COM412/Synthesis Essay
Length: 3-5 pages double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins; plus APA references page
Topic Overview
Your final paper for this class is to write a brief (3-5 page) argumentative essay that answers the question: “What does it mean to be an effective intercultural communicator?” You have two options for this essay:
Option 1: Career Paper. Consider your intended career or post-graduate plans. How will
you use intercultural communication as a nurse, engineer, journalist, or whatever other occupation you intend to pursue?
Option 2: Analysis of Difference Paper. Consider a time when you previously found yourself immersed in an unfamiliar cultural situation or conflict, such as a study abroad, a disagreement with another person, or an unfamiliar cultural environment. How did you navigate that situation? Examples of suitable topics include topics such as “How I adjusted to my semester studying abroad in Spain” or “How I navigated being a white player on a predominantly black football team.”
For both options, you should formulate an argumentative thesis statement and write a brief (3-4 pages, double-spaced) essay analyzing your experiences in a way that proves the thesis statement true. The essay should incorporate evidence from the course textbook and at least three other readings that we have read during the semester to support your assertions.
Organizing the Paper
The paper should begin with an introduction that establishes the topic of the paper. The introduction should end with a very clear argumentative thesis statement that you then prove in the body of your paper.
The body of your paper should consist of 2-4 main points that prove your thesis statement true. It should consist of both specific details related to your topic and evidence from the course textbook and two other course readings that help to support your thesis statement. It’s difficult to estimate length here, but 3-5 well-developed body paragraphs would be a good ballpark figure.
The conclusion of your paper should summarize the paper and what you learned overall from the class.
APA Citations and References Pages
The body of your paper should cite the textbook and at least two other readings that we have done during the semester in support of your assertions. Be sure that all direct quotations have page numbers associated with them; author last name and year are fine for paraphrases.
Finally, there should be an APA references page that lists your sources cited in alphabetical order.
