Cross-cultural Awareness Research Articles

Multicultural Classrooms: Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy among A Sample of Canadian Preservice Teachers

Many teachers enter classrooms with limited cross-cultural awareness and low levels of confidence to accommodate cultural diversity. Therefore, teaching a heterogeneous body of students requires teachers to have culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy (CRTSE). The investigation of factors impacting teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching diverse students has produced mixed results. The purpose of the current study was to explore the determinants of CRTSE in a sample of Canadian preservice teachers. One hundred and ten preservice teachers from a medium-sized public Canadian University completed measures of political orientation, CRTSE, cross-cultural experiences, and teacher burnout. Higher levels of preservice teachers’ CRTSE were predicted by lower levels of Emotional Exhaustion (i.e., a key aspect of burnout syndrome) and more frequent cross-cultural experiences in their childhood and adolescence. Implications for training preservice teachers are discussed.

On the Causes and Countermeasures of Chinese Learners’ English Reading Anxiety

Based on Humanistic Psychology and Krashen’s Affective Filtering Hypothesis, this study explores the effects on English reading anxiety among Chinese students, and corresponding countermeasures are put forward to it. English reading anxiety, one of the emotional factors that have a great effect on foreign language learning, mainly refers to the feeling of not being able to achieve desired goal or overcome a mental obstacle. The results indicate that Chinese English learners suffer English reading anxiety in text comprehension, and the psychological, cultural and text factors are the main causes leading to it. Based upon the findings, its advisable to lower the learners’ affective filter and promote their self-confidence as well as cultivate their cross-cultural awareness in future English reading teaching.

A Call to the Profession: Cross-Cultural Competence and Learning from a Sister Profession

Cross-cultural competence has increased in applied professions, including occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychiatry, mental health counseling, and social work. Despite three decades of research and scholarship advocating the need for cross-cultural competence in TR/RT, it remains lacking. This paper is a call for the profession to do better. Based on (1) learning how American Counseling Association and the National Board of Certified Counselors have positioned cross-cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills as core competence in national and international practice, (2) examining cross-cultural research and scholarship in TR/RT, and (3) drawing from ATRA’s Higher Education Committee Task Force, this paper suggests specific recommendations to develop cross-cultural competence in TR/RT.

Conceptual metaphors, plurilingualism and second language acquisition: a refugee education case study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to explore the use of equivalent conceptual metaphors and the correspondent linguistic expressions in refugee students’ L1s and L2s and examine the possible positive effects conceptual metaphors can induce for vocabulary learning and retention in second language learning. Moreover, another aim of the research is to investigate the use of conceptual metaphors as a cross-cultural awareness tool for the case of refugee students and how this may reveal specific aspects of their plurilingual repertoires. The research took place in a non-formal educational center in Kos island, where refugee students attend language courses. The participants of the research were ten refugee students, aged 11–17, who learn English and Greek as L2s. The tools used to collect data were a personal data questionnaire, a metaphor awareness test, a pre-test and post-test before and after the language intervention and a discussion group. The results of the study demonstrate that refugee students are assisted by the existence of equivalent metaphors between their L1 and L2. Furthermore, the use of all languages of the participants promotes cross-cultural awareness and plurilingualism, as similarities not only between languages but also between cultures are found through the existence of equivalent conceptual metaphors.

Cross-Cultural Awareness of College Students Based on Cross-Cultural Communication

Objectives: Cross-cultural communication lays the foundation for sustainable development education. In order to further improve the level of cross-cultural awareness of college students in China, a recommendation algorithm based on cross-cultural communication comparison model is proposed. Methods: The algorithm uses the keywords with high weight in the recommended items as the attribute characteristics of the recommendation items, and then recommends the items with the closest vectors (the highest score of the vector calculation with user characteristics) to the users. Results: TF-IDF method is used to calculate and calculate the keywords with high weight in intercultural communication mode as describing user characteristics, and these keywords are used as describing vector of user characteristics, so as to construct the intercultural awareness model of College students. Finally, APRIORI ALL algorithm is used to train and test the model. Conclusion: The test results show that the error is less than 5%. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is effective. The intercultural awareness model can improve the intercultural communicative competence of college students and provide a reference for English intercultural teaching in basic education stage.

