Q:  Will I have to give a lot of speeches? 
A:  There is one required presentation, which you will do with a student partner. You and your partner will choose from 3 types of presentations, each including both skits and class participation. The presentations are informal and interactive. The emphasis is on content, and we will not study public speaking techniques, but you should practice ahead of time, speak clearly, and finish within the time limit.

Q:  Will there be a lot of reading and other assignments?
A. There is one reading per unit (7 units total) - typically 25-30 printed pages in length. You will prepare an an answer to one question (from a number of choices) for 4-5 units of your choice and will discuss your answers with others in class or online (DL section). You will also work with a partner to develop a short, interactive presentation including skits, as described above. There will be a midterm and a Final Exam. The final "Key Learnings Paper will summarize your experience working with a partner of a different cultural background, and your key insights and learnings from the course. Instructions, score sheets and examples, are provided for all assignments so you'll know how to earn a top score.

Q: I'm a Nursing student. Do you provide information about intercultural communication in the Health Care field?
A: Yes, The ability to communicate effectively with English language learners is especially critical for health care providers. The class will be split for one unit, with a choice of IC in Education and IC in Health Care. In addition, all students will practice speaking to someone who is just learning English (students who speak English as their second language will help coach this activity), as well as understanding cultural differences in listening and clarifying skills. The ability to communicate effectively with English language learners is especially critical for health care providers.

Q: I'm still learning English (it's my second language). Will I be able to do well in this class?
A:  I have been an ESL teacher for over 20 years  so I have a good sense of what your challenges may be. The readings are purposely written at approximately the 9th grade (high school) level, so that students who are still learning English can focus on content, rather than struggling to understand the material. This then allows fluent students to benefit from the unique insights and personal experiences of students from other countries. However, fluent students may speak quickly, and there are often several different accents in class, so taking the initiative to clarify as needed will really help you do well. I am easily reached online if you have questions. Most International Students who have taken this course have earned A's. In the end, though, only you can decide whether you understand the class meeting discussions, the online discussions (if you enroll in the distance learning version), and the readings well enough to earn a good grade. You should have sufficient English language reading, listening, speaking and writing skills to participate in college level online discussions (for the DL section) and in-class discussions and skills activities. Students who are still learning English are welcome, however, please be prepared to check your written work for clarity, use spell check tools, speak up and clarify if something is not clear, and monitor your pronunciation so that others can understand you.

Q: Is the on-line (distance learning) section a self-paced course? 
A: To some extent. You do have some flexibility since you can log on to the website from home, work or school, but you should plan to log on at least every three days to complete the required assignments and keep up with the course.  Also, the 6 Friday evening on-campus meetings are not optional. Students taking the DL section who will need to be offline for several days, or even a week, due to work or family, should contact the instructor so that we can plan around your online absence.

Q: Can we watch the on-line (distance learning) course on TV?
A:  No. The distance learning section of this course is web-based (on-line). This means that you access the on line portion by logging on to a special website via the Internet, so you do need Internet access. There are links from the course website to the online weekly Discussions, an online Calendar, Tests and so on. At the first class meeting the Instructor will demonstrate how to access and use the course website (it is password protected and accessible only by registered students). Each quarter there are some students who have never taken an online course before, but the navigation is simple and clear and students rarely have any difficulty getting started.

Q: Can I do the orientation for the on-line (distance learning) section on line?
A: No. There is no online orientation for the distance learning section of ICS / Spch 7. Keep in mind that this section is only 51% distance learning. It is a true hybrid. You must attend ALL 6 scheduled on-campus class meetings for the full 3.5 hours each. Students who do not attend the on-campus meetings will be dropped from the course. You will receive logon instructions at the first class meeting.

There is no required work to be done before the first on-campus meeting.