Year 1 sub project 1 report Intercultural communication

Transcription

1 Year 1 sub project 1 report Intercultural communication 1) Definition: How is intercultural communication defined in different European contexts and what subjects might be included within it? The term intercultural communication derives from two fundamental definitions. For the purposes of this report, communication will be considered as the active relationship established between people through language. Intercultural means that this communicative relationship is between people of different cultures, where culture is defined as the structured manifestation of human behaviour in social life within specific national and local contexts: political, linguistic, economic, institutional, professional and so on. From a linguistic perspective therefore, intercultural communication may be defined as situated communication between individuals or groups of different linguistic and cultural origins. Given that the overall focus of the LANQUA project is on the quality of language learning, the acquisition of skills and human attributes likely to enhance intercultural communication is reviewed exclusively as a component of language programmes, i.e. as an accompaniment to the practical acquisition of language itself. The study of intercultural communication in other subject areas such as sociology, management education, anthropology, psychology, even linguistics, is not part of our project, except to the extent that insights derived from these fields are integral elements of courses in language. Attitudes and beliefs, although difficult to assess, are factors which aid effective exchange in a foreign language; their development as a property both of intercultural communication and language learning is therefore included in our study. The active possession by individuals of qualities which contribute to effective intercultural communication is generally referred to as intercultural competence (IC). It has been researched in detail. Following Byram, IC can be defined in terms of three primary attributes: knowledge, skills and attitudes. In principle, all three attributes can be developed through structured learning and assessed. In practice this is more difficult, due to the interdependent range of factors involved in delivering learning of this kind. The following seven issues stand out as particularly significant: (i) IC s relationship with language itself, (ii) its integration into language teaching pedagogy, (iii) its identification or otherwise with nationhood, (iv) its link with personal identity, (v) the psychological principles underpinning the formation of attitudes and stereotypes, (vi) the disciplinary structure of higher education (HE) in different countries and institutions, (vii) more general economic and cultural aspects of academic environments, internal and external, in which learning takes place. For the purposes of this report, intercultural communication has therefore been identified both as a concept and as a competence. Both facets need to be borne in mind 1

2 with reference to curricula, pedagogy and assessment when considering the integration of intercultural communication into European HE language learning programmes. Intercultural communication as content There are major differences between national contexts in the way in which intercultural communication is developed, differences which are reflected in the curricular environment, the content of programmes incorporating an intercultural communication component and in the manner in which it is taught. In some contexts, intercultural communication is taught as an autonomous course, in others as an integral part of language degrees and in at least one national constituency, it is not explicitly taught at all. Autonomous courses on intercultural communication tend to be almost exclusively theoretical in content or, if they have practical elements, these are not linked directly to foreign language acquisition but to the development of knowledge about social behaviour or cultural practices, typically as components of programmes in social anthropology, media and communication or business studies. In cases where intercultural communication content is linked to foreign language learning, its integration is rarely explicit. It is often thought to be an inherent attribute of communication in the foreign language (FL). On the whole, the term intercultural communication does not feature at all in descriptions of more traditional language programmes which focus primarily on correctness in writing and speech, contrastive analysis and stylistic appropriateness. However, in the delivery of such programmes, the acquisition of attributes essential to the enhancement of intercultural communication may very well occur. With the exception of students in metadisciplines such as sociolinguistics, who may also be learners of foreign languages, the distinction between teaching/learning intercultural communication and teaching/learning about it is generally clear-cut. However, the above distinctions in the content of courses incorporating intercultural communication - between theory and practice and between language-related and languageindependent learning - do not always apply. There are some instances where all four elements are combined, more or less successfully, within FL programmes. It is these programmes which are thought to be most relevant to LANQUA and where we believe models of good practice are most likely to be found. Intercultural communication as competence (IC) As we have seen, IC necessarily entails knowledge, skills and attitudes. Knowledge is needed not just about the language itself but about the cultural context to which it refers. Skills are essential in order to express oneself in language appropriate to the context concerned. In order to deploy these skills, varying degrees of control over one s attitude and behaviour are also required. It is normally important to minimise uncertainty, to display tolerance, empathy, interest and open-mindedness when communicating in new cultural environments. Individuals need to be capable of adapting to unusual situations, having recourse to verbal and non-verbal skills, managing turn-taking and so on. A key component of IC is therefore awareness. Intercultural competence is based on awareness of the difference between oneself and others. Such awareness allows intercultural interlocutors to build common ground: a terrain d entente, on which shared understanding can be built. 2

