Culture and ICC in Foreign Language Education PDF

Culture and ICC in Foreign Language Education Course Instructor: PhD., Kymbat SMAKOVA  The term World Englishes is used to describe all the different varieties of English that exist worldwide. As English travels around the world, it changes and de...

Culture and ICC in Foreign Language Education Course Instructor: PhD., Kymbat SMAKOVA  The term World Englishes is used to describe all the different varieties of English that exist worldwide. As English travels around the world, it changes and develops in different ways to fulfill the needs of the people who use it.  The Origin of World Englishes How World Englishes emerged as a field of inquiry. In 1965, Linguist Braj Kachru (1932-2016) publishes his first journal article, entitled “The Indianness in Indian English.” In the article, he lays the theoretical groundwork for the idea of World Englishes by interpreting how English is nativized in India, delineating some of its unique sociological and cultural aspects, and showing that “Indian English” is a unique variety of English which is neither an American or British English. In 1984, Kachru formally introduces the term “World Englishes” at the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Conference along with the global profile of English. Later, he proposes the three concentric circles model. Kachru's three concentric circle model (1984).  What is “culture”? Do you teach “culture”? Shall we teach “culture”? How has ‘a target language culture’ been traditionally taught in language classes?  Culture is “the very core of language teaching” that supports language proficiency (Kramsch 2000, p. 8). Already in 1952, Kroeber and Kluckhohn cited at least 164 definitions of culture in their work. However, a more recent understanding of culture is offered by Samovar and Porter (2003, p. 8): “the deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, social hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relationships, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving”. Chronological evolution of Intercultural Communicative Competence  Intercultural Communicative Competence The theory of Intercultural Communicative Competence (Bennet, 1993; Gudykunst, 1993; Byram, 1997; Fantini, 2000; Deardorff 2006; Elizarova, 2001; Kunanbayeva 2010) Byram (1997) states that Intercultural Communicative Competence is a common term that includes components of linguistic, sociolinguistic,discourse and intercultural competence, and defines it as “the ability to communicate and interact across cultural boundaries” (p.7). However, in consequent works, Byram (2002) extends his initial definition as “the ability to ensure a shared understanding by people of different social identities, and the ability to interact with people as complex human beings with multiple identities and their own individuality” (p. 10). Accordingly, ICC is a complex of abilities needed to perform effectively and appropriately when interacting with others who are linguistically and culturally different from oneself. The interaction with speakers of different cultures involves speakers’ own cultural beliefs and values; thus, the sensitive balance is needed to maintain an appropriate understanding between speakers.  Comparative Analysis of the Models for Intercultural Communicative Competence Development Ruben (1976) IC framework of a behavioral approach (display of respect, interaction posture, orientation to knowledge, empathy, self-oriented role behavior, interaction management, tolerance for ambiguit. Bennett’s (1993) Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS stages are ethnorelative: acceptance , adaptation, integration). Deardorff’s model (2006) Process Model of Intercultural Competence (three intercultural competencies (i.e. attitudes, knowledge, skills) and two potential outcomes (i.e. internal and external).  Ruben (1976) B. Ruben introduces seven dimensions to understand and measure an individual’s intercultural competence through behavioral dimensions: -display of respect: an ability to show respect to others “through eye contact, body posture, voice tone and pitch, and general displays of interest”; -interaction posture: an ability to treat others “in a descriptive, non-evaluating, and a nonjudgmental way”; -orientation to knowledge: an ability to recognize and acknowledge people’s worldview from different perspectives. -empathy: an ability to “put himself in another’s shoes.” self-oriented role behavior: an ability to be flexible in requesting information, clarification and generating ideas for problem-solving. -interaction management: an ability to maintain interaction appropriately, “displayed through taking turns in discussion and initiating and terminating interaction based on a reasonably accurate assessment of the needs and desires of others”; -tolerance for ambiguity: ability to “react to new and ambiguous situations with little visible discomfort”  Bennett’s (1993) Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity The first three DMIS stages are ethnocentric, such as: -denial: an inability to perceive and recognize the existence of cultural diversity; - defense: acknowledge cultural differences but feel threatened by them and tend to stereotype and give them simple forms, “the world is organized into ‘‘us’’ and ‘‘them,’’ where one’s own culture is superior and other cultures are inferior”; - minimization: the state in which individual experiences the elements of one’s own cultural worldview as universal, as the term implies, cultural differences are minimized to protect one’s own cultural identity. People at this stage tend to match other’s values and behaviour to their expectations ;  Darla Deardorff's Intercultural Competence Model Deardorff’s