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Welcome to COMM311Intercultural Communication
My name is Tamara Gillis; I’m one of the professors that helped develop this course. We live in an increasingly globalized world. Technology enables us to do business just as easily with our neighbors as with a businessperson thousands of miles away from us. Knowing how to navigate cultural differences is an increasingly valuable skill that will make you a more valuable employee and leader. Encounters among members of different cultures frequently fail simply because of basic cultural differences, such as the importance of time, proper greetings, or even the use of eye contact. This course is designed to help you identify ways to become a better communicator in these sorts of intercultural situations. You will learn about barriers to successful communication that involve cultural differences. You will also learn more about your own communication style and how it can be developed to facilitate more successful intercultural encounters. While some information is presented from a Western/U.S. perspective, the information in this course can be applied to other cultures. You should consider how your culture fits in terms of interacting with other cultures. This course builds on other communication courses. You will learn to apply various skills that you have developed in other courses, including the ability to analyze an audience and the context of the communication in an intercultural encounter. Likewise, skill and insights into message development and the ways in which different groups receive and interpret messages will take on new meaning when applied in an intercultural context. Much of the information in this course will refer to the pioneering work of Geert Hofstede and his cultural classifications. Hofstede is one of the foremost influential scholars in the discipline of cultural studies, particularly organizational culture. His pioneering work, such as the cultural dimensions theory, has been the basis for subsequent research and the growth of the field and understanding of how members of differing cultures interact. You can start by reviewing the course learning outcomes and the syllabus, you can find both on the left navigation panel. Let’s get started!
To access the AI Summary of this page or to download the PDF transcript for the video, please click on the icons above.
AI Summary
Video Transcript
Source and License: This work is licensed by Saylor Academy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This content was created using Genially and Synthesia. AI-generated avatars and voices in this video were created using Synthesia and remain subject to Synthesia’s Terms of Service; these elements are not covered by the Creative Commons license. Synthesia trademarks and services remain the property of Synthesia. All Genially proprietary elements such as templates, themes, built-in assets, stock media, and other “Genially Content” remain subject to Genially’s Terms of Service and are not covered by this Creative Commons license. These elements must remain embedded in the course and cannot be reused or redistributed independently.
Source and License: This work is licensed by Saylor Academy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This content was created using Genially and Synthesia. AI-generated avatars and voices in this video were created using Synthesia and remain subject to Synthesia’s Terms of Service; these elements are not covered by the Creative Commons license. Synthesia trademarks and services remain the property of Synthesia. All Genially proprietary elements such as templates, themes, built-in assets, stock media, and other “Genially Content” remain subject to Genially’s Terms of Service and are not covered by this Creative Commons license. These elements must remain embedded in the course and cannot be reused or redistributed independently.
AI Summary
This course introduces the foundations of intercultural communication and explores how cultural differences shape the way people interact in personal and professional settings. You will learn how to identify barriers to communication, understand your own communication style, and adapt to diverse cultural contexts. Here are some key takeaways:
- Understand the importance of cultural awareness in a globalized world.
- Identify barriers to successful communication caused by cultural differences.
- Explore how your communication style can be developed to facilitate intercultural interactions.
- Learn to apply communication skills from other courses in an intercultural context.
- Study Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and how they influence interactions across cultures.
You can start by reviewing the course learning outcomes and the syllabus.
Course Introduction Video
Saylor Academy
Created on March 18, 2026
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Transcript
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Experiencing playback issues or need translation options?
Welcome to COMM311Intercultural Communication
My name is Tamara Gillis; I’m one of the professors that helped develop this course. We live in an increasingly globalized world. Technology enables us to do business just as easily with our neighbors as with a businessperson thousands of miles away from us. Knowing how to navigate cultural differences is an increasingly valuable skill that will make you a more valuable employee and leader. Encounters among members of different cultures frequently fail simply because of basic cultural differences, such as the importance of time, proper greetings, or even the use of eye contact. This course is designed to help you identify ways to become a better communicator in these sorts of intercultural situations. You will learn about barriers to successful communication that involve cultural differences. You will also learn more about your own communication style and how it can be developed to facilitate more successful intercultural encounters. While some information is presented from a Western/U.S. perspective, the information in this course can be applied to other cultures. You should consider how your culture fits in terms of interacting with other cultures. This course builds on other communication courses. You will learn to apply various skills that you have developed in other courses, including the ability to analyze an audience and the context of the communication in an intercultural encounter. Likewise, skill and insights into message development and the ways in which different groups receive and interpret messages will take on new meaning when applied in an intercultural context. Much of the information in this course will refer to the pioneering work of Geert Hofstede and his cultural classifications. Hofstede is one of the foremost influential scholars in the discipline of cultural studies, particularly organizational culture. His pioneering work, such as the cultural dimensions theory, has been the basis for subsequent research and the growth of the field and understanding of how members of differing cultures interact. You can start by reviewing the course learning outcomes and the syllabus, you can find both on the left navigation panel. Let’s get started!
To access the AI Summary of this page or to download the PDF transcript for the video, please click on the icons above.
AI Summary
Video Transcript
Source and License: This work is licensed by Saylor Academy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This content was created using Genially and Synthesia. AI-generated avatars and voices in this video were created using Synthesia and remain subject to Synthesia’s Terms of Service; these elements are not covered by the Creative Commons license. Synthesia trademarks and services remain the property of Synthesia. All Genially proprietary elements such as templates, themes, built-in assets, stock media, and other “Genially Content” remain subject to Genially’s Terms of Service and are not covered by this Creative Commons license. These elements must remain embedded in the course and cannot be reused or redistributed independently.
Source and License: This work is licensed by Saylor Academy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This content was created using Genially and Synthesia. AI-generated avatars and voices in this video were created using Synthesia and remain subject to Synthesia’s Terms of Service; these elements are not covered by the Creative Commons license. Synthesia trademarks and services remain the property of Synthesia. All Genially proprietary elements such as templates, themes, built-in assets, stock media, and other “Genially Content” remain subject to Genially’s Terms of Service and are not covered by this Creative Commons license. These elements must remain embedded in the course and cannot be reused or redistributed independently.
AI Summary
This course introduces the foundations of intercultural communication and explores how cultural differences shape the way people interact in personal and professional settings. You will learn how to identify barriers to communication, understand your own communication style, and adapt to diverse cultural contexts. Here are some key takeaways:
- Understand the importance of cultural awareness in a globalized world.
- Identify barriers to successful communication caused by cultural differences.
- Explore how your communication style can be developed to facilitate intercultural interactions.
- Learn to apply communication skills from other courses in an intercultural context.
- Study Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and how they influence interactions across cultures.
You can start by reviewing the course learning outcomes and the syllabus.