3 IC may also be seen as a functional tool in order to achieve objectives in particular domains of human activity such as travel and tourism, diplomacy, business studies, medicine, legal representation, counselling work or even social survival. In instances such as these, its acquisition may be purely instrumental. Although courses promoting IC mostly include a linguistic element, in extreme instances this need not necessarily be the case in that language can be seen as only one essential skill within a range of competencies. Instead, in certain cases, the emphasis may be placed virtually exclusively on behaviour: how to behave and how to interpret the behaviour of others. Although such courses do not fall within our brief, they may offer valuable insights into particular developmental techniques which can, and sometimes are, incorporated into language learning programmes. Summary statement This brief summary of what the term intercultural communication means for educators and trainers in the European context, underlines its importance as a developmental activity and validates the acquisition of intercultural competence as a vital, if highly complex, educational goal. While the understanding of intercultural communication as a concept may be thought essential in its own right, especially at university level, from the perspective of the LANQUA programme, the practical enhancement of IC cannot be separated from the process of language learning. Developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes which lie at the core of effective intercultural communication should be an explicit element of HE language courses, whatever pedagogical challenges this may pose. Moreover, such courses are more likely to be successful in the long term if they are linked to other courses which promote cultural understanding as part of an integrated programme. 3

4 2) Delivery: How and where is intercultural communication delivered? Please provide examples. As shown, intercultural communication is an implicit element of most language courses delivered in different European HE environments or features as an autonomous subject in other disciplinary fields. Where intercultural communication features as an autonomous subject or as a discipline per se (as in Portugal, Denmark, Spain, Lithuania or Ireland), the content is theoretically grounded in a given discipline. Alternatively, it is frequently linked to subjects like business studies, economics or tourism where it has the aim of providing students with the competence to operate in the professional sector concerned. In several instances (Belgium and Ireland for example), it is taught not only as knowledge and a skill but also aims to promote an appropriate attitude/awareness as an integrated part of language learning. An example of this is the TaLLICo (Tandem Language Learning for Intercultural Competence) project at Waterford Institute of Technology, which aims to promote meaningful intercultural dialogue to improve language and intercultural skills between Irish and visiting Erasmus students. The project forms part of a module in intercultural communication for language students, and their competence is assessed by means of a written reflective report. Intercultural communication is in some case associated with translation (as in Spain) or with intercultural knowledge dissemination (as in Århus, Denmark). In business schools in Denmark, intercultural communication is taught as part of business language degrees, i.e. degrees combining business studies or organisational communication studies with foreign languages. Examples of such programmes include: the University of Southern Denmark (BA and Masters programmes in international business, language and culture and in international business communication) and Copenhagen Business School (BA and Masters programmes in business, language and culture). A similar situation can be seen in Ireland, for example, where intercultural communication is included as modules in business, language and computing courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level (Waterford Institute of Technology). In Lithuania, intercultural communication is taught at universities and colleges, in the first, second and third cycle of studies. For example, at Vilnius University, the third cycle (doctoral studies) focuses primarily on theory, incorporating such components as key notions of culture, research methodology and the development of IC as a discipline. Intercultural communication in Italy is mostly taught in degrees like multimedia communication, tourism, political studies, etc. and in business schools. Searching the internet, some examples of autonomous courses offering study in intercultural communication can be found. These include Corso interfacoltà in comunicazione interculturale e multimediale at the University of Pavia, and Linguaggi del turismo e comunicazione interculturale at the University of Rome. Integrated courses in languages and intercultural communication are taught for example at the Universities of L'Acquila, Lecce, Milano, Napoli, Padova, Pavia, Roma, Venezia, Pescara, Como and Genova. Intercultural communication is part of the school curriculum in Austria and since the early 1990 s has had the status of an Unterrichtsprinzip (a topic or principle which should inform all classroom based education), applicable in all Austrian schools. In particular classes with students of different mother tongues, tutors are encouraged to promote all languages spoken in the class equally ( Whilst schools 4

