Intercultural Component Research Articles

Developing Intercultural Communicative Competence: A Cornerstone in EMI in-service Training Programmes in Higher Education

Globalisation and technological advances have contributed greatly to increasing mobility in higher education (HE). One of the main stakeholders in this process are lecturers, for whom internationalisation is often understood as simply the use of a lingua franca—usually English—in their teaching (then known as English medium instruction, EMI) to the detriment of other key factors such as intercultural competence. The present study focuses on the analysis of a specific in-service training module intended to develop the intercultural communicative competence (ICC) of a group of 21 Spanish lecturers working at two public universities. Adopting an empirical approach, we specifically aim to contrast the participants’ beliefs about their own ICC before and after taking the training course. Adopting a mixed-method approach, two data gathering processes were used prior to and after the training: questionnaire and self-reflection report. The results show that before the training participants were willing to learn but mostly unaware of the importance of ICC. Once trained, many of them seem to have become aware that EMI goes beyond language issues and that there is a crucial need to work on the intercultural component to fully develop HE internationalisation. Furthermore, this study highlights the need for major changes in in-service training courses as well as in language policies for EMI in order to give ICC the presence it should have.

Internationalization of the foreign language curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic

The current reality has challenged higher education globally. With border closure and distancing, provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the paradigm of internationalization in higher education has considerably altered the way and scale of incorporating intercultural and international components into the academic agenda. The curriculum of the foreign language field at non-linguistic higher education institutions has always been positioned distinctively apart within the context of internationalization. This study is focused on the key changes that the internationalization of educational programs for foreign languages has undergone in the COVID-19 and post-pandemic periods. The paper analyzes and systematizes scientific works on internationalization, and also uses a comparative-analytical method to describe approaches to implement the internationalization of language programs. As a result of the study, the key characteristics of the internationalization of higher education in the pre-COVID, COVID, and post-COVID situations are summarized. The pre-COVID opposition of physical mobility vs internalization at home has been smoothed out by virtual format in the COVID period. In the post-COVID era, the changes have resulted in greater flexibility and diversity in teaching, learning, professional collaboration, and development through and/or physical, virtual, online, and/or digital delivery, hybrid forms of introducing an international and intercultural component into programs; reduction of the duration of mobility programs in favor of their effectiveness.

Rethinking the intercultural communicative competence evaluation in higher education

The information and digitalization age, the current phase of globalization are changing the way we think about cultures and communities and, as language teachers and cultural trainers, potentially about what and how we teach. Intercultural communicative competence is as needed as ever in today’s world of geo-economic changes, migration, and rising ethnic and national tensions. To prepare future professionals, there have been different efforts in education including the intercultural and communicative components. The essential contradictions in the language and professional training of students, associated with insufficient attention to the issues of interaction of cultures in the content of university curricula, are highlighted. The Map of Intercultural Communicative Competence Formation in Higher Education is developed considering the contents of bachelor and master programmes for Russian and foreign students. The main emphasis is paid to the separate subjects in intercultural communication study. New approaches to the evaluation of the intercultural communicative competence of students in a multicultural environment are proposed, among which a special focus is placed on the need to organize international projects and conduct events in narrow professional fields. Some examples of tasks to assess the competence in cross-cultural communication show practical application and significance of those disciplines for university students in their future career.

Intercultural competences of students-strategic approaches

Intercultural education is a category of the „new education” and a desideratum of the European dimension of education. This study presents the results obtained from a research centred on the training and development of intercultural skills of students of „Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu which are enrolled in various study programmes of the Socio-Human Sciences Faculty. The study was based on the general hypothesis that teaching in higher education in an intercultural context contributes to the formation and development of intercultural skills in students, as well as improving and streamlining the learning process, increasing interest in the cultural characteristics of other peoples. The research method used diagnose the intercultural component of the sociohuman sciences curriculum, was the survey method and the tool used on identifying students’ intercultural competencies was a questionnaire. Intercultural skills of students can be formed by teachers, who in turn have such skills and capitalize them in educational and professional contexts, so that teaching becomes a living laboratory in which democratic values are promoted based on acceptance of otherness, respect for other cultures and the confidence in the potential of every human being. Students with intercultural skills can contribute to the sustainability of a future society since they can integrate socially, culturally professionally without high costs and financial investments.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ІНТЕРВ’Ю В ГАЗЕТІ “КІНОКУР’ЄР”ЗА 1993 РІК

