Diandian Liu
Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
*Corresponding author: Diandian Liu
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the practices and insights of international language and culture promotion organizations in the field of intercultural communication, using the Goethe-Institut as a case study to examine its cultural theme classifications and communication strategies. Data was collected through web crawling technology, automatically extracting thematic classifications and cultural activity information from the cultural sections of the Goethe-Institut’s official websites in Germany and 16 other countries worldwide. The analysis reveals that the Goe-the-Institut’s official websites focus less on high culture (“Big C” culture, referring to academic or intellectual culture) and more on low culture (“small c” culture, referring to popular or communicative culture). Literature, art, and film form the main types of its cultural activities, with attention also given to international trends and avantgarde culture. The Goethe-Institut not only exports its national culture but also emphasizes fostering dialogue, exchange, and collaboration be-tween cultures, bridging spatial and psychological distances to achieve a smooth “soft landing” in intercultural communication. These practices provide valuable insights and references for Chinese language and culture promotion organizations in the realm of intercultural communication.
References
Alatis, J. E., Straehle, C. A., Ronkin, M., & Gallenberger, B. (1996). Linguistics and the education of language teachers: Ethnolinguistic, psycholinguistic, and sociolinguistic aspects. Georgetown University Press.
Dong, L. (2011). Confucius Institute and Goethe-Institut: Cross-cultural communication under different ideologies. Journal of International Relations, (4), 101-107.
Kramsch, C. (1998). Language and culture. Oxford University Press.
Li, B. (2015). The inspiration of the Goethe-Institut's cultural activities model for the development of Confucius Institutes. Science, Education and Culture, (4), 155-156.
Li, Y., & Tang, P. (2022). The development history and trends of international language communication institutions. World Chinese Language Teaching, (1).
Mo, J. (2009). A comparative study of Confucius Institutes and major world language and culture promotion organizations. Journal of Yunnan Normal University (Teaching and Research of Chinese as a Foreign Language), (5).
Wang, W. (2014). The development and implications of the Goethe-Institut. Public Diplomacy Quarterly, (6), 43-49.
Wood, J. T. (2008). Communication in our lives (5th ed.). Wadsworth Publishing.
Xu, L. (2007). The situation and tasks of international promotion of Chinese language. World Chinese Language Teaching, (2).
How to cite this paper
Intercultural Communication Practices and Insights from the Goethe-institut Official Websites
How to cite this paper: Diandian Liu. (2025). Intercultural Communication Practices and Insights from the Goethe-institut Official Websites. International Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 1(1), 13-18.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/ijmcs.2025.12.003