incorporating intercultural training in the process of language learning to university level...

Incorporating intercultural training in the process of language learning to University level students

Yordana Hristozova- Mandradjieva,Ph d candidate, MA in Education, MA in English linguistics at “Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski”

Language trainer and consultant University of Food Technologies- Plovdiv, Bulgaria

www.aspectstudio.hit.bge mail:[email protected]

Sofia, 2007

http://www.aspectstudio.hit.bg/

Importance of the development intercultural competence in a process of a foreign language learning

English has become a global language functioning as Lingua franca

It has been spread on the territory of the 5 continents and is widely spoken

Interrelations of the foreign language learners with the language reality has been in a wide – from complete identification to the complete ignorance of the learning culture or a confrontation with local , national culture

Teaching English language for special purposes to University level students is seem more as a natural resourceful process for intercultural competence development

Bulgarians have been facing new challenges as European citizensYordana Hristozova- Mandradjieva,,[email protected]


Concepts about culture – the Iceberg concept and Hofstede’s cultural onion

Culture as an iceberg www.ideanet.doe.state.in.us

Gibson.

Cultural onion

Symbols

National Characters

Rituals

Values

PracticesPractices

Yordana Hristozova- Mandradjieva,[email protected]

http://www.ideanet.doe.state.in.us/












Survey on University students’ cultural awareness (American and British culture)

• A Question: „What do you know about Anglo-Saxon culture?

• I do not know– 56%• Higher level of culture and traditions of the British - 22%• I have negative attitude – 8%• Conservative ( British) - 6%• Multicultural (American) – 4 %• Progressive (American) –2%• I would like to learn more – 2% Diagram me № 1 Survey on students’ cultural awareness toward learning

culture(American and British )

• Students accept culture as “High” • They connect culture with the

economic standard

• Students tend to generalize fast each fact and stereotype different groups of societies

• Such interpretations could generate tension and inadequacy toward acceptance of different cultures , to reduce the positivism and to lead to cultural conflicts, stereotypes or any form of discrimination and prejudices , to isolation and negativism in a wider context

156%2

22%

38%

46%

54%

62%

72%

Yordana Hristozova- Mandradjieva,,[email protected]


Main students resources for acquiring communicative competence

• A question № 2: (What kind of resources do you use in order to obtain knowledge and skills for communication (international)? (If you have more then one answer, please rate it with 1 for maximum означите най-често използуваните, с 2- for less used and so on).

1. Television and cinema – 62,5%

2. Internet – 47,5%

3. Foreign language learning - 43%

4. Travels - 23%

5. Advertising - 17%

6. Media press – 6%

• Results show:

Immerse influence on media upon students

It is essential a special approach to be developed in order any propaganda of the media to be critically accepted

It is essencial for a teacher/trainer to plan and use authentic materials

To encourage “first hand” experience for a real cultural experience and exchange

Diagramme № 2 Resources for communicative competence (knowledge and skills)

62,5

0%

47,5

0%

43%

23%

17%

6%

0,00% 20,00% 40,00% 60,00% 80,00%

1

2

3

4

5

6

Series1



Focus on students’ attitude toward problems in communication

What problems have you faced communicating with representative of the learning foreign culture ?

• I have no problems - 35%• I do not want to comment – 29%• Language problems – 12%• I can’t communicate in English even I know the

language – 6%• Selfishness and lack of competency of the

foreigners – 6%• Foreigner should learn themselves to be more

tolerant to representative to people from economically not stable societies - 6%

• Without any answers – 6%

• It is crucial for learning a foreign language attention to be brought to the problems of cultural matter. It should be underlined that these problems are natural and exist so a strategy should be elaborated

• Ignoring them could cause bigger problems and will turns to a resource of continuous negativism to whole representatives of the learning culture

• How do you overcome conflicts and misunderstanding with representative of the learning culture ?