Problem.The article is a continuation of the study of the processes of decanonization of the interview genre in the early 1990s. It clarifies the specifics of the interviews published in the newspaper "Kinokurer" (1993), through the analysis of materials at the semantic, compositional, figurative, linguistic, paralinguistic levels.Methodology. The descriptive method allowed to record everything that is needed to cover the research topic. Analysis and synthesis contributed to the formation of a holistic view of the specifics of the content, composition, design, image system of interviews published in the newspaper "Kinokurer" (1993). The object of the research is an interview in the newspaper "Kinokurer" (1993). The subject of the research is the specifics of the interview in the newspaper "Kinokurer" (1993). The purpose of the study is to find out the peculiarities of the interview in the newspaper "Kinokurer" (1993).Conclusions.Thus, in the newspaper "Kinokurier" (1993), in addition to classic interviews with different compositional variability and interviews-monologues, journalistic texts are used, in which the interview is dominant and which have the following modifications: genre combination, genre conglomerate, genre inlay, contributing to the maximum presentation of the image of the interviewee on the semantic, compositional, speech, paralinguistic levels. In journalistic texts, where there are interviews of foreign origin and textual additions of domestic journalists, the range of disclosure of the image of the interviewee increases due to the intercultural component.

Intercultural Communication: Providing a Working Definition of Culture and Reexamining Intercultural Components in Technical Writing Textbooks

This article presents a reexamination of intercultural components in prominent, recent technical professional communication textbooks. This examination reveals the need for the technical professional communication field to establish a dynamic definition of culture as well as presents a possible definition, presents areas where textbooks have addressed previous scholars’ concerns as well as areas that could still use improvement and may require instructors to add supplemental instruction, and presents considerations for instructors when incorporating intercultural component elements into their courses.

РОЗВИТОК МІЖКУЛЬТУРНОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ У ПСИХОЛОГО-ПЕДАГОГІЧНІЙ ТЕОРІЇ І ПРАКТИЦІ (ЗАРУБІЖНИЙ ДОСВІД)

Introduction. The article is intended to study and generalize the features of the development of intercultural competence in psychological and pedagogical theory and practice.Purpose is to analyze foreign experience in the development of intercultural competence in psychological and pedagogical theory and practice, and on its basis to identify ways to implement models of intercultural competence in the scientific community of Ukraine and identify criteria for intercultural competence that need further development.Methods. Induction, deduction, systematization and analysis theoretical sources on the problem of acquiring and developing intercultural competence.Results. The article reveals the peculiarities of the development of intercultural competence in the works of foreign researchers, in particular American and European. The need to solve the problem of developing intercultural competence of future masters of military management is urgent. The analysis and study of foreign experience indicates the need to integrate the intercultural (multicultural) component in the training of military specialists.Originality. The analysis of pedagogical practice of formation of intercultural competence of future masters of military management has determined that for its development it is expedient to use interactive technologies aimed at development of dialogue, cooperation, creation of free creative space, independent active cognitive activity, reflection, variability and flexibility of learning content.Modern military professionals for effective interaction in the international security environment must have developed intercultural competence acquired in the process of professional military education, which ensures readiness for international cooperation through knowledge of cultures, intercultural communication styles, distinguishing languages and cultures of the world, intercultural understanding and dialogue in a multicultural environment.Conclusion. Based on the analysis of the work of foreign researchers, we note that for the development of intercultural competence of future military professionals, it is advisable to use interactive technologies aimed at developing dialogue, cooperation, creating a free creative space, independent active cognitive activity, reflection, variability and flexibility of learning content.

