PD8: Intercultural Skills give you the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in today’s diverse workplaces.
There’s more to cultural sensitivity than smiling and shaking hands — your colleagues may have different customs and cultural norms. In PD8 you'll learn how to navigate cultural differences, adapt within international workplaces and avoid common misunderstandings.
What will you do in PD8?
- Recognize cultural differences in verbal and non-verbal communication styles.
- Explore personal biases and how to counter them.
- Examine the impact of different cultural values and apply effective strategies to be successful on cross-cultural teams.
Grading information
To pass PD8, you must satisfy both requirements below:
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earn an overall grade of at least 50% on Assignments 1 - 4 (plus any bonus opportunities)
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receive a minimum of 50% on the Major Reflective Report
If you have a question about grading in PD8, contact the course team.
Course instructor
Svitlana Taraban-Gordon
Dr. Taraban-Gordon is a senior educational developer, Graduate Programs & Internationalization within the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at the University of Waterloo. She manages various teaching development programs aimed at graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Her research interests include teaching and learning in higher education, international education and the internationalization of higher education.
Prior to joining CTE, Svitlana spent six years at York University where she completed her PhD in Education (Language, Culture and Teaching). While at York, she worked in international education and taught courses in the teacher preparation program. She has also worked as a program coordinator for Russia and Eastern Europe at the Toronto-based NGO TakingItGlobal, where she led projects with a focus on global youth engagement through new technologies.
Student testimonials
The course does a good job of getting us to think critically about our personal cultural skills and awareness. I feel I hadn't given much thought to this before, so it made me realize more about myself.
The strengths of this course was that it was relatable to work environments that consisted of multiple cultures. It was also very helpful for me as I am currently on an exchange term.