5 generally understand intercultural communication as an exchange of ideas and languages within a migrant population within and outside classrooms, higher education adopts a more theoretical approach. For a number of years now sociolinguistic topics have been incorporated into language curricula. However, most language courses still interpret the culture or civilisation of the country concerned in historical or geographical terms in the Landeskunde tradition. A more recent and more differentiated development is intercultural communication in the context of migrant languages viz. teaching languages in classes with a recognisable proportion of migrants. Intercultural pedagogy deals both with intercultural communication in schools and in the context of languages and language classes. Generally, in the majority of European countries, however, foreign language degree programmes do not offer courses in intercultural communication as such. The demands of the multicultural workplace have led to a desire for inclusion of some element of practical intercultural education within language courses, although in most higher education institutions, this has not yet been realized to any great extent. Examples do exist nevertheless and, where successful, will be cited in future reports. As already suggested, business schools and the business/economics faculties of universities offer a variety of courses on cultural theory and behaviour. Many of these have no direct connection to languages at all. Very occasionally, best practices in management training do feature in foreign language programmes but only in exceptional cases and normally on specialised modern language degree courses which have a professional focus. 3) Assessment/evaluation of students: How is student performance in intercultural communication assessed/evaluated, e.g. how are learning outcomes measured? Please provide examples. For assessment as for other purposes, a distinction needs to be made in the field of intercultural communication between knowledge and skill. Courses on the theory and content of intercultural communication tend to evaluate knowledge by means of written examination and essay. Alternatively projects may involve students applying their theoretical knowledge to particular communicative situations or conducting small-scale ethnographic or case study research (University of Southern Denmark). Students taking the intercultural communication course as part of their degree in Spanish, for example, have studied material from multicultural kindergartens and the texts of language policies from autonomous Spanish institutions. The problem in evaluating intercultural communication in practice is that it is a soft skill, a competence that is independently identifiable but at the same time applicable in many fields. Evaluation of intercultural communication as practice may well occur in the assessment of general language courses (e.g. translation), but since intercultural communication is not systematically taught as part of general language courses, formalised assessment is not widespread. In a number of UK institutions, however, the practice of writing logbooks is established, and intercultural awareness is assessed through reflective essays. Any such assessment is likely to be integrated with other factors associated with advanced language learning. Learning/teaching activities related to intercultural communication are difficult to glean from course descriptions, though they can be accessed on project websites such as that of the Interculture Project There is little sign of role-play or self-assessment 5

6 being widely practised, though, in exceptional cases, it can be effectively integrated into oral assessment, for example through situation based interpreting. One of the key areas of difficulty in evaluating intercultural communication is that of assessing the level of proficiency achieved by the learner. Given that intercultural competence (IC) can be separated into knowledge, skills and attitudes 1, only the knowledge component can, strictly speaking, be assessed in traditional ways. Skills and attitudes need to be assessed in other ways such as role-play, observation, self-assessment or reflection on critical incidents. Yet such assessment practices are not widespread within European HE language programmes. One example of the way in which awareness of intercultural communication can be raised and learners made capable of self-assessing their language and intercultural skills is by using the LOLIPOP portfolio LOLIPOP is an on-line, interactive version of the European Language Portfolio with an enhanced intercultural dimension. The self-assessment component of the intercultural dimension allows the learner to assess to what extent they have acquired the following: knowledge of the other culture, not just knowledge of the visible elements the objective culture 2, but knowledge of how one s own and the other group functions (products and social practices); skills of interpreting and relating to their own and the other social identity; skills of acquiring and effectively using new knowledge, including the beliefs, values and norms dominant in their own and the other s culture; ability to compare and critically evaluate elements of their own and the other s culture; attitude of curiosity, tolerance and the ability to decentre 3 to stand outside one s own culture and view it and the other culture objectively, and to see it from the perspective of the other 4. Performance in the different activities can give rise to a range of different types of evaluation. An attempt is currently being made by the British government to categorise standards of behaviour in the workplace according to approved criteria. Although not directly relevant to language learning, it offers an insight into the kind of attributes which might be included in any attempt to assess the quality of outcome of an intercultural learning programme. This initiative is based on the work of the INCA Project: Work and research are needed to define learning outcomes and standards and to create instruments to measure levels of proficiency. It remains unclear how the measurement of attitudes and behaviours can be differentiated from that of opinions and, even if it can, how it should best be assessed. The acquisition of intercultural competence nevertheless remains 1 Byram, M. (1997) Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Clevedon, Multilingual Matters. 2 Bennett, M.J. (1998) Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication: Selected Readings. Yarmouth, Maine, Intercultural Press. 3 Kramsch, C (1993) Context and Culture in Language Learning. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 4 Council of Europe, Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 6