Exploring BA students’ intercultural awareness and their expectations of translation courses

The aim of the research in this paper is to investigate how the third- and fourth-year BA students of English as a foreign language perceive what they should be provided with in new translation courses that Pale Faculty of Philosophy (Department of English) is introducing, and to explore their perception about the difficulties in the process of gaining the translational competence. The premise is that the students are not sufficiently aware of the translation as a part of intercultural communication, and the cross-cultural elements that it should be focusing on. The survey also relates to on the teaching methods and styles most commonly used in translation courses, the results they are providing, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The results of the research may serve as a reliable basis for enhancement of the teaching process and the translation competence acquisition process, first and foremost through methodological eclecticism, then raising the awareness of intercultural components in translation and encouraging the communicative approach to teaching, through a positive classroom atmosphere creation. In the end, several points are made on how to raise the awareness of the students in the process of intercultural competence development.

Experiencing Ecumenism in an International Theological Exchange Programme

Experiencing Ecumenism in an International Theological Exchange Programme

Педагогическая модель реализации межкультурного компонента иноязычной профессиональной коммуникативной компетенции бакалавра на основе цифровых технологий

The article theoretically justifies the necessity to use digital technologies in realization of the intercultural component of the bachelor’s foreign-language professional communicative competence. The author introduces a pedagogical model developed on the basis of theoretical material analysis, describes stages of approbation experiment, summarizes experimental data, identifies practical value of the findings and specifies research methods. Scientific originality of the paper includes developing a pedagogical model of using digital technologies in realization of the intercultural component of “Information Security” speciality bachelors’ foreign-language professional communicative competence. The findings indicate that the proposed pedagogical model promotes formation of intercultural skills required in a future specialist’s professional activity.

Методичні основи контекстного навчання іноземних мов майбутніх фахівців міжнародної економіки

In the process of elucidating methodological bases of realization of contextual foreign language teaching tasks for future bachelors of international economy for effective formation of intercultural competence of specialists, the complex of literature sources, materials from work experience and methodological possibilities of a number of textbooks and programs of studying foreign languages with students of specialties is analyzed. The components of specialists' intercultural competence, didactic methods of contextual learning to ensure the effectiveness of its formation are distinguished; methodical advantages of exercises and cases of a number of textbooks for the study of professional are given. It is proved that contextual formation of intercultural competence of future economists, especially bachelors of international economy, is an integral component of the methodological foundations of foreign language learning, because intercultural communication in a professional environment is possible and successful only in the circumstances of understanding and interpretation by specialists of different aspects of culture and behavior colleagues as representatives of other cultural worlds. In foreign language teaching of economics students, teachers should focus on contextual study of the cultural characteristics of the language being taught, the specific national characteristics of the representatives of that culture, but also on the formation of their own national identity and multicultural behaviors. To this end, methodological materials containing an intercultural component should be used in the future, to develop tasks aimed at developing specialists in the international economy of competence to understand on this basis other world cultures, especially those with whom it is necessary to establish relations.

Transformation Features of the Content and Forms of Foreign Language Training of Future Teachers of Non-Philological Specialties in the Post-Soviet Period (1991–2018)

In the post-Soviet period, and especially during the last decade, there has been a steady increase in the status and role of English in the society, and its knowledge, especially as a means of international and intercultural communication, is becoming an important indicator of modern higher education, including pedagogical. Globalization of social processes, interstate integration into the educational and scientific space, access to international experience and knowledge system, the need for quality higher education have become the most important circumstances in favor of the popularity of English in modern Ukraine. Despite the large number of studies of teacher’s professional training, the historical and pedagogical discourse of the problem of foreign language training of future teachers of non-philological specialities remains relevant in today’s conditions. The article analyzes the process of transformation of ideological principles, organizational conditions and methods of foreign language training of future teachers of non-philological specialities in the post-Soviet period. It studies the main tendencies of teaching foreign languages in this period and proves that the problem of finding principles and methods of teaching foreign languages has been acute during this period. It has been found out that during this period, the priorities for the study of foreign languages in higher education pedagogical institutions have changed, although excessive theorizing of the educational process remains tangible. It has been revealed that foreign language training became professionally oriented, but continued to be mostly reduced to reading and translating foreign literature on the speciality. The article confirms that the goals of foreign language training also provided the partial development of the intercultural competence components of future teachers of non-philological specialities.

