Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for COMM 140 Winter 2025


Course Number:
COMM 140
Course Title:
Introduction to Intercultural Communication
Credit Hours:
4
Lecture Hours:
40
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Focuses on understanding messages mediated by cultural frameworks in various political, economic and social contexts. Examines similarities and differences within and across cultures and co-cultures, as reflected in communication behaviors. Discusses verbal and nonverbal behaviors, worldviews, value systems, beliefs, identities, perceptions, and relational norms. Prerequisites: WR 115, RD 115 and MTH 20 or equivalent placement test scores. Audit available.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Identify the influence of culturally-based assumptions on communicative behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes.

2. Explain historically-based worldviews and the evolution of communication within and across cultural groups.

3. Explain how cultural values are assigned and transferred verbally and nonverbally.

4. Discuss the role of power relationships in intercultural communication.

5. Analyze how social institutions perpetuate systems of privilege and discrimination through communication.

6. Describe contemporary global influences on communication.

Integrative Learning

Students completing an associate degree at Portland Community College will be able to reflect on one’s work or competencies to make connections between course content and lived experience.

General education philosophy statement

Communication is essential to being human. Communication courses inherently provide a foundation for understanding human interaction. While all humans use some form of communication to navigate the societies in which we live, each culture has its own set of ethical and social communicative norms. This course examines these norms by teaching students how to organize and make meaning of their own and others’ experiences and meet personal goals in an intercultural setting.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

The forms of assessment will be determined by the individual instructor.

Assessment strategies may include:

  • Qualitative examinations
  • Quantitative examinations
  • Essays
  • Journals
  • Research papers 
  • In-class participation
  • Portfolios 
  • Projects
  • Oral presentations 
  • Group work

●      Community Based Learning 


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Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Themes, Concepts, and Issues:

  • Intercultural Communication theories
  • Culture
  • Language
  • Symbolic Interactionism
  • Nonverbal Communication
  • Perception
  • Diversity
  • Power
  • Ethnocentrism
  • Privilege, Advantage/Disadvantage 
  • Prejudice
  • Discrimination (isms: ableism, ageism, racism, classism, sexism, etc.)
  • Conflict
  • Social Perspective-taking
  • Equity 

●      Inclusion

A textbook is required. Suggested texts. Alternative texts need Dept. or SAC chair approval.

Communication Between Cultures, Samovar, Porter, and Stefani. Intercultural

Communication in Contexts, Martin and Nakayama.  Foundations of Intercultural

Communication, Chen and Starosta.  Intercultural Communication: An Introduction, Jandt. 

Intercultural Competence, Lustig.  Pearson