Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Apr 2012

Challenges and Rewards of Teaching Intercultural Communication in a Technical Writing Course: A Case Study

Diana L. Cárdenas Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi

Abstract

Community-based projects immerse technical writing students in intercultural communication, addressing local needs and shaping documents in human terms. Students at a South Texas university work to establish communication with clients in a city-county health department to create effective documents and disseminate family health legislation. To prepare students for interactions in multicultural settings, the teacher provides an instructional framework that highlights the concepts and values of intercultural communication and the principles for effective problem-solving. Students engaged in the Baby Moses ( el niño Moisés) project encounter misunderstandings, rhetorical challenges within the process of document creation, and cultural tensions that thwart their goal to disseminate information to the community. Students and the teacher learn that the classroom, like the city-county health department, is a fertile site for cultural disequilibrium, tensions, and potential cultural awareness. To insure a viable Technical and Professional Writing Program in a culturally diverse university and surrounding community, the teacher identifies opportunities that help students develop and enhance their identities as culturally-sensitive communicators and effective problem solvers.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2012-04-01
DOI
10.2190/tw.42.2.d
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism writing pedagogy teacher development technical communication professional writing qualitative research race and writing
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (5)

  1. Veeramoothoo et al. (2026)
    Intercultural Communication in Technical and Professional Communication Classro…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Melonçon et al. (2024)
    Back to the Basics: Uncovering the Rhetoric Student Learning Outcome
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  3. Rieger (2022)
    Intercultural Communication: Providing a Working Definition of Culture and Reex…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Melonçon et al. (2020)
    A Field-Wide Metasynthesis of Pedagogical Research in Technical and Professiona…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Kohn (2015)
    How Professional Writing Pedagogy and University–Workplace Partnerships Can Sha…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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CrossRef global citation count: 7 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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