Culture education-based model for the modern organisation

Aim. The aim of the research is to support the organisation’s management through raising awareness on cultural diversity in the multicultural environment, and presenting a complex model covering the cultural issues in the multicultural organisation. Methods. The model has been developed based on the research carried out between 2018 and 2021 in the Cultural Risk in the Organisation in the Globalisation Era – Competences vs. Reality project. The author used literature review and a survey questionnaire as research methods. To develop the model for staff management at a multicultural organisation, a survey questionnaire directed to 154 staff members of multicultural organisations in five countries (Poland, Italy, Latvia, Cyprus, and the UK) was used. Results. As a result of the analysis, the following key areas have been identified: cross-cultural awareness, understanding different cultures, stereotypes, communication, teamwork, leadership and hierarchy, learning styles, and qualities in the workplace. The improvement of the staff in the aforementioned areas makes them more aware of the cultural diversity in organisations and of different cultural risks that may occur. Conclusions. There is a strong need for a continued consideration and improvement of the awareness regarding cultural diversity, as it is an element of modern and changing economy which may influence the continuity of every organisation. Cognitive value. Key topics related to competences for mitigating cultural risks were identified. They were used as elements of the complex model which can be used at a multicultural organisation in the process of training the staff in the area of cultural diversity.

Comparison of Explicit and Implicit Methods of Cross-Cultural Learning in an International Classroom

The paper addresses a gap in the literature concerning the difference between enhanced and not enhanced cross-cultural learning in an international classroom. The objective of the described research was to clarify if the environment of international classrooms could enhance cross-cultural competences significantly enough or if additional focus on cross-cultural learning as an explicit objective of learning activities would add substantially to the experience. The research question was defined as “how can a specific exercise focused on cross-cultural learning enhance the cross-cultural skills of university students in an international classroom?”. Surveys were conducted among international students in three leading Central-European Universities in Lithuania, Poland and Hungary to measure the increase of their cross-cultural competences. The Lithuanian and Polish classes were composed of international students and concentrated on International Management/Business topics (explicit method). The Hungarian survey was done in a general business class that just happened to be international in its composition (implicit method). Overall, our findings prove that the implicit method resulted in comparable, somewhat even stronger effectiveness than the explicit method. The study method included the analyses of students’ individual increases in each study dimension and construction of a compound measure to note the overall results. Our findings confirm the power of the international classroom as a stimulating environment for latent cross-cultural learning even without specific exercises focused on cross-cultural learning itself. However, the specific exercise did induce additional learning, especially related to cross-cultural awareness and communication with representatives of other cultures, even though the extent of that learning may be interpreted as underwhelming. The main conclusion from the study is that the diversity of the students engaged in a project provided an environment that supported cross-cultural learning, even without specific culture-focused reflections or exercises.

Cross-Cultural Pragmatic Competence in an EFL Context for a Sustainable Learning Environment: A Case of Northern Cyprus

A review of literature on pragmatic competence reveals that less attention is given to the enrichment of cross-cultural pragmatic awareness in the classroom. The study focuses on the need to survey and discuss communicative dynamics in classroom situations and the importance of enhancing cross-cultural pragmatic competence in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context. We believe that enhancing students’ cross-cultural pragmatic competence will provide students with a sustainable learning environment, which is crucial for the quality of education. The investigation involves a mixed approach of quantitative and qualitative methods by using a questionnaire for EFL students and interview guide questions for both EFL students and teachers. For quantitative analysis, the participants involved in this research include 200 EFL students of different nationalities, and for the qualitative analysis, the participants include 10 teachers and 20 EFL students in a university in North Cyprus. The study’s findings indicate that students lack cross-cultural pragmatic knowledge and must be provided with classroom activities for social interaction and to develop explicit and implicit communicative competencies in EFL as a target language. Findings further reveal that EFL students are not endowed with cross-cultural pragmatic competence by the EFL teachers who provide little attention to pragmatic knowledge and classroom activities in the EFL context.