• I am trying to be patient 12%• With calmness – 12%• With personal dignity – 6%• I do not have a decision – 29%• I do not want to comment – 29%• Without any answer- 12%

• Results show that among students there are not elaborated skills from conflict resolution strategies and techniques concerning problems of cultural matter

• Students do not feel enough competent about such problematic issues

135%

229%

312%

46%

56%

66%

76%

112%

212%

36%

429%

529%

612%

Yordana Hristozova- Mandradjieva,,[email protected]


Intercultural competence - Structure and content

This model presents the main components of intercultural competence : language /linguistic competence; skills, and attitudes.

Knowledge • Communicative competence • Linguistic competence• Sociocultural competence• Cultural awareness Culture1(education, Art, literature, history) and

Culture 2(symbols, values, national characters)(Hofsteade, с 5-9); SkillsCommunication skills Language skills;Skills for recognizing the differences;Comparison skills;Skills for Interpretation, comparison and reflection; Critical thinking skills;Asking questions skills; Opinion and decision making skills;Expression agreement and disagreement skills; Conflict resolution skills; Cultural flexibility; Cultural sensitivity; Empathy; Tolerance;Confronting stereotypes and prejudices approach .Attitudes• Positive attitude toward the otherness;• Openness and intellectual curiosity to any new culture

Intercultural

competence

Knowledge

Skills Attitud

es

Positive attitude

Openness and

curiosity , tolerance

Various skills

Communicati

ve competence

Linguistic compete

nce

Sociocultural

competence



Model for intercultural competence development in a process of a foreign language learning

Intercultural competence awareness

Methods of classroom training

Textbook content (content analysis)

Forms of training

Discussion and case studies

Foreign language textbook

Implementing different

techniques

Intercultural training

Virtual forums

Role-plays and stimulations

Indirect methods of observation

Brainstorming, mind map.

Additional authentic resources

Dramatizations

Projects, document analyses

Competences, skills, attitudes

Yordana Hristozova- Mandradjieva, [email protected]


A training programme for intercultural competence

What is an intercultural training ?

“Formal efforts designed to prepare people for more effective interpersonal relations when they interact with individuals from cultures other then their own” Brislin, (1994 :2)

Why should a teacher incorporate it the process of a foreign language learning? Possible benefits for learners and teachers:to raise cultural awareness:

to understand more about the relation among language and cultureto develop more positive attitude toward target culture and the people who use itto stimulate and foster motivation for learning a second/foreign languageto develop critical thinkingto open a/the space for othernessto understand better national and international culturesto get more global and tolerant perspective

How it to be incorporated?

A four stage model is suggested by some authors which is accepted and implemented in the course using different materials:

AwarenessKnowledgeEmotional ChallengesBehavior___________________Brislin , R., T. Yoshida, 1994. Intercultural communication training: an introduction. Thousand Oaks and London: Sage



The Critical – Events Model(Nadler1982)

Identify the Needs of the Organization

Build curriculum

Conduct training

Specify Job

performance

Identify learners

Needs

Evaluation

And

Feedback

Obtain Instructtonal resources

Select Instructional resources

Determine Objectives



Summarizes and conclusion

In the training session principles of psychodrama methods and different techniques are used . The accent is made on the problem solving approach, which is oriented towards the needs of the participants. Each session starts with: 1. Short introduction of participants (warm – up session),2. Information about the cultural models and possible resources of conflicts3. Case – study analyses / or a role- play to foster a sharing 4. Participants are encouraged to share and reflect on their experience. Then a certain problem is chosen by all participants and they are encouraged to play it. In such sessions drama techniques and role

plays are used a lot. Final stage: The session finishes with conclusion and debriefing.

Potential benefits of the intercultural training are:

Developing intercultural competence Developing social skills Fostering communicative competence in target language Arising awareness of learning culture Acquiring an openness and tolerance toward other cultures Contribution to the intellectual stimulating and personal growth Developing personal motivation in learning a target language The training is designed for graduate students in the field of tourism, management who are going to work in a global community

and international business sector.


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