Intercultural competence is a necessity in a world where relations between people of different ethnic groups have become free. It leads to understanding, harmony, respectively, to a peaceful state of affairs between countries. The ability to perceive objectively surrounding people and their views is a big step towards creating developed civilizations with great potential. It is important to pay attention to the development and methods of forming intercultural competence in people so that the future is bright and radiant.
Derivation of a definition of human competence
Intercultural competence in different dictionaries is interpreted in its own way. The main features inherent in this concept are a certain circle of powers and rights in which a person is well versed.
Competence is a broad definition, since it can be studied only taking into account the totality of concepts. Personal qualities, knowledge, skills aimed at a specific process, object, subject in the aggregate create the concept of competence.
When this concept was formed, attention was drawn to various situations where it can manifest itself. It turned out that this definition covers a whole sphere of human relationships, where there is a place for certain knowledge and human actions.
Concept of competency
The generally accepted definition is to make it clear that this is a specific ability of an individual to solve problems and problems. Also, the definition of intercultural competence is a set of human skills, abilities and knowledge that he actively applies to any type of activity. For this process, respectively, and the methodology for the formation of intercultural communication to be successful, a complete mutual appeal to cognitive and affective skills, which are supported by motivation, a specific set of emotions and values, is necessary. Only with full interaction is this definition possible.
Cross-Cultural Competency Development
There are main ways of forming MK:
- It is necessary to understand the features of their own, as well as another culture.
- It is important to constantly gather new knowledge about other people's traditions.
- We need a certain base or plan of acceptable behavior in another country, which would not be regarded as wild and unusual.
Intercultural Communication and Competency
The concept of MK is firmly connected with the process of intercultural communication. The latter means the connection of various types of relationships and communication between individuals who are part of different ethnic, racial or national groups.
MK is one of the main categories of intercultural communication that is constantly evolving.
MK involves the most effective communication between different cultures and peoples, as well as the skills to make this communication enjoyable and useful. These include non-verbal and verbal communication, the presence of additional knowledge, the ability to behave in accordance with the values of foreign-speaking people, their attitudes and traditions.
The concept of intercultural competence includes a whole range of spheres - linguistic, cultural and communicative. The secret of successful communication involves not only knowledge of these definitions, but also a specific set of personality traits.
Language competency
Language competency is an important component of intercultural competence. This concept also has a wide range of applications, therefore, there are a lot of definitions and research options for the formation of language competence.
The term has existed for a long time, it appeared in the XX century thanks to the linguist N. Chomsky.
His view was that a linguistic person who teaches a foreign language should not only understand a foreign language person, but also have basic judgments about the statements of that country, concepts. This is necessary so that there is no dual picture of the world.
N. Chomsky suggests in his works that it is precisely linguistic competence that makes it easier to understand the grammar and system of signs of a foreign culture. In the scientist’s research, many human factors are not affected, since he takes into account individual, his own, linguistic aspects, excluding the possibility of social or situational factors.
Most clearly about this speaks EF Tarasov, who believes that the process of learning a language involves taking into account various factors, since there are a lot of forms of language existence. For example, in non-verbal communication, a person uses his gaze, gestures, body movements. It is unreasonable to hope that in verbal, ordinary communication, this will be appropriate.
How it works?
The process of forming language skills in relation to another language group requires the presence of certain knowledge about signs, grammar rules.
All this is necessary for successful communication, so mastering linguistic competence is important when learning a foreign language. UC helps a person understand a different mentality, features of articulation, habits and stereotypes of another country's culture. Having mastered competence, a person takes a step towards becoming familiar with other people's traditions, towards understanding them and tolerance.
Before learning a foreign language, it is necessary to study the mentality of a person, to find out more about traditions. Thus, an introduction to another language will not be so noticeable, which helps to avoid the appearance of different representations and pictures of the world. Other traditions will be identified with their own, so they will no longer be perceived as strangers.
Cultural competence
The structure of cultural competence, as part of MK, has its own specifics. It includes the general cultural and cultural-specific knowledge of the individual, the skill of real communication with foreign people, the intercultural susceptibility of the person in the mental plane.
The basis for the emergence of cultural competence is many factors:
- sensuality and confidence;
- the highest degree of understanding of other individuals and cultures, regardless of the level of mental, physical abilities;
- the ability to articulate your thoughts clearly and competently;
- always be understandable, that is, demonstrate deep knowledge of a foreign language.
To become a person who understands other people's traditions and views, it is necessary to find a middle ground, a balance between concepts:
- knowledge and experience of foreign traditions, people, ethnic groups;
- receptivity and empathy, the ability to look at oneself from the side and think as another person would think;
- Confidence in one’s own abilities and strengths, knowledge of weaknesses, which is expressed in the full emotional maturity of a person.
Communicative competence
Intercultural communicative competence is the interconnection of communication skills for the correct interaction with surrounding people. Skills include competently delivered speech, the ability to speak and listen to people, as well as maintain long-term friendships.
Communicative competence also means the presence of knowledge and skills. Which ones? It all depends on the situation, so the set can be completely different.
For example, if communication takes place with people in some kind of formal setting, then you need to own a lot of information in order to constantly exchange it. It is also important to observe specific rules of decency and etiquette at work.
It is for this reason that QC is usually divided into formalized and unformalized. Any option involves the presence of certain skills that are important for this situation. Without taking into account these two groups, the normal functioning of communicative competence is impossible.
Conventionally, these include the following skills:
- wide vocabulary;
- ability to correctly present information both orally and in writing;
- knowledge of etiquette and the ability of its practical application;
- analytical skills that will help in communicating with people;
- communication skills;
- the ability to calm, listen to a person in order to prevent the development of conflict.
Communicative competence plays a fundamental role, since in a world where globalization is a normal occurrence, the ability to communicate and support is very helpful in the career and personal growth of the individual.
The use of all skills is sometimes not enough, because knowledge of colloquial or professional phrases, expressions, as well as a basic idea of foreign cultures, the rights and obligations of that country, stereotypes and real activities of people are necessary.
Competence is an important goal for a person who is not constantly within the same country. Foreign languages easily develop thinking, the level of human intelligence, and MK helps to overcome the cultural barrier, which helps to awaken concepts such as tolerance, tolerance, calmness, the ability to understand and listen.
Components
Communicative competence includes the following components:
- linguistic component;
- sociolinguistic;
- pragmatic.
All of them help in overcoming barriers between cultures.
Probable problems
There are some problems of intercultural competence that greatly inhibit its functioning:
- apparent strong similarities between traditions;
- the language is too complex and does not look like a native one;
- non-verbal codes are very different from each other;
- cultural stereotypes;
- a person’s tendency to criticize everything too quickly;
- constant tension, depression.
Having crossed the supposed barrier between cultures, the individual will quickly be able to make the communication process successful.
MK model
Conditionally, there is a model of intercultural competence, which suggests the presence of several stages. One of the most understandable and logical models was compiled by Milton Bennett.
He says in his works that getting a good result in the process of communication depends on a person having sensory perception. It is necessary in order to perceive a foreign language person correctly, understanding the reason for his views and opinions.
The main stages of a person’s reaction to a foreign culture and its individuals:
- Denial of existing differences between nations.
- Protection of the identity of their ethnic group.
- Minimizing all the differences.
- Acceptance of a foreign culture and the assumption of the existence of others.
- Adaptation and getting used to the new course of life in a foreign country.
- Integration.
Denial, defense and minimization are stages that are called ethnocentric. Such a view of things suggests that a person puts in the center of the world his own culture, believing that it has no equal.
The ethnocentric personality does not understand that there may be some strong cultural differences between representatives of different countries and nationalities.