The effect of a collaborative translation task on the learning and retention of pragmatic knowledge

ABSTRACT As language acquisition research supports the value of the interactive scaffolded environment and awareness-raising communicative tasks for the development of pragmatic knowledge, the present study attempted to investigate the effect of Collaborative Translation Task (CTT) on learning and retention of request speech act strategies. The main objective of the study was to determine whether collaborative translation tasks, either from or to the target language, presented in a supportive expert-novice environment, might lead to more efficient learning and retention of pragmatic knowledge. For this purpose, an experimental study was designed with four experimental groups and one control group, receiving different types of treatment including CTTs, and structured input with and without explicit instruction. Three equivalent forms of discourse completion tasks (DCT) were given to 150 low-intermediate participants as a pre-test, a post-test and a two-month follow-up delayed post-test. The results of the study indicated that CTTs appeared to have enabled noticing and deeper processing of both pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic knowledge and resulted in improved learning and retention of pragmatic knowledge. The results also provide positive evidence for House's (2008) hypothesis that translation has the potential to raise pragmatic and cross-cultural awareness.

Walking together: Artistic collaboration across cultures in Australia and New Zealand

As an artist and writer who often works across disciplines and cultures, my education into effective and respectful engagement has been built on my experience working with First Nations friends, collaborators, and Elders. The aim of this paper is to explore teachings from a number of these leading thinkers, writers, and Elders on the topic of knowledge sharing, cross-cultural awareness, and ethical engagement through practice-led research. Drawing from personal experience, it will incorporate learnings that have informed a world view that has been evolving since childhood. The paper highlights the importance of giving rightful recognition to knowledge keepers and provides some guidance for readers interested in developing productive and respectful partnerships with First Nations collaborators. Here knowledge can be safely shared and celebrated as ways to understand the world around us that are restorative and regenerative. I speak as a woman of mixed European background raised in Australia on Gubbi Gubbi Country of South East Queensland, and Larrakia Country of Darwin. Culturally, I am descended from Norse, Celt, Saxon, and Druid ancestors. Through this lived experience I hope to share learnings that support the goals of reconciliation, truth telling, and First Nations determination in my home country, as well as facilitating greater awareness for people seeking to respectfully engage with Indigenous knowledge.

Treatment of culture-bound vocabulary in Greek bilingual dictionaries

This study explores the meeting point between cross-cultural pragmatics and bilingual lexicography by examining the representation of cultural information in bilingual dictionaries, which have traditionally received less attention than monolingual ones. More precisely, with a view to demonstrating the challenges that the wide range of culture-bound elements pose to lexicographers of Greek–English and English–Greek dictionaries, the paper focuses on lexical items whose meaning is particularly associated with cultural aspects, such as material culture, social rituals and institutions, values, attitudes, interactional style, and general way of thinking. Reviewing relevant dictionary entries, we discuss the translation strategies employed and the extent to which the information provided meets the needs of Greek learners of English. The paper concludes by proposing three lines of research for improving the treatment of culture-bound vocabulary in Greek bilingual lexicography: using corpus data; exploiting the electronic medium; and drawing insights from frame semantics. The implication is that a bilingual dictionary compiled along these lines will promote learners’ cross-cultural awareness, thus strengthening its role as a teaching/learning tool.

Research on the Cultural Integration of International Students in Universities: A Perspective of Cross-Cultural Management

With the development of globalization, the number of international students in Chinese colleges will continue to grow, and the education of international students has gradually become an important part of the domestic higher education system. Facing the group of international students in China, its complicated cultural backgrounds and individual differences further increase the difficulty of school management. Therefore, colleges need to start from the perspective of cross-cultural management to strengthen the management of international students, improve and innovate the management system of domestic universities. In this case, schools can reduce the cultural anxiety of international students and improve the cross-cultural awareness of managers, as well as create a better campus environment. In a long run, schools can then create a good environment conducive to the reform, innovation, and development of domestic higher education, and promote the rapid and highquality development of national education.

