This paper is intended to
present solid arguments based on literature related to the strong influence
that Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) should have on language
teaching. Firstly, the concepts of language, its link with culture and a
definition of Intercultural Communicative Competence will be presented. Secondly,
the reasons why Intercultural Communicative Competence should be at the
forefront of the language teaching will be pointed out using supporting examples
of the author’s immediate context. Finally, conclusions will be stated.
To begin with, it is of
paramount importance to offer a view of what language involves in terms of
culture. As stated by Kramsch, language
symbolizes cultural reality (1998, p. 3) in this sense,
thanks to language people express attitudes, beliefs and points of view
regarding specific topics addressed. Moreover, language embodies the values and
the meanings of culture refers to cultural artifacts and signals people’s
cultural identity. Moreover, language cannot be used without carrying meaning
and referring beyond itself. (Kramsch, 1998, p. 41) . Bearing the
author’s viewpoint, it seems clear that language symbolizes cultural reality
through verbal and nonverbal aspects. A speech or a simple conversation with a
friend enables the interlocutors to exchange meanings and transfer ideologies.
Besides, paintings, arts, and signs found in the streets are intended to
convince the audience with a specific message. In addition, there exist
communicative situations in which people from different cultures interact. The
cultural shock seems to be tremendous at times.
To understand Intercultural
Communicative Competence it is necessary to think of a communicative situation
in which people from different culture interact and bring to the situation
their knowledge, their awareness of similarities and differences, their
attitudes, behaviors and their skills to negotiate meaning and establish
effective interpersonal relationships. (Rico, 2010, p. 91) . In the previous statement the author’s
ideas perfectly frame what an intercultural communicative encounter involves.
Not only two interlocutors exchange a message, but a tremendous phenomenon
takes place. In fact, a set of different ideologies, views on life, attitudes
and behaviors are immersed in the communicative act that is taking place.
Bearing the aforementioned
aspects in mind, it seems clear that EFL lessons should be oriented towards the
development of intercultural communicative competence. Students’ EFL learning
involves not only the acquisition of a set of grammar rules and language
functions but the understanding and future integration of the differences
between the local culture and the context where the target language takes
place. This understanding product of the incorporation of intercultural aspects
in language teaching tends to eventually enhance the development of communicative competence. This is far from being solely considered as the
development of proficiency in the target language, but as a macro strategy to raise
awareness among learners towards the development of intercultural sensitivity (Bennet,
1998). From Bennet’s view, it could be claimed that students should overcome
the ethnocentric stage, in which they focus on their own culture as the most
important one. Eventually, with proper instruction the learners will tend to
incorporate ethno-relative attitudes to their speech and minds, thus they
commence to be aware of other cultures and the role played by their own culture
in the world’s dynamics.
On the one hand, it is prudent
to claim that incorporating intercultural communicative competence in foreign
language education is a tremendous job that a language teacher must face. For
instance, Sercu (2005) asserts that there
have been identified certain competencies that a person should possess in order
to deal with intercultural communicative competence, these are willingness to
engage with the foreign culture, self-awareness and some abilities such as, to
look upon oneself from the outside, to
see the world through the others’ eyes, to act as a cultural mediator, to
evaluate others’ points of view, to use culture learning skills and to read the
cultural context, also, to understand that
others cannot be reduced to their collective identities. The role of a teacher
when intending to instruct students towards the development of the abovementioned competencies and abilities is rather challenging. The current
model of EFL teaching and learning adopted by many schools tend to adopt the communicative approach focusing on language functions. In theory, students are
prepared to use the target language in a specific situation of “real life”. Nevertheless,
people in real life do not follow a script to communicate. They even use hesitation
devices to organize their thoughts and construct an idea. Additionally,
pronunciation and intonation patterns vary from one region to another.
Nonetheless, most EFL textbooks adopted prioritize the British and North
American accents as if these were the only two existent accents.
However, I believe that by
means of the creation of a well-structured curriculum and through the implementation
of a properly organized syllabus the task of incorporating activities aiming to
develop intercultural communicative competence seemed to be easier to fulfill. The activities planned should aim to
sensitize students in terms of recognizing and preserving their own culture.
Likewise, students’ ideologies should be enriched by accepting and
incorporating the idea that there exist other cultures that as well as the
local one frame the global community.
On the other hand, apart from
the activities planned, the ELT materials used to enhance intercultural communicative
competence in EFL classrooms should be also carefully selected. It is important
to avoid the use of language that reinforces stereotypes, that exclude a certain
group of people, even, a language that legitimizes discrimination is not worth
being used. My current experience as an English teacher in the public sector in
a rural area suggests that there exists a certain lack of recognition of the local
culture among students. Accordingly, it can be thought that the materials
implemented should be rich in contextualized activities that enhance the
knowledge and appreciation of the local community. Also, the exercises proposed
by the textbooks should have the objective of presenting foreign cultures not
in terms of encyclopedic knowledge, but in the sense of including intercultural
skills such as relationships between cultures, dealing with misunderstandings
between cultures and ability to overcome stereotypes in relationships. (CEF,
2001, p. 108-126) adapted by Rico (2010).
To sum up, language is the
means to conduct our social lives. Having this in mind, people perceive the
world according to the interactions with the group where they belong to.
Moreover, intercultural communicative competence entails the ability to develop
and maintain relationships, to effectively communicate with minimal distortion,
and to cooperate with others (Rico, 2010) .
Besides, intercultural communicative competence should be at the forefront of
language teaching. This seems to be a challenging task to be developed in EFL
students. However, through the construction of a well-structured curriculum and
after the adaptation of contextualized EFL teaching and learning materials,
intercultural communicative competence is likely to be promoted in EFL
settings.
References
Kramsch, C. (1998). Language and
culture. UK: Oxford University Press.
Rico, C.
(2010). The Effects of Language Materials on the Development of Intercultural
Competence UK:. In B. Tomlinson, & H. Masuhara, Research for
Materials Development in Language Learning: Evidence For Best Practice.
(pp. 83-102). UK: Continuum.
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