Poetry for EFL: Exploring Change in Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions

This study explores undergraduate students’ beliefs concerning the potential of poetry as a resource for EFL before and after the administration of a lesson plan based on a poem. To this end, 132 students were surveyed to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data on the linguistic, motivational and intercultural benefits which literature has been said to contribute to EFL. The results show that, in the pretest, students believe poetry-based English lessons to be more useful for developing linguistic knowledge than for intercultural or motivational gains. In the post-test, however, students assign significantly more importance to the motivational and intercultural components. This change seems to highlight the overly instrumental nature of the instruction students received during their schooling in EFL.

PROVERBS AS A MEANS OF DEPICTING UNIVERSAL VALUES

In learning any foreign language it is important to master the language phenomena with the basics of cultural knowledge of the country concerning the target language. In order to train Spanish specialists, students should be introduced to Spanish cultural traditions which are different from Uzbek customs. In teaching Spanish high professionalism in intercultural communication is possible only if you know the roots of Spanish cultural traditions, the Spanish national character and mentality. The peculiarities of the Spanish language are those that it cannot be learned without the sociocultural and intercultural components. Students should be prepared to embrace a foreign culture, be able to properly understand it when faced with unfamiliar experiences, and be ready to overcome communicative barriers. This research focuses on the issues concerning the reflection of the national values of Uzbek and Spanish people in the global language picture.

Desafíos del debido proceso penal en la diversidad cultural

Este documento es una reflexión acerca de los desafíos que el debido proceso penal enfrenta en el contexto de los pueblos y comunidades originarias; escenarios en los que la diversidad cultural se convierte en un obstáculo para el acceso a la justicia. Es mediante el enfoque intercultural del derecho que pueden encontrarse alternativas de solución a los conflictos que se generan dentro de esa complejidad. Se pretende demostrar que en los pueblos originarios la construcción del derecho al debido proceso penal debe incluir componentes interculturales tales como el diálogo, el respeto a las diferencias, los saberes diversos, la cosmovisión, el dominio de la lengua materna, para garantizar a la ciudadanía el máximo disfrute de sus derechos y libertades. El contexto de los pueblos originarios de Chiapas se utiliza para argumentar lo anterior, dado que en dicha entidad habitan al menos doce de los reconocidos por la ley y las instituciones gubernamentales.

Integrated Components of Intercultural Competence in English Language Teaching at College: Case Study

In this global world, foreign language teaching has been demanded to be intercultural teaching which means that cultural teaching should be integrated in language teaching as well as language competence, in English language teaching for instance. On the ground that the importance of foreign language teaching and learning is largely for purpose of international communication, and intercultural knowledge has crucial role in successful communication. Therefore, this paper reports on a qualitative case study which investigates two English teachers’ practice of integrating intercultural competence in English language teaching at college level. Specifically, this paper provides analysis of intercultural components embedded in teachers’ practice of intercultural integration in teaching English. The data were collected through observation, and unstructured observational notes were employed. The observational data were analysed following sub-processes, are familiarizing, reducing, identifying and classifying, interpreting, and presenting. The result indicates that both English teachers’ understand the objective of English language teaching that teaching language is also teaching the culture as it is showed in their teaching process an intercultural integration, which includes some intercultural components such as attitudes, knowledge, and skills.

Developing Intercultural Awareness in ELT: Students’ Attitudes toward their Intercultural Learning Experience

This study aimed at investigating students’ attitudes toward their intercultural learning experience to develop intercultural awareness in an English language classroom. The participants were a group of 31 students at tertiary level. They registered for an elective English course, the objective of which was to prepare students for job application, job interview and working effectively in multicultural contexts. A set of teaching and learning materials intended to develop intercultural awareness was especially designed and integrated into the existing English course. A survey questionnaire, reflective writing, self-assessment forms, and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The results showed that the participants had highly positive attitudes toward their intercultural learning experience in various aspects, but still were hesitant with the overall ideas of an incorporation of intercultural components into an English course.