7 a fundamental objective of foreign language learning in higher education. To quote Byram, Gripkova & Starkey (2001): the role of the language teacher is [ ]to develop skills, attitudes and awareness of values just as much as to develop knowledge of a particular culture or country 5. 5 Byram, Gripkova, Starkey (2001), Developing The Intercultural Dimension in Language Teaching, Strasbourg 7

8 4) QA mechanisms: What quality assurance mechanisms/organisations exist in the sub project partner countries? Please provide information on how programmes are evaluated, and give details of any subject specific professional bodies or associations that may have an impact on the teaching and learning of intercultural communication. All universities have (or are introducing) internal, quality assurance mechanisms; for instance, in Denmark boards of study are expected to revise and update their programmes regularly, and all programmes are subject to student evaluation. Some universities have introduced formalised, sub-policies in relation to different aspects of university responsibilities (e.g. pedagogy, in-service training). Increasingly, universities are expected to consult potential employers in relation to curriculum design. The idea is that employers needs should serve as input to the design of new programmes and the revision/updating of existing programmes. This consultation process tends to be at a general level and usually does not focus on specific courses. In Denmark, subjects that are taught in schools (e.g. foreign languages such as English, German, etc) are subject to centralised guidelines that are laid down by government if the degree programme is to be seen as developing competencies for teaching in schools. Interestingly, university students of foreign languages who wish to become school teachers must possess knowledge of cross-cultural communication and are expected to support its dissemination. In all the countries, there are national quality agencies but quality assessment in language teaching/learning does not appear to be one of their primary concerns (e.g. in Portugal, Spain, and Lithuania). In some cases such as the UK and Ireland, periodic quality review of all disciplines, including languages, is standard institutional practice and to the extent that employability and cultural awareness are seen as interrelated, IC is recognised as an increasingly important outcome of HE programmes. In Denmark, there is a national evaluation centre (EVA) which is responsible for evaluating educational programmes in all sectors of education. Again this does not focus on specific disciplines within programmes. Similarly, a new centre (ACE) has just been established - (only available in Danish) - to carry out accreditation of all educational programmes. Part of this process will involve looking at curricula, but the focus is quality assurance of programmes rather than individual disciplines. There are no special QA mechanisms in Spain. ANECA, the agency committed to quality declares its commitment to the continuous improvement of higher education and thereby tries to guarantee the credibility and trust of the universities, public authorities, students, other evaluation agencies and society ( In Vilnius University programmes are revised and peer-reviewed by the University study programme committee, usually before submitting the self-evaluation report to the national QA Centre. Several boards at university level in Austria - departments and faculties - have to agree on the structure and contents of curricula (the curricula commission proposes the suggestions to senate, which decides). A general assessment procedure is run by some universities by sending their programmes to ministries, labour associations, chamber of commerce, etc. In the end it is the university which decides the programme/curricula. 8

9 However, the quality of intercultural communication is not assessed as such; the review and evaluation focus on the content of study programmes in terms of subjects taught, conformity of programmes to the national and university regulations of study programmes and other formal requirements. It still remains difficult to define the quality level of courses on a formal basis as far as outcomes are concerned. Apart from looking at course structures and content and student feedback, exam statistics are the principal indicators. Quality in intercultural communication in higher education as well as school education should therefore not be reduced to ascertaining reliable methods for assessments and direct evaluation, but by opening up opportunities to students as well as teachers to participate in relevant programmes. Certainly one of the most efficient ways to train in languages and intercultural communication is mobility programmes. The Impact Assessment Group for the EC Lifelong Learning Programme tries to find ways of measuring the impact of mobility as suggested in the European Charter for Mobility. Perhaps the increase in numbers participating in mobility could be a way of defining the quality of language courses which are offering intercultural communication as part of their curriculum. 5) Additional information (optional): Please use this section to report on any other issues related to mapping your sub-project area that are not covered in the questions above. The above picture of intercultural learning in Europe is highly fragmentary. There are clearly huge differences between different countries traditions in the way in which intercultural communication is taught. At the same time, the variety of practice between institutions in the same country is likely, in most cases, to be just as great as that between nations, particularly in states where plurality of practice is encouraged. 9