--To help you become a better intercultural communicator. You will learn this partly by studying more about the process of intercultural communication and also about the factors that affect that process. However, even more important, you will develop new skills and thinking habits that will help you make sense of foreign cultures and their people, especially of things Westerners do which may seem strange, puzzling, or even bad.
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--Culture functions to provide structure, stability and security that are used by the group and members to maintain themselves as a healthy system.
--To help you improve your English, especially your ability to discuss and explain ideas, and your ability to talk about culture in English.
--To help you learn more about the cultures of Western nations. The textbook pays special attention to the culture of the United States, not only because it is the largest English-speaking country, but also because its culture is different from China’s in a number of especially interesting ways.