1 Give your own definition of intercultural communication.

2 Read the definition of intercultural communication and check your answer.

Intercultural communication is defined as situated communication between individuals or groups of different linguistic and cultural origins. This is derived from the following fundamental definitions: communication is the active relationship established between people through language, and intercultural means that this communicative relationship is between people of different cultures, where culture is the structured manifestation of human behaviour in social life within specific national and local contexts, e.g. political, linguistic, economic, institutional, and professional.

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INFORMATION-ACCUMULATION:

WATCHING A VIDEO

1 Could you explain the difference between monoculture and multiculture? List examples of monoculture in a positive view and in a negative view.

2 Watch a video by Erin Meyer ‘Low Context vs. High Context Societies’, and fill the table with following words and collocations.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oYfhTC9lIQ [83]

3 Fill in the table.

Recap, message passed simply and clearly, layered communication, a large body of shared context, explicit communication, low level of shared context, clarification, to be able to see the meaning if one want, implicit communication.

	Low Context Society	High Context Society

4 Watch the video again and fill in the gaps.

In Germany at the end of the …. we almost always do the … , first we do the … …., and the we do the …. … .

5 Erin gave three examples from...

1) USA, China, Germany.

2) Turkey, China, Germany.

3) Germany, England, Italy.

6 Discuss in small groups or as a class, the reasons for each of the four views.

COMMUNICATION

Role-play

1 Divide into 3 groups to prepare and then act out the situations.

Situation 1

You have been invited to the international conference “The world around us”, which is devoted to the factors that shape the way we see other people and cultures. Talk to your partners about possible misunderstandings between people of different nationalities, and give your own suggestions on how to smooth cultural differences.

Role A

You think despite having different cultures, we have a lot in common. The best way to overcome cultural gap is to find similarity between people.

Role B

You think that all of us are completely different. Only curiosity and openness to other cultures will bring us success in intercultural communication.

Role C

You think that the best solution to the problem of cultural differences is the ability to take something from another culture and to be able to use new knowledge where necessary.

Situation 2

A friend of yours wants to marry his girlfriend from another culture and move away with her, but his parents want him to marry someone from their own country. Discuss this issue together and explain why he should be permitted/prohibited to marry his girlfriend.

Role A

You think it is better to marry someone from of the same culture. Provide your reasons.

Role B

You think it doesn't matter, whether you marry a person from different culture or your own one. Provide your reasons.

Role C

You are already married to a person from another culture. Dwell on your personal experience.

Situation 3

You are debating with your friends about which language to learn as a second foreign language at the university. Try to convince others that your choice is the best one.

Role A

You are choosing Korean language because of your interest to the culture. You think that learning a culture together with language is more interesting and brings fruitful results.

Role B

You think that it is not a cultural aspect but demand at the niche of work that matters. You want to choose Chinese language because of the developing relations of Kazakhstan and China.

Role C

You would like to learn French language. In your opinion, European languages are easier to learn and they prevail over Asian ones.