Dieser Aufsatz behandelt die Bedeutung kultureller sowie interkultureller Bewusstheit für den Fremdsprachenerwerb und visualisiert mögliche didaktische Umsetzungen exemplarisch. Es wird auch auf die allgemeine Bedeutsamkeit kultureller Kompetenz eingegangen und auf den heutigen Stand der Globalisierung bezogen. Ferner wird Michael Byram's Theorie zu interkultureller kommunikativer Kompetenz (1997) mit einem Konzept der interkulturellen Psychologie nach Alexander Thomas (2006) verglichen und schließlich auf den Schul- beziehungsweise Bildungskontext verglichen. Da diese Arbeit im Rahmen eines Seminars und einer entsprechend praktischen Durchführung mit Studierenden verfasst wurde, ist eine exemplarische Phase zum interkulturellen Kompetenzerwerb beschrieben und reflektiert.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Terminology and overview
2.1 Culture – A Definition
2.2 Communicative/Language and Cultural Competence
2.3 Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC)
3. Teaching Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC)
3.1 Byram’s Model of Teaching and Learning ICC
3.2 Approaches in Teaching and Learning the Intercultural Dimension
3.3 Cultural Studies in the EFL Classroom – An Example Based on Byram’s Model of ICC
4. Trying to Make Culture Graspable – Cultural Standards (Thomas)
4.1 Cultural Standards – Definition and Explanation with Reference to Byram
4.2 Cultural Standards – Germany
4.3 Germans’ and Chinese’s Social Norms – A Comparison Based on Cultural Standards
5. Theory and Practice – Exemplary Implementation of Teaching & Learning ICC
5.1 Description of the Seminar Group’s Task – German & Chinese Cross-cultural Encounters
5.2 Methodological Analysis of Students’ Task Plus Reference to Byram’s ICC components
5.3 Reflection of the Implementation of the Students’ Task according to Byram’s ICC plus Conclusion
Objectives and Research Focus
This term paper explores the theoretical foundations and practical implementation of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) within the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, aiming to demonstrate how intercultural awareness can be fostered through structured pedagogical tasks. The central research question investigates how Byram’s model of ICC can be effectively applied to help students navigate and reflect upon cross-cultural encounters.
- Theoretical overview of ICC and communicative competence.
- Application of Byram's ICC model in educational settings.
- Utilization of Thomas’s "Cultural Standards" to conceptualize cultural differences.
- Practical analysis of a seminar task involving German-Chinese cross-cultural encounters.
- Evaluation of reflective teaching methods in fostering intercultural awareness.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Teaching Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC)
The developmental path to the acquisition of ICC is called intercultural learning. This learning process is intended to result in the acquisition of competences regarding one’s attitudes towards and knowledge about other cultures, as well as general skills relating to all parts that are included in interaction with other cultures and its representatives (interpreting, relating, discovering, appropriate interacting) (cf. Haß 2015: 142; Moeller/Nugent 2014: 7). Therefore, Byram (1997) came up with the ICC Model which tries to define ICC implying five components:
Concerning attitudes Byram claims that students should be open-minded, inquisitive, and tolerant towards other culture. That means it is aimed to not only value one’s own world view and take it as the only basis of judgement and behaviour. It rather aims – based on one’s own culture (attitudes) by adding new perspectives on the same world – an increase in tolerance and respect towards the different other plus the ability to compare, contrast, and finally compose it to a multicultural perspective that facilitates cross-cultural interaction. Acquiring these striven attitudes also implies knowledge about the other culture, the social group with all its products, approaches to life and ways of living while not neglecting knowledge about one’s own. This means that Byram’s ICC knowledge is a relational knowledge that enables to compare differences, but also similarities between one’s own culture/identity and the other. ICC requires “knowledge of the world from various perspectives” (Parmenter 2003b: 133). It is intended that students learn to appreciate other cultures and realize that their own attitudes are not the only ones which are true. Furthermore, also knowledge about interaction processes, such as behaviour patterns and gestures, need to be acquired. This actually is part of one of the two skills: (2) is concerned with the skill to interact in real-time and the capability of discovering new things and value them, whereas (1) entails the ability to interpret e.g. texts from the other culture and relate them to one’s own culture.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the growing importance of intercultural competence in a globalized world and outlines the objectives of the term paper.
2. Terminology and overview: This section defines fundamental concepts including culture, communicative competence, and the specific framework of Intercultural Communicative Competence.
3. Teaching Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC): This chapter introduces Byram's ICC model and explores pedagogical approaches to implementing the intercultural dimension in language classrooms.
4. Trying to Make Culture Graspable – Cultural Standards (Thomas): The author presents Thomas’s concept of cultural standards to explain and compare societal norms, specifically focusing on German and Chinese examples.
5. Theory and Practice – Exemplary Implementation of Teaching & Learning ICC: This chapter details a practical seminar task involving German-Chinese encounters and analyzes the methodology and outcomes based on the previously established ICC components.
Keywords
Intercultural Communicative Competence, ICC Model, Byram, Cultural Standards, Thomas, EFL Teaching, Intercultural Learning, Cross-cultural Encounters, Cultural Awareness, Social Norms, Communicative Competence, Pedagogy, Cultural Comparison, Language Acquisition, Interaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this term paper?
The paper focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) within the English as a Foreign Language classroom.
What are the core thematic areas discussed?
The paper covers definitions of culture, the development of ICC, Byram's ICC model, the concept of Cultural Standards by Thomas, and practical implementations in teaching.
What is the main objective or research question?
The objective is to analyze how intercultural awareness can be fostered through specific pedagogical tasks and how ICC models can be applied to real-world cross-cultural scenarios.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The paper employs a literature-based theoretical analysis combined with a case study approach evaluating a practical seminar task.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section details the conceptual framework of ICC, the comparison of German and Chinese cultural standards, and the reflection of a student-led seminar exercise.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Intercultural Communicative Competence, ICC Model, Byram, Cultural Standards, and EFL teaching.
How does the author apply Thomas’s Cultural Standards to the German-Chinese context?
The author uses these standards to highlight specific differences, such as the German orientation towards rules and objective facts versus the Chinese preference for social relationships.
Why is the "Think-Pair-Share" method significant in the practical task?
It is used as a tool to facilitate individual reflection, peer exchange, and group discussion, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge to critical intercultural incidents.
- Quote paper
- Simone Fay (Author), 2017, Teaching and Learning Intercultural Communicative Competence, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/371362
