MA Translation and Interpreting Studies / Course details

Communication has a central role in all aspects of life, one of which is one’s professional environment. With workplaces being increasingly multicultural and diverse nowadays, communication is crucial not only in terms of language proficiency, but also in terms of understanding subtle cultural differences which are conveyed through language.

This course units aims to introduce students to an important area of applied linguistics, professional communication, which is particularly significant for all professions. Students will have the opportunity to discover theoretical approaches, models and concepts related to workplace culture, gender, leadership and conflict in multicultural workplaces with the scope of understanding the complexities of professional communication and learning how they can be effectively resolved/dealt with. 

The unit aims to:

• introduce students to some of the topics captured under the broad umbrella of professional communication
• engage students to the crucial role of communication when working in different socio-cultural contexts
• illustrate how aspects of professional communication, such as leadership, gender, identity and culture, can be conceptualised through discourse and communication  
• enable students to explore the challenges of working in multicultural workplaces and how such challenges can be overcome
• present and question some of the current trends in this area of applied linguistics and intercultural communication 

This course units aims to:

Familiarise students with key concepts in professional communication across multicultural workplaces (including digital ones)

Present emerging debates of professional communication in the digital era

Enable students to critically reflect on matters of professional communications arising in multicultural workplaces  

Enable students to apply empirical insights to develop their intercultural understanding when working, collaborating and communicating with others in group tasks

Enable students to plan and manage workload to meet deadlines  

Syllabus (indicative curriculum content):

The topics that will be covered in this course unit are (but not limited to):

Week 1: What is professional communication?

Week 2: Genres of professional communication

Week 3: Workplace culture

Week 4: Culture and politeness at work

Week 5: Professional identities  

Week 6: Leadership and teamwork

Week 7: Gender, identity and leadership

Week 8: Conflict in multicultural workplaces

Week 9: Humour and professional communication in multicultural workplaces

Week 10: Implications of professional communication for intercultural awareness and training

Week 11: Revision and assessment preparation  

All teaching for this course unit is synchronous. Learning is both synchronous and asynchronous. 

Due to the practical nature of the course unit, teaching is done through lectures and seminars. In a typical week, students will have to attend:

-1 hour lecture followed by

-1 hour seminar

Lectures are delivered to the entire cohort, which then splits into two (2) seminar groups so that students have the opportunity to examine in practice the concepts introduced during the lecture while at the same time interacting with their classmates.

The resources used for this course unit are based on academic scholarship (literature, models, theories) in combination with non-academic materials, such as excerpts from movie clips, documentaries or newspaper articles.

Students should be able to:  

• demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of aspects of professional communication 
• understand the range of (non-)professional environments where theoretical approaches, models and concepts of professional communication can occur  
• familiarise with critical perspectives in professional communication 

Students should be able to:

• understand how aspects of professional communication can impact the effectiveness in multicultural workplaces and how you can deal with it
• critically evaluate key concepts in professional communication and draw reasoned conclusions
• relate theoretical aspects of professional communication with your own experiences

Students should be able to:

• communicate ideas effectively in speaking and writing, using appropriate language at near-native proficiency
• plan and manage time and workload to meet deadlines
• comment on the performance or work of a peer, identifying strengths and making constructive suggestions for improvement where appropriate 

Students should be able to:

• display an ability to communicate clearly and contribute effectively to discussions
• work collaboratively in teams  
• display an ability independently to gather, synthesise and organise material from various sources (online and offline), and to critically evaluate its significance  
   

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Holmes, J. & Stubbe, M. (2003). Power and Politeness in the Workplace. A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Talk at Work. Longman.  

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Holmes, J., Schnurr, S. & Marra, M. (2007). Leadership and communication: discursive evidence of a workplace culture change. Discourse & Communication, 1(4), 433-451.

Holmes, J., Marra, M., & Vine, B. (2011). Leadership, Discourse, and Ethnicity. Oxford University Press.

Kong, K. (2014). Professional Discourse. Cambridge University Press.

Koester, Almut (2010). Workplace Discourse. London: Continuum.

Mak, B. C. N. (2018). Humour in the Workplace. In B. Vine (ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Language in the Workplace (pp. 228-241). Routledge.  

Marra, M., Schnurr, S., & Holmes, J. (2006). Effective leadership in New Zealand workplaces: Balancing gender and role. In Judith Baxter (ed), Speaking Out: The Female Voice in Public Contexts (240-260). Springer Link.

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Mullany, L. (2020). Professional Communication: Consultancy, Advocacy, Activism. Palgrave.

Richards, K. (2006). Language and Professional Identity. Aspects of Collaborative  
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Ryoo, H. K. (2005). Achieving friendly interactions: A study of service encounters between Korean shopkeepers and African-American customers. Discourse & Society, 16(1), 79-105.

Schnurr, S. (2009). Leadership Discourse at Work. Interactions of Humour, Gender and Workplace Culture. Palgrave Macmillan.

Schnurr, S. (2013). Exploring Professional Communication: Language in Action. Routledge.

Schnurr, S., & Zayts, O. (2017). Language and Culture at Work. Routledge.

Saito, J. (2013). Gender and facework: Linguistic practices by Japanese male supervisors in the workplace. Gender a