Approaches ICC
The current Master’s programme of Intercultural Communication is based on the integration of five approaches (ten Thije, 2016). Since two years the MA programme has its own programme book that every student receives at the start of the academic year. In this programme book the following is described about the content and objectives of this one-year MA programme:
“This MA programme focuses on management of linguistic and cultural diversity in different organisational contexts. This domain is approached from five angles, namely:
1. A comparative perspective on languages and cultures (contrastive approach).
2. Understanding of mutual perceptions (imagological approach).
3. Understanding of language acquisition and multilingualism. Students also learn how organisations develop policies on a local, regional, national and supranational level to deal with linguistic and cultural differences
(diversity management approach).
4. Understanding the effective interaction between people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds (interaction approach).
5. An educational perspective on dealing with linguistic and cultural diversity and intercultural competencies (transfer approach).”
Self-reflection as core competence of Intercultural Communication