Intercultural Communication
COMM 335
Professor Diane Carter
University of Idaho
Instructions:
Create a 400- to 800--word blog post in which you address the following:
1. Is there an "official language" in the country you are studying for your blog project? If so,
what is it? If not, identify the language or languages that are most often spoken.
2. The English language is a lingua franca for many countries. Visit this website to learn about
the meaning of the term lingua franca, then answer the following: How might using English as a
lingua franca impact your ability to communicate effectively with a person in the culture you are
studying?
3. Look up how to say the following words and phrases in at least one of the primary languages
of the country you are studying. Write out the pronunciation for each word or, if you're
preparing a vlog post, speak each word aloud.
● Hello!
● Yes
● No
● Please
● Thank You
● Can you help me?
● I don't understand
● I don't speak (name of the language)
● My name is (your name)
Were any of these words particularly difficult to pronounce? Why? Why would it be important to
learn words like these before you travel to another country?
4. New technologies have changed the ways people can interpret different languages. Find a web
page containing information about the country you are studying written in the primary language
of that country. Copy a paragraph from that website, then use "Google Translate" to translate the
paragraph. What do you notice?
5. Explain the phrase, "Language influences our view of reality."
Remember, for full points on this and all subsequent blog posts, you must provide and cite
reference sources to support your claims.
The Learner
A blog by Hailey Welch
COMM 335
Professor Diane Carter
University of Idaho
Instructions:
Create a 400- to 800--word blog post in which you address the following:
1. Is there an "official language" in the country you are studying for your blog project? If so,
what is it? If not, identify the language or languages that are most often spoken.
2. The English language is a lingua franca for many countries. Visit this website to learn about
the meaning of the term lingua franca, then answer the following: How might using English as a
lingua franca impact your ability to communicate effectively with a person in the culture you are
studying?
3. Look up how to say the following words and phrases in at least one of the primary languages
of the country you are studying. Write out the pronunciation for each word or, if you're
preparing a vlog post, speak each word aloud.
● Hello!
● Yes
● No
● Please
● Thank You
● Can you help me?
● I don't understand
● I don't speak (name of the language)
● My name is (your name)
Were any of these words particularly difficult to pronounce? Why? Why would it be important to
learn words like these before you travel to another country?
4. New technologies have changed the ways people can interpret different languages. Find a web
page containing information about the country you are studying written in the primary language
of that country. Copy a paragraph from that website, then use "Google Translate" to translate the
paragraph. What do you notice?
5. Explain the phrase, "Language influences our view of reality."
Remember, for full points on this and all subsequent blog posts, you must provide and cite
reference sources to support your claims.
The Learner
A blog by Hailey Welch
