SPICE 2018: West Virginia University @ Universität Erfurt

Erfurt, DE --  Our first week discussion will have us talking  Communication Accommodation Theory , first introduced to the field of human communication by noted scholar  Dr. Howard "Howie" Giles  of the University of California - Santa Barbara. In general, the theory attempts to explain how individuals come to adapt their communicative styles to one another as they spend more time with each other. While the theory is not specifically or uniquely restricted to the study of intercultural communication, it is not hard to see how the theory might help explain variance in both our initial and continued interactions with folks from another culture; after all, one way we can understand cultural differences is in terms of communicative behavioral differences (both at the verbal and  non-verbal  level). A particularly interesting phenomenon associated with this is that of  code-switching , which tends to really get at folks who are bi- o...

Morgantown, WV -- Below, Dr. Jaime Banks has organized some really cool recommended travel destinations throughout Germany. During your stay for SPICE 2018, consider visiting a few of these sites ... and remember that they're all eligible sites for your Culture Blog entries! Want to add your own? E-mail your suggestions to Dr. Banks at jabanks@mail.wvu.edu . Happy travels. =)

Prague, Czech Republic -- As we get closer to the start of SPICE 2018, a few students were curious about the details of their weekly per diem that is bundled into their SPICE summer fees. So, details are below, in the form of a "pay schedule" of sorts. Broadly, the per diem disbursements will follow the same schedule that we'll be using for the International Culture and Communication course (detailed in another blog post, here ). To clarify however, we'll distribute per diem funds on the following dates: 12 June (although this distribution might take place on arrival at Frankfurt) 18 June 25 June 2 July 9 July 16 July 23 July 30 July We will do these disbursements at the conclusion of our International Culture and Communication course, and all students will be asked to sign for any cash they receive. Note that this signature is a requirement for receiving per diem (per WVU policy), and also note that the only time that I will disburse per diem cash is d...

Morgantown, WV --   With about one month to go before we leave for SPICE 2018, we've got some fantastic news: the accommodations for our annual trip to Bruges, Belgium, have been finalized. We've arranged for two nights' accommodations (breakfast, included) for all of our WVU SPICE students at the " Hotel Koffieboontje ." There, you'll be staying right in the heart of Bruges for two nights of intercultural experience in the Flanders (re: Dutch-speaking) region of Belgium. Below, an interactive map that shows the route to the hotel from Stationsplein--the Bruges main train station. We'll plan on leaving Erfurt rather early on the morning of Monday June 25, likely on ICE1638 leaving at 07:50. Indeed, our proposed travel plan is below, and it would get us into town (into Bruges) around 15:00 (3:00 pm); disregard the pricing however (as we'll use your flex pass for this one): What are we in for when we get there? I'm keeping most of it a se...

Morgantown, WV  -- As we prepare for this Summer 2018, a quick note that the complete syllabus for COM416 is available below. The document can also be viewed (and downloaded) using this link [ Syllabus ]:

Morgantown, WV -- In about two months, we'll all be making our arrival in Erfurt, our home for Summer 2018. As a way to help folks get acclimated to their new hometown, we've been preparing this map of places that former and current SPICErs tend to frequent. The map also includes places that will be critical to SPICE 2018, as well as a few spots that you might just enjoy checking out. Enjoy, and please email Nick Bowman (Nicholas.Bowman@mail.wvu.edu) if you have any questions ... or if you'd like to help curate the map! NOTE: Keep an eye on this map, because we'll be continuing to update this map throughout the summer!

Morgantown, WV -- We've got our flights booked now, and by now students attending SPICE 2018 should have received emails with their flights. If you didn't, let me know and I'll get that over to you right away. Arriving in Germany As you can from the flight schedules, you'll be arriving in two waves of students between 7:20 am and 9:20 am (Dr. Dillow and I will be arriving with the 9:20am flight) — so long as there's no delays. For your information, the two incoming flights are: For IAD, we’re taking UA989, which departs at 5:20pm on Sunday 10 June and arrives in Frankfurt (FRA) at 7:20am on Monday, 11 June.  For EWR, we’re taking UA960 which departs at 7:40pm on Sunday 10 June and arrives in Frankfurt (FRA) at 9:20am on Monday, 11 June. Everyone will leave the US on Sunday 10 June and arrive in Germany (Frankfurt) on Monday 11 June. When you get to the airport (a .pdf of the airport, here ), your main tasks will be: Claim your bags (all signs are in ...