Course information:

Online intensive course
Primarily open to undergraduates of all disciplines. Credit recognition possible for the ABV area at FUB (5 ECTS) and Cornerstones/Elective area at HUJI (4 ECTS). Master students and students from other universities can apply as well, but credit recognition has to be clarified individually with the responsible study coordinator of the corresponding study program.

Course staff:
Dr. Ruth Tobias and Nadia Fischer (FUB), Chaya Fischer and Alix Glotz (HUJI)

Course credit:
FUB: ABV = 5 credits
HUJI: Cornerstones (outside Humanities) / Elective (for Humanities) = 4 credits

Additional information / Prerequisites:
The course is intended for FUB students with no prior knowledge of Hebrew and for HUJI students with no prior knowledge of German; the language of instruction is partly English (please see the course description).

Short course description:
This joint online intensive course offers students from FUB and HUJI the opportunity to work in synergy towards further developing intercultural competencies. The course takes the approach that language and culture are deeply interwoven and, therefore, communication between cultures should be explored and practiced while also beginning to acquire the language and reflect on underlying meaning; at the same time, language courses defined as such do not typically provide the opportunity for direct exchange with members of the target language/culture within the framework of the course itself. Hence, we invite you to join this new blended, online module to work in Tandem with peers from diverse backgrounds, at both of our universities, in real-time.

The contact hours are composed of three key elements:

• Intercultural sessions (FUB and HUJI students together)
• Language class Hebrew (FUB students) / German (HUJI students)
• Synchronous work (FUB and HUJI students together; (inter)cultural reflection / language training in Tandem)

Course themes include

• Initial contact and first impressions
• Levels of formality and personal space
• Time
• Gender, age and family settings
• Communication and norms in academic settings
• What only locals know

Evaluation:
Formative assessment throughout, for both (inter)cultural and language learning aspects of the course; submission of a final joint portfolio in mixed groups.

Dates & Registration:
For students of FU Berlin: Please see the FUB course page.