Intercultural Competence Model (2006) is based on five elements: attitude, knowledge, skills, internal outcomes, and external outcomes. This model provides a framework that can be utilized to guide a curriculum that promotes intercultural competence and assessment of learning outcomes. Attitudes: There are three key attitudes: respect, openness, and curiosity. Respect demonstrates that you value others who are from different backgrounds, and openness and curiosity are necessary to move outside of your comfort zone. These three attitudes are foundational for the development of knowledge and skills needed for intercultural competence. Knowledge: In order to achieve intercultural competence, you must have a cultural self-awareness, culture-specific knowledge, deep cultural knowledge (understanding of other world views), and sociolinguistic awareness. Understanding the world from others’ perspectives is fundamental to intercultural competence. Skills: Observing, listening, evaluating, analyzing, interpreting, and relating are skills necessary for processing knowledge. When interacting with others from diverse backgrounds, you cannot rely on knowledge alone. You will also need to use these skills in order to understand and process information.  Internal Outcomes: The attitudes, knowledge, and skills lead to an internal outcome that consists of flexibility, adaptability, and empathy. These abilities allow individuals to achieve intercultural competence to some degree. At this point, you are able to begin to see from others’ perspectives and respond to others according to the way in which the other desires to be treated. External Outcomes: The behavior and communication skills demonstrated by an individual based on their attitudes, knowledge, skills, and internal outcomes are the external outcomes experienced by others. The effective and appropriate behavior and communication are the visible external outcomes of intercultural competence.  Byram’s (1997) first, it is specifically constructed with foreign language education contexts in mind; second, the ICC dimensions and sub-competencies are intended to achieve educational objectives, which are further underpinned for a developing ICC curriculum for secondary and higher education, and finally, intercultural communicative competence is as an independent component in addition to communicative competencies.  Byram’s (1997) ICC Model -attitudes (savoir être) refer to curiosity and openness, willingness to sustain one's own values, beliefs and behaviours with other cultures in terms of equality -knowledge (savoirs) describes the knowledge about social groups and their products, cultures and their practices in one’s own and in one’s interlocutor’s country, and the interactional processes at societal and individual levels. -skills of interpreting and relating (savoir comprendre) involve the ability to interpret and explain a document from different culture, to identify relationships and relate it to documents from one’s own. Skills of discovery and interaction (savoir apprendre/faire) state for the ability to acquire new knowledge of culture and apply attitudes, knowledge and skills in the context of real-time communication and interaction. Critical cultural awareness (savoir s'engager): an ability to evaluate critically on the basis of explicit criteria, perspectives, practices and products in one’s own and other cultures and countries.  ICC is a complex interdisciplinary concept, which refers to the ability to think, communicate, behave and perform effectively and appropriately in an intercultural context based on one’s intercultural view, knowledge, skills, and attitudes considering the interlocutor’s values, beliefs, and cultural diversity. Intercultural communicative competence is the ability that needs to be intentionally enhanced through education and experience since it is a life-long learning process.  ICC Assessment Tools Assessment tool ICC Framework Format of the Assessment Direct Assessment Tools Observation, simulations, role plays, games Ruben’s framework of Intercultural Competence Performance assessment ( Ruben, 1976) BASIC - Koester, Olebe Portfolio (1988), Ruben’s framework of Intercultural Competence assessment (Byram, 1997) Untrained observers Indirect Assessment Tools Byram’s framework of Intercultural Competence Teacher’s assessment Bennett’s DMIS Self-report on a continuum of ICC Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Chen & Starosta’s theory on ICC and Chen & Starosta’s theory on ICC and (Hammer, Bennett, 2003) Intercultural Sensitivity Intercultural Sensitivity Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS)- (Chen, Byram’s framework of Intercultural Competence Byram’s framework of Intercultural Starosta, 2000) Competence Blended Assessment Tools Fantini ICC Framework Self-assessment, assessment by others, Assessment of Intercultural Competence interviews (AIC) (Fantini, 2009) The INCA Project framework of Intercultural Questionnaires, portfolio, scenarios, and role Intercultural Competence Assessment Competence plays project INCA Project  Three ways to cultivate ICC (Bennett, 2009) 1. to foster attitudes that motivate us, - develop a sense of wonder about culture ( turn potentially frustrating experiences we have into teachable moments) 2. discover knowledge that informs us - involves learning more about our cognitive style, or how we learn 3. develop skills that enable us - some of the skills important to ICC are the ability to empathize, accumulate cultural information, listen, resolve conflict, and manage anxiety (Bennett, 2009).  Discussion Questions 1. What makes intercultural communication (IC) special? 2. What is the role of culture in communication and in language teaching? 3. How can ICC be built and achieved?