Reflections on an international nursing placement experience in Nepal: A thematic analysis

BackgroundIncreasing patient diversity, as a result of growing global interaction, has necessitated that nursing academics better prepare nursing students to provide culturally appropriate and respectful care to their patients, particularly in culturally diverse countries such as Australia. One approach to improve cultural awareness of nursing students is a cultural immersion placement, and this paper describes such an experience which has been embraced by undergraduate participants.Purpose of this paper was to describe experiences, cultural awareness and challenges encountered by final year undergraduate nursing students undertaking a 22-day cultural immersion placement in Nepal. The researchers accompanied one group of students per year on this trip, which was repeated for three consecutive years. Describing and reflecting on the lived experience of nursing students engaged in this cultural immersion placement has helped to discern how this experience affects the cultural awareness of undergraduate nursing students and helps to decrease the challenges for similar placements in the future. Design and methodsTo gain insight into the way this initiative impacted on the development of the participant's cultural competence, a qualitative descriptive design was chosen. Semi-structured interviews were carried out over three consecutive years with final year undergraduate nursing students upon their return from Nepal over three consecutive years. Data analysis followed standard suggestions for a systematic, unbiased approach to dealing with the condensed text, and was analysed using thematic analysis. ResultsThe findings suggested that this experience, albeit of limited duration, provided a significant contribution to students' understanding of cross-cultural awareness in the context of providing health care. ConclusionsThere was a strong implication from the outcomes that this cultural immersion placement should be permanently integrated into the undergraduate nursing course. There was, however, indication that there is room for added reflection and advantages to be made from the experience.

Online Collaborative Writing: a Tool for Enhancing Students’ Business Skills and Cross-Cultural Awareness

This paper describes a project implemented by students from the University of Economics in Varna and the University of Costa Rica as part of their respective English Language instruction. In the course of the project six teams comprising students from both universities collaborated to create blogs on topics of their choice. The paper dwells on aims of the project, the process that resulted in the creation of six blogs, the skills that students developed or furthered as a result of this activity and the project outcomes.

Preservice teachers’ awareness of children’s play in diverse cultures: exchange of digital photo essays across Myanmar, Korea, and the U.S

ABSTRACT This study examined preservice teachers’ understanding of children’s play in diverse cultures. Using digital photo essay methods, a total of 37 early childhood preservice teachers in Myanmar, Korea, and the U.S. engaged in a critical discussion on children’s play in diverse cultures. The findings suggested that the participants typically showed three layers of cross-cultural awareness: distance, friction, and flow. Korean and the U.S.participants conducted critical reflections on their preconceived notion of play, as influenced by the idea of Western childhood play. Although Myanmar participants revealed a desire for Western play materials, we did not observe substantial evidence of critical reflection throughout the cross-cultural exchanges. This paper discusses the implications of investigating culturally sensitive strategies for engendering preservice teachers’ implicit beliefs by exchanging digital photo essays across diverse cultures.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT ON SUSTAINABLE MOUNTAIN TOURISM OF GEORGIA

Tourism has a range of impacts on mountain ecosystems, communities and economies. Many of these impacts are negative, but tourism may also generate positive impacts. They can become supportive force for maintaining peace, fostering pride and cultural traditions, creating local jobs, increasing visitor awareness of natural, cultural and historical values and assets. Local communities and businesses support the long-termsustainability of a tourism destination. A decrease in cultural diversity or authenticity and loss of local customs and traditions may bring the destination to the loss of the attractiveness to visitors seeking a unique cultural experience and attractiveness. In one of the mountain regions of Georgia – Svaneti - the economic benefits of tourism are channeled into the local economy of the region i.e. local community benefit from tourism activities and local businesses (accommodation, transport, food and beverages outlets, souvenirs and crafts etc.) contribute to the authentic nature of the particular mountain destination. Cross-cultural awareness, communication between visitors and local people raises the quality of visitor experience and the level of community understanding in support of tourism.

Analysis of Factors Influencing Intercultural Communication Competence Based on Big Data

The cross cultural communication is an important part of cultural communication and language learning. Based on the method of big data analysis, 400 college students are divided into three groups to test their intercultural awareness and intercultural communicative competence. The test paper covers cross-cultural awareness, communication culture and knowledge culture. The results show that Chinese college students’ deep intercultural communication awareness is generally weak. Intercultural communication course can effectively improve the level of cross-cultural communication. The main mistake in cross-cultural communication lies in the negative transfer of culture. The results of this paper have a certain reference value for the analysis of the factors influencing intercultural communication competence under big data.

