CC BY
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DOI: 10.24412/2470-1262-2021-2-49-57
УДК (UDC) 372.881.111.1
Zhanargul A. Beisembayeva, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan Gulzhan M. Gauriyeva, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan Aigerim D. Sadiyeva, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Бейсембаева Жанаргуль А., Евразийский национальный университет им. Л.Н. Гумилева,
Нур-Султан, Казахстан Гауриева Гульжан М., Евразийский национальный университет им. Л.Н. Гумилева,
Нур-Султан, Казахстан Садиева Айгерим Д.,
Евразийский национальный университет им. Л.Н. Гумилева,
Нур-Султан, Казахстан
For citation: Beisembayeva Zh.A., Gauriyeva G.A., Sadiyeva A.D.,(2021). Prospects of Teaching Cross-Cultural Communication in a Globalized World.
Cross-Cultural Studies: Education and Science Vol. 6 Issue 2 (2021), pp. 49-57 (in USA)
Manuscript received: 26/05/ 2021 Accepted for publication: 29/06/2021 The authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
CC BY 4.0
ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ ПРЕПОДАВАНИЯ МЕЖКУЛЬТУРНОЙ КОММУНИКАЦИИ В
ГЛОБАЛИЗИРОВАННОМ МИРЕ
PROSPECTS OF TEACHING CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN A
GLOBALIZED WORLD
Abstract:
The article concentrates on the opportunities and outlooks of cross-cultural communication in the context of globalization, which is manifested in the consolidation of political, economic, social and cultural ties among different nations and individuals. Quite recently, considerable attention has been paid to the study of communication problems and dialogue of cultures. The main objective of the paper is to investigate the influence of intensification of global relations in all fields on cultural aspects of communication and interaction of people. In order to verify the validity of the research goal, we carried out general theoretical methods. Concerning the
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knowledge of the social and cultural communicative code, positive dynamics of the development of cross-cultural communication has been found. Summing up the results, it can be concluded that cross-cultural interplay generates a new social reality within the existing cultural context. Further research on the interrelation between global changes and intercultural communication is desirable to extend our knowledge of the processes and features of cross-cultural communication.
Keywords: culture, cross-cultural communication, professional competence, language consciousness, emic and ethical methods
Аннотация:
В статье рассматриваются возможности и перспективы межкультурного общения в контексте глобализации, которая проявляется в консолидации политических, экономических, социальных и культурных связей между разными народами и личностями. В последнее время большое внимание уделяется изучению проблем коммуникации и диалога культур. Основная цель статьи - это исследовать влияние интенсификации глобальных отношений во всех сферах на культурные аспекты общения и взаимодействия людей. Для проверки правильности поставленной цели исследования мы применили общетеоретические методы. Относительно знания социокультурного коммуникативного кода, обнаружена положительная динамика развития межкультурной коммуникации. Подводя итоги, можно сделать вывод о том, что межкультурное взаимодействие порождает новую социальную реальность в рамках существующего культурного контекста. Дальнейшие исследования взаимосвязи между глобальными изменениями и межкультурной коммуникацией желательны для расширения наших знаний о процессах и особенностях межкультурной коммуникации.
Ключевые слова: культура, межкультурная коммуникация, профессиональная компетенция, языковое сознание, эмические и этические методы
Introduction
Globalization depicts a new quality of social ties and relations, and speculates on the cultural diversity of humanity, which leads to a rapid expansion of contacts between social groups, ethnic communities, individuals representing various cultures and countries. Today humanity is divided into various segments with social and political systems, states, races, nations, and ethnic groups and faces grand issues in order to accomplish mutual understanding in the process of cross-cultural communication in the light of the growth of globalization trends [1].
The social and cultural changes in the modern world reflect a comprehensive transformation which takes place in the structure of social life. This transformation has come under review as a kind of withdrawal of the complex state in which modern society intervenes. This is due to the fact that one of the major characteristics of our time is the formation of a single information space, the collaboration of cultures, comity of nations and the processes of globalization.
The authors initiated this research to show that the study of cross-cultural communication is determined by the need to assess the current state of human society as it becomes important to identify the boundaries between globalization and preservation of social and cultural pluralism. Communicators learn social norms and peculiarities of other cultures in the process of cross-cultural communication. This research seeks to address successful socialization and acculturation with the subsequent formation of a multicultural personality.
Theoretical background
Globalization is recognized as being a complex phenomenon and a stage of development of economic, political, social and cultural relations, in which the changes in the goals and principles of cross-cultural communication in various walks of life take place.
The fundamental characteristics which have led to the spread of globalization was the industrial and technological revolution, followed by the formation of a common labour market and sales of products, expansion of cultural contacts in various spheres of life and a significant growth of migration flows. However, the system of social communications in the period of strengthening of integrative processes does not always correspond to such trends and results.
