Predeparture orientation: Preparing college sojourners for intercultural interaction

Each year, thousands of U.S. college students study abroad. However, many students do not achieve the potential benefits of their intercultural experience because they are not equipped for the demands of living and learning in a foreign country. This article describes a course designed to prepare students for intercultural interaction, from a communication perspective. This course and a companion “reentry” course (Koester, 1984) are part of an institutional attempt to help students integrate the study abroad experience with their on-campus learning. The first part of the course is devoted to theoretical frameworks for understanding intercultural interaction. The latter part of the course focuses on applications of intercultural communication theory.