THE SCOPE OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN A MILITARY-SPECIFIC LANGUAGE LEARNING PROGRAM

Abstract

In a global geopolitical scenario Spanish soldiers are faced with the strategic challenge of developing linguistic and intercultural communication competence. This paper provides an account of the design process of military-specific materials which seek to equip these learners to become interculturally competent speakers of English. Drawing on a previous needs analysis of the profession, the design of materials discussed here seeks to integrate an intercultural dimension to an ESP- oriented program for military students. A genre- and task-based approach was adopted with a view to engage military learners in a dual rhetorical and intercultural consciousness raising process which equips them with linguistic and intercultural skills. The goal was to select written and oral texts and to design tasks which foster critical thinking skills acquisition and to promote awareness of intercultural communication challenges. The approach taken lends credence to the view that authentic resources and tasks are loaded with the values of the discipline along with those of the culture it represents. Further, it illustrates how an ESP program can contribute to help learners raise awareness of the linguistic and cultural diversity involved in the use of English as an international language of professional communication in multilingual and multicultural contexts.