Karachi School of Business & Leadership

Course Outline

Course International Culture and Language

Course Code
Credit Hours 3
Instructor Dr. Rubina
Instructor’s Email [email protected]
Term Commencement Date February 26, 2024.
Term End Date June 26, 2024.
Term Spring 2024.

Course Description:
The course focuses on the fundamentals of language, culture, and international culture to
the most useful models and theories. This course also emphasizes the need for deeper
understanding of global challenges by examining them through the lens of language and
culture. The course focuses on cultivating an open-minded attitude towards cultural
diversity and biases through thoughtful discussions and exposure to diverse perspectives.
Students will apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios and explore the reciprocal
relationship between language and culture being observed in business and corporate
settings.

Course Objectives:
The course aims at enabling students to
▪ understand essential concepts, practices, and implications of organizations’ global
communication patterns.
▪ Critically examine how languages shape cultural identity and influence societal
perceptions.
▪ Examine the complexities of multicultural/societal discourse.
▪ Apply the obtained knowledge in a real-world/corporate setting.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of semester, students will be able to:
▪ develop an understanding of the relationship between language and culture.
▪ define and give examples of key terms and concepts of international culture and
language.
▪ understand the significance of culture and language in global business.
▪ engage in discussion to make informed judgments on issues related to barriers in
language and culture.
▪ apply analytical skills for employing global business models in Pakistan’s business
arena.

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 ▪ Explore the scope of research and review the literature on a research topic (of their
choice) and synthesize and critique the literature in a research project/presentation.

Course Textbooks &Reference Readings Materials

Course 1. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics/Wardhaugh Amp; Fuller. Seventh

Textbooks Edition. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Uk: Blacwell Publishing Ltd, 2015.
2. The Study of Language / George Yule. fourth edition. | Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press, 2010
Reference 1.
Books
Online
Resources

Teaching Methodology:
Course-contents detailed distribution within the scope of Blooms Taxonomy:
1. Lectures
2. Video Tutorials
3. Quiz & Assignments
4. Collaborative Brainstorming Sessions
5. Group discussions.
6. Case Studies

Evaluation Methodology:
The students are evaluated based on their class participation (quizzes, class participation,
assignments, Projects/Presentations) and Midterm / Final Examination. The evaluation
breakup is given below:
Quizzes 05
Class Participation 05
Assignments 15
Final Presentation (Case study on MNC) 10
Mid Term Examination 25
Final Examination 40
Total 100

S/N Session Topic(s) Readings/Case Studies and Suggested

activities
1. Course Orientation Brainstorming & key concepts, definition &
Language; Culture; examples. The Study of Language / George Yule.
International Culture. fourth edition: Language and culture Page: 267
https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-
norms-and-values.html
2. The Sapir–Whorf Slideshow relevant to the topic under review
hypothesis: Linguistic The Study of Language / George Yule.
Relativity & Linguistic Page: 269

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 Determinism in cultures https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/engli
sh/linguistic-terms/sapir-whorf-
hypothesis/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20the%
20Sapir%2DWhorf,cognition%2C%20according%
20to%20the%20hypothesis.
3. Globe and Hofstede Group activity on Cultural Diversities:
Models: Cultural https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-
Distance and Cultural comparison-tool
Dimensions https://openstax.org/books/principles-
management/pages/6-2-hofstedes-cultural-
framework
4. Barriers to effective Assignment: Academic Study: Cultural Distance:
International cultural Globe Model and Hofstede Model between China
practices: In-Group/ and US across Globe Model & Hofstede Model
Outgroup https://www.wcupa.edu/coral/documents/07in-
Ethnocentrism outgroups.pdf
High and Low Culture https://open.maricopa.edu/culturepsychology/chap
ter/ethnocentrism-and-cultural-relativism/
5. Barriers: Gender and Slideshow relevant to the topic under review
ethnic Differences in Skeleton Slides for class exercise
International cultural to get equipped with the knowledge subject-
context; Genderlect matter.
6. Barriers: Global https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/humanshapedstruc
Stratification: ture/chapter/chapter-5-social-stratification-what-
Individualism- determines-your-culture/
Collectivism
7. Conflict: Acculturation, Class Activity:
Enculturation, https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-
inculturation, and enculturation-and-
Transculturation acculturation.html#ComparisonChart
Culture Shock
8. Process: From Pidgins Slideshow relevant to the topic under review
to Creoles; Lingua Wardhaugh, An Introduction to Sociolinguistics:
Franca Characteristics, Page 58
Origins http://www.languageinindia.com/april2021/drsoma
naenglishlinguafrancakuwaitfinal.pdf
9. The Spread of English Model for varieties of English around the world.
Kachru’s Concentric https://varietiesofenglishsite.wordpress.com/2016/
Circles 11/07/classification-of-english-speakers-kachru-
model/
10. English Vs the Englishes Slideshow & Collaborative Session
Mc Arthur’s Circle of Familiarity with phenomenon of variety of
World English English and its relevance with the corporate
Speech Communities & culture
Networks. https://rb.gy/3rgf2j

