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Exploring languages and cultures

Explore the multiple relationships between languages and cultures. In this free course you will learn about the benefits and challenges of meeting people from different cultures and the ways in which language and human communities shape each other. You will look at the role of intercultural competence at the workplace, reflect on the use of English as lingua franca in international contexts, and get a flavour of the skills involved in language-related professions such as translation and interpreting.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- explain what intercultural encounters are and how people can learn from them
- discuss how the use of English as a lingua franca is perceived by native and non-native English speakers
- illustrate how different groups of people (e.g. professions) develop their own languages and cultures
- describe the role of intercultural competence in a business environment
- outline the skills and contexts involved in translating and interpreting professions.
First Published: 15/10/2015
Updated: 21/06/2018
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If you want to be able to track your progress, earn a free Statement of Participation, and access all course quizzes and activities, sign-up.
Course content
- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Intercultural encounters
- 2 Using a lingua franca
- 3 Languages, cultures and communities
- 4 Intercultural competence at work
- 5 Translation and interpreting
- 6 Interview with Reeta Chakrabarti
- Conclusion
- Glossary
- References
- Acknowledgements
- This site has Copy Reuse Tracking enabled - see our FAQs for more information.
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About this free course
14 hours study
Level 1: Introductory
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