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DEVELOPMENT OF INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE OF A FUTURE TEACHER CONSIDERING THE SPECIFIC FEATURES OF A FOREIGN LANGUAGE CULTURE
М. А. Abidzhanova
The article presents the viewpoint that interaction of cultures is the main factor in the process of developing the intercultural competence of future English teachers.
Key words: intercultural competence, dialogue of cultures, directions, the English language.
Social and political reforms in Uzbekistan reflect an objective need for analyzing and finding ways to develop modern approaches to training and education of young people in order to ensure the progress of the country, to strengthen its position in the world and its role in the Central Asian region. However, it should be noted that profound changes took place in the world in the last quarter of the twentieth century, explained by the process of globalization. Intercultural competence is becoming the cornerstone of all changes in education in this process.
Intercultural competence in the field of education reform in the country is an important research topic. This is due to the fact that Uzbekistan, since the period of independence, has been able to take its rightful place in the global community, gaining invaluable experience of international cooperation. There are twenty major international organizations in the country. Uzbekistan cooperates with five hundred international actors under political, economic, cultural and educational agreements. Uzbekistan is a member of forty different international organizations. In this regard, the possibility of entering into international contacts is growing, and communication with foreigners is becoming a reality, while interaction with other cultures becomes part of our daily lives. Schools carry out student exchanges more and more often, teachers organize joint projects, and undergo practical training abroad, thus, participating in intercultural communication and a dialogue of cultures.
A man who speaks a foreign language is always considered by society not only to be an expert in language rules and methods of their use, but also as a carrier of a particular culture. Language is a socio-cultural phenomenon. This means, “languages should be taught in an indissoluble unity with the world and the culture of peoples who speak these languages” [1; p.4]. By means of studying a foreign language as a socio-cultural phenomenon, students enter the maze of the mentality, cultural and historical characteristics of the people who speak this language. A dialogue of cultures arises whenever one native-speaker learns the language and culture of another nation. In this case we are talking about intercultural communication - “the process of direct interaction between cultures, which is implemented within the framework of different national patterns of thinking and communicative behavior” [3]. The ability to carry out communication in a foreign language, taking into account the difference in cultures and patterns of thinking, is called intercultural competence” [5; p. 310].
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Development of intercultural competence involves the interaction of two cultures in several ways: (a) to study the culture of the target language country by means of the foreign language itself and understanding the behavior pattern of foreign language speakers; (b) the influence of the foreign language and foreign language culture upon the development of the native language and behavior pattern within the native culture; (c) development of the individual under the influence of two cultures.
Let us consider how the intercultural competence of students is being formed, taking into account the above directions.
First direction: study of the culture of the target language by means of the foreign language itself and understanding the behavioral pattern of the foreign language speakers. Foreign language culture consists of various components, which together give us an idea of how the foreign language functions in the conditions of the natural foreign environment. These components include the following: (a) knowledge in the field of structure / system of language (lexical and grammatical rules, syntax, stylistic features); (b) background knowledge, i.e. knowledge, which is a kind of a screen to show the national language features (proverbs, idioms, realities, the names of objects and phenomena of a traditional and new lifestyle); (c) knowledge of the country (historical facts, specific features of a certain era, science and politics, great personalities); (d) the culture itself (literature, art and music created by native speakers). In the process of studying a foreign language, students learn material that illustrates the operation of the language in the natural environment, verbal and nonverbal behavior of native speakers in different communication situations, and reveal behaviors associated with folk customs, traditions, superstitions, social structure, and ethnicity. Firstly, this happens with the use of authentic materials (original texts, audio, video), which are normative in terms of language, and contain linguistic and cultural information. It is important to know the national and cultural features of behavior of a foreigner in order to avoid potential conflicts in international communication. It is known that the British were very punctual and appreciate every minute. Uzbeks, who are famous for their hospitality, will be puzzled, or even offended, if a German failed to offer them a cup of tea. The British do not tend to offer meals to everyone coming to their place. English logic penetrates not only through judgments and conclusions, but also the specific features of grammatical structure of the English language, which makes a certain difficulty for students. Thus, when learning a foreign language, a student must not only understand its lexical, grammatical and syntactic features, but also learn to adequately respond to the replicas of native speakers, to apply facial expressions and gestures appropriately, and use the formula of speech etiquette and know the cultural and historical features of the target language country.
The second direction: the impact of a foreign language and foreign language culture on the development of the native language and behavior pattern within the native culture. Intercultural communication means not only the person’s readiness to accept the representative of another culture with all its national and mental features, but also the ability to change oneself. When studying a foreign language in all its diversity, students face linguistic and cultural phenomena and compare them with those in their native language. For example, when learning the lexical
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and grammatical system of the English language, students must use the knowledge gained at lessons of the Uzbek language to highlight the similarities and differences in the linguistic phenomena and area of their use. Study of the foreign language culture also leads the student to the need to refer to the cultural and historical facts of his/her country. Thus, when studying a foreign language and being engaging in intercultural communication, a student better understands his/her own native language and culture. As numerous examples show, intercultural communication not only develops a person in terms of his/her vocabulary, but also forms a pattern of behavior. Thus, Uzbek citizens who are permanently involved in the dialogue of cultures with English-speaking representatives borrow friendly manners and a polite smile for further communication in the mother tongue. They are characterized by punctuality, the ability to organize themselves, and a businesslike character, even in everyday life.
Third direction: personal development under the influence of two cultures. It is impossible to imagine a person who participates in the dialogue of cultures and remains at the same level of personal development. While communicating, the communication participant enters an entirely different, higher level, which requires: (a) tolerance for the otherness of his interlocutor; (b) respect for the culture of the communication partner; (c) adoption of differences in lifestyle, clothing, way of thinking; (d) overcoming stereotypes about other people and their culture; (e) manifestation of interest in the other party and their country; (f) openness towards new and unknown things.
These qualities are part of the professional competence of foreign language teachers. By the nature of his/her activities, a teacher has to constantly work with people and be engaged in a dialogue of cultures, not only at the level of international communication, but also at the level of “a teacher - a student” relations, where the partnership approach is used more and more often. Intercultural competence is formed in the process of learning foreign language communication, taking into account cultural and mental differences of native speakers, and is a prerequisite for a successful dialogue of cultures.
Bibliography
1. Бердичевский А.Л. Современные тенденции в обучении иностранному языку в Европе //
Русский язык за рубежом, 2002. - № 2.
2. Мацумото Д. Психология и культура. Современные исследования. - М.: Олма-Пресс,
2002.
3. Пугачёв И.А. Межкультурная компетенция и межкультурный диалог. www.forteacher.ru
Translated from Russian by Znanije Central Translastions Bureas
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