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11. Code Switching; Slideshow relevant to the topic under review
Diglossia; Discourse: Group activity on Cultural Diversities
Bilingual/Multilingual Wardhaugh, An Introduction to Sociolinguistics:
Page 88- 96
12. Social Variation; Prestige Familiarity with the traits of Languages &
Standard & non-Standard Variety Communities
of English.
13. Language, Dialect Wardhaugh, An Introduction to Sociolinguistics:
(Regional/Social); Page 25
Styles Registers
14 Revision Terms; Concepts; and Case Studies.
15 Application: Contact Languages: Textbook Slideshow relevant to the topic under
Structural Consequences of review Collaborative discussion
Social Factors
16 Languages and Language in International Business: A Review
International Business: and Agenda for Future Research
Business models divergence for https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3172530
multilingual societies 86_Language_in_International_Business_A_Revie
w_and_Agenda_for_Future_Research
17 International Culture Slideshow relevant to the topic under review
Vs. Organizational Class Activity; Quiz / Exercise / Worksheet
Culture https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/natio
Ecosystems in businesses nal-cultures-organizational-cultures-and-the-role-
of-management/
18 The Integrative The impact of Culture in the workplace
Communication https://www.nafsa.org/sites/default/files/ektron/file
Theory of Cross- s/underscore/theory_connections_crosscultural.pdf
Cultural Adaptation
19. Discourse Analysis in the Keynotes from the textbook
Perspective of Language Slideshow relevant to the topic under review
Real-World Examples
Yule, The Study of Language. Page: 141
20. Politeness Wardhaugh, An Introduction to
Negative and Positive Face; Sociolinguistics: Page 276
Flat affect Activity: Replicate the study in Pakistan’s
context
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/documen
ts/innervate/09-10/0910gilksbrownlevinson.pdf
21. Communicating in Culturally Academic Research (Published in Journal)
Diverse Workplace Analysis of study’s content to identify the gap for
The Role of Languages and further potential research areas.
Culture in Intercultural Assignment to submit the Broad Problem for
Business Communication each student’s independent research.

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22. Globalization in the context of
Case Study on Sweden & Australia
Sweden & Australia Critical Analysis of the study
Replication of the case in the context of Pakistan
for vivid comprehension
23. Language Change and AI https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-
Prescriptivism/ descriptivism between-prescriptivism-and-descriptivism/
https://www.lorcandempsey.net/generative-ai-a-
note-about-content/
24. Ethnography of Communication: To get equipped with the knowledge of specific
definition and explanation of an author based on
ethnography.
25. Research Contribution by Research Articles
scholars. To become familiar with research protocol
26. Research Contribution by Research Articles
scholars. To become familiar with research protocol
27. Research Contribution by Presentations: To understand discipline through the
students lens of research and seminal work.
Meta analysis: Data collection and Interpretation
28. Research Contribution by Presentations: To understand discipline through the
students lens of research and seminal work.
Meta analysis: Data collection and Interpretation