DISMANTLING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE – A PROPOSAL FOR INTERPRETING THE CONCEPT OF CRITICAL CULTURAL AWARENESS IN AN L2 TEACHING CONTEXT

The marginal role of intercultural competences in L2 teaching in the Polish context has recently been observed (e.g., Sobkowiak, 2015, Róg, 2016). Too general and often confusing definitions of the fundamental concepts underlying intercultural competence might be one of the rea-sons why L2 teachers reluctantly approach the idea of implementing the intercultural component into their teaching repertoires. The paper aims at discussing the importance of raising students’ critical cultural aware-ness, a central component of Byram’s (1997) model of intercultural com-petence, interpreting and extending its definition using 16 indicators or-ganised into five categories: cultural identity, decentring, reflectiveness and meta-awareness, cultural understanding, and attitudes. The paper ends with three examples of reflective tasks, based on the indicators pre-sented, which can be easily incorporated into L2 teachers’ lesson plans.

Three principal paradigms in teaching foreign languages in the 21st century: prolegomena to the creation of a single approach to their learning

The article discusses three principal modern approaches to teaching foreign language that are considered as the three principal paradigms of such teaching in the 21st century: the communicative approach, the culture-oriented and the principled-pragmatic ones. It is shown that these are not the only approaches and paradigms existing nowadays but all the others coexisting with them are not the leading ones and cannot make a really great impact on further development of methods of language teaching and learning. A great part of the article analyzes the three leading approaches/paradigms clarifying their most important features and characteristics. It is demonstrated that, though the three principal teaching/ learning paradigms are different, they are not controversial or in opposition to each other as some authors claim. Moreover, proofs are given that the three paradigms may be considered as complementary, so that if some characteristics and features of one approach/paradigm are borrowed by the other two, the increase of efficiency of each of them may ensue. This raises the issue of elaborating a new language teaching/ learning paradigm uniting the advantages of the other three into one single entity, so that the innovative united paradigm can more effectively serve the requirements of language training in this century. The article provides arguments for proving that the new paradigm in question may be built on the basis of constructivist methodology of language teaching and learning because it fully meets the principles of all the three leading approaches/paradigms discussed in the paper and creates the best opportunities for uniting all the three of them into one single harmonious whole. But to attain that harmony and make the new constructivist methodology really efficient, it should be distinguished by four principal features: 1) be experiential and interactive in what concerns the learning activities; 2) be content-based, i.e. based on extra-linguistic content of learners’ communication in the target language; 3) be based on blended learning, i.e. on organic combination (blending) of off-line and on-line learning activities in the language teaching/learning process; 4) include a powerful intercultural component both in the content of learning and in the process of learning the target language. All this constitutes the prolegomena for creating a new unified language teaching/learning paradigm that can be more efficient than all the preceding ones.

Cross-Cultural Training of Future Foreign Language Teachers in the Context of the Adaptive Approach

The author analyzes the features of cross-cultural training of future foreign language teachers in the context of an adaptive approach. Definition of cross-cultural preparation author formulated as an interrelated activity of the teacher and the students in the process of studying particular subjects or subject areas by means of native and foreign languages. This ensures a high level of command of a foreign language, mastering the content of subject-professional, intercultural and linguistic competences. The author found out that in higher education institutions, cross-cultural training is realized through the intercultural component of foreign language, which helps to form in future teachers of foreign languages ​​the idea of ​​dialogue of cultures as the only possible philosophy of existence in modern multicultural communities, as different socially and differently. and religious tolerance and empathy for other cultures. Conceptual models of intercultural competence developed by foreign scholars are based on concepts such as adaptation, assimilation and adaptation. Pedagogical technology, characterized by an adaptive approach, facilitates, minimizes and streamlines the pedagogical work of the teacher, contributes to mastering future foreign language teachers with the necessary professional competences.