This book investigates whether and to what extent foreign language textbooks can contribute to promoting adolescent pupils' acquisition of intercultural communicative competence. It gives a full scientific account of a research project carried out amongst Flemish learners of German. The focus of the research was on the relationships between the culture teaching approaches adopted in textbooks and the pupils' learning of culture. Although the sub-title refers to a particular group of pupils learning a particular language, the study has more general bearing and constitutes a substantial contribution to the literature, and in particular empirical research, on the development of intercultural competence in and through foreign language education.The composition of the volume reflects the affective, cognitive and contact dimensions of the culture learning process. It also gives space to the theoretical platform on which the research was built, and to the research methodology adopted. Chapter 1 sets out to contextualise and define the research topic. It clarifies the study's position within the field of culture-and-language learning-and-teaching theory, practice and research. It also situates the investigation into the specific context of teaching and learning foreign languages-and-cultures in Flanders. In chapter 2 the theoretical framework informing the study is developed. Chapter 3 provides an overview of the techniques of data collection and analysis employed, of the kinds of data collected, and of the chronology of data collection. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 provide an interpretative description and analysis of the investigation's key concepts. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on the pupils' culture learning processes and analyse relationships between attitude, contact and perception data. In chapter 6 the culture teaching approaches adopted in the investigated textbook series are described and evaluated with regard to their potential for promoting the pupils' learning of culture. Chapter 7, finally, provides a summary overview of the study's main findings and presents the main conclusions that can be drawn from the evidence presented in earlier chapters. It estimates the value of the study's research methodology and theoretical framework. It also reflects on how the research findings can find application and implementation.

This book addresses one of the most critical issues facing global business leaders and the multicultural workforce – how to work and relate effectively in the intercultural contexts. The author presents business professionals, practitioners and academics with the Collaborative Intercultural Competence Model. Based on solid theoretical assumptions and real intercultural experiences, this model is to help professionals work more effectively across and within cultures. This book expands the traditional presentation of existing knowledge by providing a unified discussion of intercultural communication and its conceptual foundations. The book offers readers with a contemporary insight into the intercultural competence phenomenon and highlights the basis for its experience-based inquiry, assessment and development. A distinctive feature of Intercultural Competence in Organizations is its comprehensive coverage of the intercultural competence framework from both communication and organizational behavior perspectives. This book does not cover traditional areas of international business, international management, global management strategy and policy and cross-cultural comparative management, but focuses on theoretical foundations of intercultural competence and intercultural competence research and practice. The author describes the complex nature of intercultural competence in a straightforward format which helps professionals, practitioners and students to envision a variety of intercultural situations in which they may behave competently. Thus, the conceptual acumen of this title is to understand the premises of intercultural competence, embrace its theoretical assumptions, see its practical applicability, and advance individual intercultural competence. Featuring examples and skill development exercises, this book will be appealing to professionals, practitioners, students, academics and policy makers in the field of international business, management and communication. “Dr. Matveev challenges his readers to develop their intercultural competence so as to make themselves more effective, more humane and more socially skilled in a world that increasingly involves extensive contact across various groups of people.” --from the Foreword by Richard W. Brislin, University of Hawaii “Dr. Matveev creates an awareness of intercultural competence by exposing the reader to the theoretical concepts and practical tools. Business people and academics will use this book to recognize and leverage the benefits of cultural diversity.” --Berthold Mukuahima, Director of Human Capital, Ohlthaver & List Group, Namibia “Dr. Matveev reveals how intercultural competence of professional multicultural teams helps in achieving corporate competitive advantage and longevity in a challenging globalized world. This book is very useful for managers, scholars and students who want to elevate the efficacy of intercultural relationship in their professional and personal lives.” --Srečko Čebron, Management Board Member, Sava Reinsurance Company, Slovenia /div

This revised edition of Michael Byram’s classic 1997 book updates the text in light of both recent research and critiques and commentaries on the 1st edition. Beginning from the premise that foreign and second language teaching should prepare learners to use a language with fluency and accuracy, and also to speak with people who have different cultural identities, social values and behaviours, the book is an invaluable guide for teachers and curriculum developers, taking them from a definition of Intercultural Communicative Competence through planning for teaching to assessment. This edition refines the definitions of the five ‘savoirs’ of intercultural competence, and includes new sections on issues such as moral relativism and human rights, mediation, intercultural citizenship and teachers’ ethical responsibilities.

This volume provides a strong theoretical introduction to the field of intercultural communication, offering practical examples of classroom activities, as well as presenting empirical research which demonstrates that intercultural communicative competence (ICC) can be developed effectively in specially tailored courses adjusted to the needs of learners. It presents a novel model of intercultural sensitivity assessment, and outlines the results of research into intercultural communicative competence conducted among the students of English Language Studies in state colleges in Poland. The cultural component in developing ICC as an extra-linguistic determinant is assigned particular prominence in the book. A thorough analysis of the empirical material collected from participant observation, the administered questionnaires and interviews allowed the most common values and attitudes held as components of intercultural sensitivity to be identified. The obtained findings are subsequently analyzed to predict the potential areas of communication misunderstandings and failures between Polish learners of English and representatives of other cultures.

It is now widely recognised that learning a language should not just involve linguistic competence but also intercultural competence. It is also clear that intercultural competence can be developed through related subjects such as geography, history, mother tongue teaching. This book takes this as a given and provides practical help for teachers who wish to help their learners acquire intercultural competence in the ordinary classroom. It contains descriptions of lessons and materials from a wide range of classrooms in several countries and for beginners to advanced learners.

By offering the implications of this research for participant and host selection, cross-cultural orientation, and in-country interventions and assessment, this volume provides valuable information for language education and intercultural communication scholars.

This work builds on the assumption that language learning and teaching needs to be made more relevant to the 'glocalised' digital world we live in. Its authors argue that staff in Higher Education (HE) must prepare students for effective online interaction and explores the digital, linguistic and critical intercultural components of ‘global citizenship’. The book pivots around an innovative research study; linguistic politeness frameworks are revisited to analyse the written online exchanges on an Online International Learning (OIL) - or intercultural telecollaborative - project between the UK and France.Through the use of cyberpragmatics, and inspired by Meyer and Land’s ‘threshold concept pedagogy’, the authors examine the challenges and solutions identified by an ‘expert student’ in managing rules of engagement and intercultural awareness when interacting online. This book will appeal to students and scholars of applied linguistics, education, sociolinguistics and intercultural communication, and provide a valuable resource for teacher trainers, language teachers and educators across the world.