On the one hand, globalization has opened a new stage of interaction between social communities, which is characteristic of the modern development of social communication. On the other hand, the sociocultural transformations experienced by humanity affected states, individuals and manifested themselves in the emergence of a single information space. Thus, there was a need for the individual and social groups to successfully socialize in the new cultural and civilizational conditions through a deep understanding of the changes taking place.
Highlighting globalization as the central factor of transformations in a society, we recognize the inconsistency and multidimensional nature of its characteristics, since both positive and negative effects of globalization on the life of society and individuals are becoming more and more obvious. The globalized world opens up wide opportunities for people to create and operate up-to-date transportation modes and communication, simplifies access to innovative technologies, diverse knowledge, and achievements in the fields of economy, science, and culture. It pushes the boundaries, allowing humanity to realize its unity and the values of freedom. At the same time, it is necessary to emphasize the following: thanks to globalization, English as a universal means of communication and the language of international communication in the modern multilingual world has taken a dominant position. The study of coss-cultural communication and its characteristics are what come to the fore in the process of many spheres [2]. This is fundamentally important for graduates as they act as carriers, guides and followers of cultural values, which contribute to their integration into the cultural and educational process of interrelationships. Successful business communication with foreign business partners is based on knowledge of their general, national and professional culture. Knowledge, understanding and acceptance of cross-cultural differences are becoming a priority in addressing the issues of fostering genuine and deep internationalism [3, 4].
The history of the emergence and development of intercultural communication goes back to the distant past of mankind. It is inseparable from the questions of human origin and language. The most vivid manifestations of the process of intercultural communication in the context of the development of human civilization are familiar to almost everyone.
The communication skills between representatives of different cultures and cultural models are transcended with the significant amplification of distinct forms of intercultural communication. Culture and communication culture occupy an important place in the formation of an individual. As we all know, language is a representation of human culture because it serves as a kind of indicator of the factors and preferences that surround all people. In addition, speech is a vital element of the system of cultural development. Therefore, there is no coincidence that since the last three decades of the XX century the issue of interaction and reciprocal understanding within different historically established cultures is becoming relevant, in which the problem of specificity, identity and differences of cultures of different societies, the development of the cultural context plays a pivotal role. Global changes in politics, economics and culture are also accompanied by the separation of cultures causing some nations to strive for cultural perseverance and the desire to assert their own cultural values.
As we all know, the term of culture is delineated as a system of values, stereotypes and behavior, communication and national activities, which is in the intergenerational cycle. It influences the perception, thinking, and behavior of all members of society and determines their belonging to this society [5]. In this regard, culture is presented as a complete system, which is distinguished according to religious views, national borders and social-ethnic characteristics [6]. This kind of interpretation of culture is the most functional in terms of the issue of cross-cultural communication.
Cross-cultural communication is valuable to the community as humanity while familiarization with another culture obtains spiritual improvement, education of intelligence and tolerance. The increasing importance of communication processes in society and culture is the main reason for understanding the problems of cross-cultural communication and its role in the modern globalization process [7].
The interest in this research topic also accounts for the fact that the process of interaction of cultures has become an object of exclusive attention in modern cultural thought.
The formation of cross-cultural communication is undoubtedly one of the goals of many walks of life. The space of a common community requires an adequate response from the individual to the new social conditions, which is why the question of interpreting cross-cultural differences as one of the functional features of the globalization process is of particular interest to researchers of various scientific fields.
E. Marx underlines that for a specialist who aims to be employed in the intercultural space, should obtain the following qualities:
- social competence;
- openness and understanding of the positions of others;
- cultural adaptation;
- language skills and abilities;
- lexibility;
- ability to manage / work in a team;
- independence;
- mobility;
- ability to cope with stress;
- patience;
- receptivity [8].
So, intercultural competence, in addition to actual knowledge about other cultures, also includes guidelines that contribute to positive intercultural communication. To ensure the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication, the behavioral strategy should be based on the attitude of understanding the position of others in terms of their worldview, in accordance with their coordinate system.
Communication is a process by which a certain message, information, is transmitted. In addition, if the message is conveyed clearly and unambiguously, communication is understood as effective. In effective communication, the sent message reaches the recipient with little distortion [9]. If the information is not understood adequately, and if there are problems that arise in the process of interaction and thus reduce its effectiveness, this means that there are barriers to communication. Thus, the language and its usage play a vital role during communication process. The essence of language is revealed in its dual function, to serve as a means of communication and as a tool of thinking. Consciousness and language form a unity, they presuppose each other in their existence - language is the immediate reality of thought, of consciousness. E.F. Tarasov defines language consciousness as "a set of images of consciousness formed and expressed using language means - words, free and stable word combinations, sentences, texts, and associative fields" [10].
