The Syllabus of CCU

(CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING)

Materials Designed by Mazrul Aziz

The Objectives :

The final goal of this course is to make students have a great tolerance and full understanding
about the disimilarities of norms, values, traditions, habits, religions and attitudes from those Western
cultures especially those cultures of English Speaking Countries (ESC). Furtheremore, it is also to avoid
misunderstanding, misperception , miss-conceptions, leading to miscommunciation, misleading
information of the whole aspects of life in terms of socialization during your stay in overseas

The advantages of this course is as follows:

It is very significant especially for those who study, visit and take a short stay in ESC.

For S1 Eglish students, learning CCU is an obligation to study in order to prevent you from cultural
shocks, homesickness, the feeling of under pressure, desperate, complaints, confusions, disappointments
and unsolved problems. The use of CCU is also to provide those newcomers who are going to stay in ESC
or to pursue Bachelor Degree (S1), Masters Degree (S2), or doctotorate degrees ,Ph.D (S3) and even for
other business purposes.

The Main Book utilized in this lecture : “Beyond Language : Cross Cultural Communication”. By Deena
R.Levine , Ma., and Mara B.Adelman Ph.D. Published by Regent Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2000

The materials are also necessarily integrated with other multyple sources such as from internets, other
books , magazines and journals.

Sessions of lectures :

16 sessions are divided into: fourteen Sessions for lecture + two sessions for Mid Term test and
Final Term Test.

1). 1st Session

Introduction to Culture in at glance, definition and discussion in terms of Culture. To let students have the
cognitive knowledge of culture itself. Indeed, there are several definitions of culture. My view of Culture is as
follows:

Definition of Culture.

Culture is The Ways of life of human beings, it is the civilization of the whole activities of human beings
in order to fulfil their physical needs, mental & spiritual needs and social relation needs for the sake of their
lives in a given area. In other words, Culture is the integrated values of the following aspects : Moral
values, beliefs, religion, mythos, life styles, language, personal attitudes and group attitudes, perceptions,
principles of life, habits, behavior, traditions, ceremonials, marriage procedures, wedding parties, , social
interactions, education, technology, arts & musics, stapple food & clothing styles, etc.

2. Cross Cultural Terms and Principles

Discussion of terminology used in the book above
3. Individual freedom and individual rights as protected by Constitutions in ESC make ways of life are
mostly contradictory between Eastern and Western countries.

Three main groups of English native speakers in English Speaking Countries,

a. England (UK) & Scotland
b. USA & Canada
c. Australia & New Zealand ....(Singapore, Malaysia, Honkong, India are not included)

3. American values

a).Pluralism in terms of Melting pot (at the frist era) and then Salads and Bowls as the final choice for real
democracy in USA.
b). Individual freedom and Individual rights are strongly protected by Constitutions. This is the basic impact
towards the differences between the poeples in eastern and western countries

Equality and egalitarianism, self-improvement, hardwork, self-reliant (to be independent), self-help,

directness/openess, honesty/responsiblity, informal ways of social interactions, Materialism, future oriented.
Pragmatism, etc.

5. Observation in another Culture

Descriptive , judgmental, cross cultural communication, Cultural Differences, scale of cultural differences,
stereotypes, perception and values (p.25-33)

6. Cross-Cultural Conflicts and Adjustment difficulties encountered by newcomers from eastern countries
to ESC. (p.35). . Several considerations should be discussed when a newcomer visits ESC ; motivation, length
of stay, language and cultural background, language and cultural knowledge , types of personality, Family
and friends’ support, Financial condition, Having a job or not in ESC, Age, Degree of ethnocentrism and
egoism.

7.Honeymoon period after arrival and Cuture Shock to integration. (p.41). Typical Symptoms of Self
adjustment difficulties (p.44) Fish out of Water

8. Difficulties in Verbal and Non Verbal communication for the newcomers, gestures and body
language, facial expressions, eye contacts, the distance of conversation frames, prejudices and incorrect
judgments of character (negative thinking), directness and Indirectness, Cross Cultural Implications

9. Relationships: Making Friends and Acquintances. Advisable and suggested Strategies in taking a place
to rent, an apartment, flat. a). dont share your flat with a flatmate of opposite sex, the same sex is Ok but a
flatmate with a good behavior, avoid a person of being fussy, egoistic, selfish, indifferent, talkative etc.

10. Suggested tips in making friends with native speakers.

You’d better avoid arguments and controversial discussions about politics and religion., as well as principles
of life.
Do not try to isolate yourself and separate your friendship from native speakers. Not too close and neither
keep in distance. Anyway, they can also help you correct your homework papers, and assignment papers. If
you are genious looking for positive friendship, you will get positive advantages. Make more friendships and
direct conversation exposures with native speakers in order to rapidly acquire your interactive speaking
skills. For girls do not easily accept the offer or invitation of having dinner, and dating. Having dinner in ESC
is not similar to go for having dinner in eastern homeland.

11. Understanding American Families.

Nuclear family, Extended family, Single Parents, Privacy and Human rights, step parents and step sisters and
brothers in a family. Individual Freedom and independency after chlldren reach the age of 17-18 years old,
they live away from their parents home.

12. Education : Values and Expectation, diversity in higher Education, better ways of learning
strategies, : active participation, avoid plagiarism, trust and honesty in exams, competition and grading,
How to manage stress during your studies in ESC. (p.216-217)
Suggested Tips of applying for jobs, and recruitment interviews

13. Working beside Studying in ESC for Indonesian students, discussing the advantages and
disadvantages for those students studyng abroad in ESC.

14. Reviewing the whole previous materials of lectures given.... emphesizing on the most important
issues of CCU

Good luck