About

The Global Culture and Media Academy seeks to offer students a foundation for understanding the intricate and complex relationship between language, culture, communicative practices, and the role we play as individuals in the globalized world of today. The course will focus on key ideas in intercultural communication to provide a basis for nuanced practices, reflections, and strategies that are associated with 21st-century skills and essential behaviors of a global citizen. While the course primarily addresses topics related to “culture” and “Culture” (and their relationship), the incorporation of media allows students to grow in the areas of ethnographic data collection and deep analysis of language and culture as represented through different types of media. The Global Culture and Media Academy is fully residential with no commuter or online options. Based on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Can-do statements, students will achieve various investigative and interactive objectives by the end of the course, including: In my own and other cultures, I can explain how stereotypes influence a country’s products or marketing strategies; share my interpretations of a piece of art or music with someone else while respecting theirs; respond to a social media post in a culturally appropriate manner; In my own and other cultures, I can explain how globalized products impact society and individual lifestyles; collaborate on an online project to explain misconceptions underlying stereotypes. Through active learning, students will collaborate with their peers in activities that seek to promote nuanced reflection, keen observation, and transformative practices when engaging in intercultural communication. Academies are led by University of Pennsylvania faculty and long-standing professionals in their field of study with support from graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants. Upon successful completion of the program, students are awarded a Certificate of Completion and may request letters of recommendation from their Penn instructors.