Effective communication refers to the intentional transmission of information, as well as receiving and interpreting it exactly in the form in which it was intended to be transmitted in the subsequent use of information in its original form and its participation in the formation and change of values, interests and goals. Meaningful analysis of information is extremely important for cross-cultural communication. This is possible provided that the information is not only accepted, but understood, since the main goal of intercultural communication is to achieve mutual understanding through the exchange of information and cultural values. Differences of a cultural, social or ethnic nature that are present in cross-cultural communication can be overcome with the attitudes of one's own culture, by applying socially useful knowledge and experience. To overcome cross-cultural barriers, mutual misunderstandings and conflicts, developed forms of cross-cultural interaction, competence, as well as special training in this field are necessary.
Considerable attention is paid when developing cross-cultural communication:
- The capacity for self-determination and formation of social identity through cooperation and not restriction;
- The ability to be aware of the relativity of norms of interaction. Moreover, familiarity with other opinions, norms, and communication rules is not difficult, it is much more sophisticated to accept them, since namely such step can shake the student's idea of himself/herself;
- The ability to perceive someone else and it suggests that participants in cross-cultural communication are able to endure uncertainty and fear. Which in turn they can arise from the fact that they cannot immediately place someone else's values in their own system;
- The ability to accept the rule that "all people are equal", to repel the negative labeling of cultures, thereby eliminating the image of the enemy, as well as the reaction in the form of fear and aggression.
Cross-cultural communication gives scope to elude misunderstanding between speakers as their speech, behaviors and body language are diverse [11]. Therefore, those individuals who have obtained and mastered the skills of intercultural communication models can be professionally competent people. In order to understand the idea and give an accurate statement of professional competence, we will list the competencies which a person should have:
- the ability to act in accordance with standards;
- personality characteristics which are useful at achieving positive results in every situation.
Cross-cultural communication dwells on the ways the competencies are employed while
communicating with representatives who have various social backgrounds. Effective and congruous intercultural communication is divided into several aspects. According to A. Matveyev and P. Nelson these aspects can be revealed as interpersonal communication skills, group effectiveness, cultural uncertainty and cultural empathy [12].
- If group members acknowledge disparities in the interaction styles and flexibility to deal with problems that take place during communication, in that case interpersonal communication skills will be specified.
- Group effectiveness depends on how well the group members work together and clearly indicate the goals, roles, and rules of the group.
- Cultural ambiguity occurs when group members are tolerant of ambiguity and uncertainty due to cultural differences and can carry on communicating and working effectively with the group.
- Cultural empathy can be achieved if all members of a group get on with each other in spite of some cultural differences, and can accrue benefits from such collaboration. In addition, cultural empathy develops such skills as problem solving and critical thinking [12].
Research methods:
In recent years, cross-cultural communication has become a conspicuous form of communication in Kazakhstan and in other countries. However, often the methodological aspect is limited only to the theoretical part and the practical part is often reduced to linguistics with an emphasis on the main language being studied, thus significantly narrowing the possibilities for people to master the whole range of necessary knowledge, skills and abilities. This problem is especially relevant for universities that use intercultural communication as a field of training since the course of intercultural communication for our country is still new, there is a shortage of practical textbooks that include a wide range of topics and offer tasks for the development of important skills for specialists in this field.
The most common difficulties in the study of cross-cultural communication can be related to the lack of comprehensive practical development of theoretical material. It should be taken into account that this type of contact comprises the elements of many fields such as ethnology, sociology, psychology, linguistics, philosophy, as well as related sciences - cross-cultural psychology, ethnopsychology, social psychology, sociolinguistics, ethnolinguistics, linguo culturology and so on, which affects both the research methods used and the approaches to the phenomena studied. To achieve this goal, theoretical methods which include the analysis of psychological and pedagogical, sociological references, regulatory documents and educational products were employed.
In this article, the authors appraise some research methods which are borrowed from other fields that diversify the information and significantly expand the possibilities of its study. Furthermore, such methods are able to disclose the main features of cross-cultural communication and make communicators interested, motivated and help people (students, employers/employees, educators, linguists, etc.) to master required and significant skills that will later be useful in work and life.
Results and discussions
It is necessary to make a cultural research since studying a particular culture, the researchers mainly take an interest in the emic aspects, those are forms of behavior, representations and concepts that are specific to this culture. Such studies necessitate to know only the language of the culture that we are going to focus on. However, if there is a requirement to compare two or more cultures in that case we are already engaged in cross-cultural research, which should also take into consideration ethical aspects and these are common forms of behavior, representations and concepts of other cultures. In general, emic categories are crucial for understanding culture but since these concepts are unique to each culture, it is useless to use them in cross-cultural comparisons. Therefore, the emic elements are studied within one culture, and their structure is revealed within this system.
