Intercultural communication in teaching

Traditionally, the natural and human sciences contain numerous distinct cultures characterised by fundamentally different underlying culture-specific, philosophical and political conditions. Hence, for example, in each of these science-cultures research may be more eristic - that is, dispute is seen as playing a positive role in the pursuit of truth - or more authoritarian, etc. The question which arises is whether these or other differences are reflected in texts, discussion or the actions of researchers, or, in more general terms, in discourses within particular subject-area cultures, and if so, how? In which subject-area cultures are globalisation tendencies to be seen? What are the consequences of such differences for text reception and the acceptance of the researchers concerned ? To answer these questions, and as a first step within the framework of this project, differences and shared features in intercultural German-Chinese communication in teaching within the classroom, have been examined. To this end, the first recordings of individual courses ("Seminars") in the PRC and in Germany (German Studies professors who are German with Chinese students of German Studies, and German Studies professors who are Chinese with German students of German Studies) have been made, transcribed and then analysed.


Parts of the project