Cross- perspective Evaluation of The Culture Component of Algerian Secondary School English Textbooks: Critical pedagogy and English as a Lingua Franca


 This study aimed at evaluating the culture component of the Algerian secondary school textbooks, from two imbricated theoretical perspectives: critical pedagogy and the modern orientation of teaching English as a lingua franca . .More specifically, it aimed at finding out whether the culture component of the Algerian secondary school textbooks, on one hand, equip learners with an adequate level of critical awareness that would enable them to develop as whole citizens capable of challenging the status quo and acting positively upon their social reality to improve it. On the other hand, it aimed at finding out whether the same component of the same textbooks foster in learners an adequate level of cross-cultural awareness that would enable them to develop as multicultural individuals capable of mediating between their mother tongue culture and other cultures. A checklist-based analysis of the three textbooks currently in use was cross-compared to a student and a teacher questionnaires . The students’ questionnaire was designed and implemented to thirty six first year university students of English at Mohammed Seddik Benyahia University, Jijel who recived a secondary school education based on the textbooks in question. As for the teachers’ questionnaire, it was s designed and administered to 78 secondary school teachers in the province of Jijel, Algeria. The checklist-evaluation has shown that the culture component of these textbooks lacks the potential to foster in learners a critical awareness about their social reality and is too poor to develop a relevant cross-cultural awareness.However, a cross-comparisson of these results with teachers’ and students’ responses found that the two aspects in question enjoyed a relatively high level of satisfaction among the respondents.This is most probably due to the influence of the discourse on the competency-based approach, especially in the case of the teachers, and the ignorance of the real scope of the critical approach to intercultural competence, especially in the case of the students.

Birds of a feather end up flocking together when studying abroad. Can a university bridge the cultural differences that challenge friendships between Pacific Island students and New Zealand students?

Intercultural friendship formation is a key challenge for international students studying abroad. In an increasingly globalised world, where people regularly engage with others from different cultures, meaningful intercultural friendships are important. However, culture can pose a considerable challenge that hinders the formation of friendships between people of different cultures. This paper explores challenges and insights into developing intercultural friendships between international Pacific Island students studying in Aotearoa New Zealand and domestic New Zealand Palagi11Palagi is a term referring to people of European descent. It is a Samoan term, but it has been adopted by other Pacific Islands. students. Similar to other studies, the findings in this study highlight the key challenges connected to cultural differences. These findings are surprising as New Zealand Palagi students would have gone to primary and secondary schools with Pacific Island students and should have had some contact and interactions with them and be more accustomed to cultural differences. Unique to this study is that these international Pacific Island students recognised that universities are in a prime position to champion and promote systemic interventions to assist both international and domestic students to engage with each other in order to promote cultural understanding. Overcoming intercultural friendship development challenges involves creating meaningful intercultural spaces and campus ‘friendship’ events to increase intercultural interactions, raise domestic students’ cross-cultural awareness, and encourage reciprocal intercultural learning. Such activities are likely to enhance the overall well-being of all students and improve the internationalisation of universities with increasingly diverse student cohorts.

Virtual Exchanges: Fake Mobility or Unique Experiences

With the advance of COVID-19, many colleges and universities needed to find alternative ways to conduct international exchanges. Many international exchanges and activities were canceled due to the virus. Also, much attention was diverted away from international activities as many focused on changing their classes to online formats. Due to the authors participation in Fulbright programs, cooperation between St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications (SPbSUT) and Davidson County Community College (DCCC) began. Despite the cancelations and challenges that were occurring, SPbSUT in Russia and DCCC in North Carolina continued to work together to provide international exchanges for their students. Through a series of virtual classes and topic based discussions, students developed cross-cultural awareness and momentum was gained for more collaborations. This study highlights the virtual exchanges that were developed, and gives quantitative and qualitative survey results about the collaboration. The main purpose of this report, based on research conducted by Russian and American colleagues, is to share the experience in establishing and developing global collaborations, and to involve educational and scientific institutions in international cooperation.