The study of ethical elements is carried out outside the system of one culture and covers several cultures and their structure from theoretical view. Although if we want to comprehend a particular culture, it is necessary to use emic elements. It is possible to study characteristics of different nations and their backgrounds that interest us and then compare them, but this approach will make us mistaken, because if there are no cross-cultural studies, it will not be probable to see differences between the results of studies of local interest and those that affect universal phenomena. The most complete information can be obtained by using both cultural elements -emic and ethical.
The choice of methods comprises the understanding of the differences between universal and culturally specific aspects as well as the correct formulation of the subject and goals of the study.
There are three types of cross-cultural research:
1) to examine hypotheses about the cultural determination of the variable of interest;
2) to descry the possible causes of cultural differences;
3) to dwell on indicating the type of culture.
There is still considerable ambiguity with regard to specific difficulties. In particular, when conducting comparative studies, it should be stated that in case aspects of cross-cultural research are not completely equivalent in meaning or method in the compared cultures, the comparison loses its meaning. Moreover, characteristics of the culture to which the researchers themselves belong, their gender, personal preferences, and some other parameters can influence the interpretation of the results. Moreover, it is necessary to obtain empirical confirmation that this construct manifests and functions in another culture in the same way that it is truly ethical, before using it to compare the studied cultures.
For all individuals who would like to obtain special qualities for cross-cultural communication we would like to use a method of direct observation as it is a prosperous option. A person who commences to understand cultural features of another country, becomes more tolerant and learns to show empathy.
The following list comprises cross-cultural research topics and thus, the observation method can be successfully used during the research:
- individual's behaviour in different communication situations;
- nonverbal behavior;
- features of speech behavior, as well as the use of certain phrases, intonations, codes, etc.;
- social and cultural norms;
- group behaviour;
- expressions of politeness in different cultures;
- ethnic stereotypes and prejudices;
- corporate behavior across cultures;
- subcultures;
With the help of the experiment, we are able to study the following topics within one or more cultures:
- behavior in various communication situations;
- the theory of politeness;
- mutual assistance;
- social norms;
- stages of cultural adaptation;
- behavior in extreme situations;
- features of the manifestation of emotions.
Conclusion
Summing up the results, it can be concluded that one of the most significant aspects of educating modern functional cross-cultural communication is to master skills and analysis of complex communication situations, first of all, using examples of practical exercises on current communication areas.
The last two decades of the XX century were commemorated by the commencement of a new process of social and historical development of humanity. The social, economic, political and cultural transformations caused by this process have considerably altered the image or picture of the innovative world and predetermined the life of mankind. The expansion of many spheres of society such as economics, trade and cultural contacts are caused by globalization, foreign tourism, the possibility of having a chance to study abroad and student exchanges, the
organization of foreign internships and many other phenomena and facts have rapidly actualized the problems of cross-cultural communication.
All people are starting, to a greater extent, to be engaged in worldwide political, economic, and professional organizations, international meetings and conferences, and work in multinational companies. Experience demonstrates that in order to maintain these diverse and multinational contacts and forms of communication, it is necessary to know not only the relevant language, but also the norms and rules of a foreign culture like behavioral patterns, psychology, culture, and history of another country. Finally, an understanding of the communication mechanism itself is required in order to predict and, if possible, avoid misunderstandings of the partner.
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Information about the authors:
Zhanargul A. Beisembayeva (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan) - Candidate of Philological Sciences, Head of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practicxe Department, the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Nur-Sultan, Satpayev Street, 2, zhannabei@mail.ru, 60 published articles, areas: innovative methods in foreign language teaching, intercultural communication, translation).
Gulzhan M. Gauriyeva (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan) - Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practicxe Department, the L.N. Gumilyov
Eurasian National University (Nur-Sultan, Satpayev Street, 2, gaurieva@yandex.ru, 100published articles, areas: intercultural communication, innovative methods in foreign language teaching).
Aigerim D. Sadiyeva (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan) - Second-year master's student with a major in the "English Teacher Training" atrthe Foreign Languages Theory andPracticxe Department, the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Nur-Sultan, Satpayev Street, 2, gaurieva@yandex.ru, a young researcher in innovative methods in foreign language teaching).
Acknowledgement. The authors of the article express their gratitude to third-year students of the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan) who major in foreign language teaching (English study program) for participation in a 15-week pedagogical experiment and numerous questionnaires.
Contribution of the authors. The authors contributed equality to the present research.
