resolution
What are Some Culture Clashes in the Workplace?	Workplace-specific cultural conflicts

🎯 Purpose and context

🎯 Why this task exists

• This is an optional task, suggesting it provides supplementary depth rather than core instruction.
• It follows Tasks 4 and 5, which involved analyzing a video scenario and creating solutions—this task likely supports those activities by providing theoretical background.
• The task connects practical scenario work (the video about a waiter and customers) with conceptual knowledge about cultural conflict.

🧩 What is not included

• The excerpt does not contain the actual readings or their content.
• No specific instructions are given about what to do with the readings (e.g., summarize, discuss, apply).
• The interactive H5P element mentioned is excluded from this text version.

🧭 Overview

🧠 One-sentence thesis

This excerpt outlines a sequence of collaborative tasks designed to help learners analyze a video scenario involving cultural conflict, reflect on different perspectives, and practice proposing solutions.

📌 Key points (3–5)

• Task structure: learners work in pairs/groups to describe a video segment, compare notes, then review with captions to correct and complete their understanding.
• Reflection prompts: the excerpt asks learners to identify the main issue, consider emotional responses from multiple viewpoints (waiter and customers), and evaluate whether they agree or disagree with the customers' views.
• Active response task: learners record their own response showing how to manage the situation, using the same reflection questions as a guide.
• Optional research extension: learners may choose readings or conduct research on cultural conflict and resolution strategies.
• Common confusion: the tasks are not about inventing facts but about analyzing a given scenario and articulating personal reasoning based on the video content.

📹 Video analysis workflow

📹 Paired description task

• Learners watch a specific segment (0:00 to 0:39) and work with a partner to produce a single agreed description.
• After agreeing, they compare their description with another pair's version.
• This step encourages collaborative observation and negotiation of meaning before checking accuracy.

✅ Caption review and correction

• Learners then watch the video with captions turned on.
• They review their notes to correct wrong words or phrases and add any important information they missed.
• The goal is to ensure accurate understanding of the scenario before moving to reflection.

🤔 Reflection and perspective-taking

🤔 Core reflection questions

The excerpt provides a set of questions repeated across tasks:

• What might be the main issue in this video?
• How did you feel after watching it?
• If you were a waiter, how would you feel?
• Do you understand this situation and the customers' views?
• If you agree with the customers' views, explain why.
• If you disagree with the customers' views, explain why not.

🎭 Multiple viewpoints

• Learners are prompted to consider both the waiter's perspective and the customers' perspective.
• The questions ask for emotional responses ("how would you feel") and reasoned positions ("explain why" or "why not").
• Example: a learner might feel sympathetic to the waiter but also understand the customers' cultural expectations, requiring them to articulate both sides.

⚠️ Don't confuse understanding with agreement

• "Do you understand this situation and the customers' views?" is separate from agreeing or disagreeing.
• Understanding a viewpoint does not require endorsing it; learners must distinguish empathy from approval.

🎙️ Active solution task

🎙️ Recording your own response

• Task 5 asks learners to record their own response showing how to manage the situation in the video.
• They use the same reflection/discussion questions as a framework.
• This shifts from passive analysis to active problem-solving and communication practice.

🛠️ Why this matters

• Recording requires learners to articulate a coherent position and propose concrete management strategies.
• It integrates the earlier reflection work into a performative output.
• Example: a learner might propose a compromise that acknowledges both the waiter's constraints and the customers' expectations, demonstrating intercultural negotiation skills.

📚 Optional research extension

📚 Suggested readings and research

The excerpt lists several optional resources:

• Cultural Conflict
• Conflict (general)
• How to Resolve Cultural Conflict: Overcoming Cultural Barriers at the Negotiation Table
• The Best Way to Resolve or Handle Cultural Conflict is by Learning About Other Cultures
• What are Some Culture Clashes in the Workplace?

📚 Purpose of the extension

• Learners may choose at least one reading or find their own information about conflict situations or resolution strategies.
• This task is marked as optional, suggesting it serves as enrichment or deeper exploration beyond the core video analysis.
• The focus is on cultural conflict and resolution, aligning with the video scenario's theme.