scholarly journals Promoting common ground building in L2 cross-cultural conversations

2021 ◽  
pp. 220-225
Author(s):  
Maryam Sadat Mirzaei ◽  
Kourosh Meshgi ◽  
Toyoaki Nishida
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Teaching Culture ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
Immersive Environment ◽  
Optimal Approach ◽  
Different Cultures

Teaching culture out of context may not be the optimal approach, yet it could be achieved by immersive technologies. This study uses an immersive theme-based environment and focuses on cross-cultural interactions between learners of different cultures in goal-oriented scenarios. We collected interactions among learners with different cultural backgrounds and annotated common ground formation and conversation breakdowns in those interactions. Next, we recreated the scenarios in a 3D immersive environment using an in-house situation creation toolkit to enable experiencing the situation by using choices to navigate the conversation and observing the consequences. In case the conversation derails, we provide timely scaffolding by offering appropriate communication strategies to rebuild common ground. Learners can be the actors of the scenarios but can also be the observers by switching between roles and points of view. Preliminary experiments with 20 L2 learners of English from different cultures showed that practicing with immersive conversational game-play is effective for raising cultural awareness and learning to choose appropriate strategies for smooth interactions.

scholarly journals Cross-cultural psychiatric assessment

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinesh Bhugra ◽  
Kamaldeep Bhui
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Patient Interaction ◽  
Cultural Expectations ◽  
Different Cultures

Different cultures vary in their perceptions of mental illness (Karno & Edgerton, 1969), which can affect their utilisation of orthodox psychiatric facilities (Padilla et al, 1975; Sue, 1977). Mental health services may be seen by ethnic minorities as challenging the value of traditional support systems, reflecting dominant Western cultural values and harbouring implicitly racist psychological formulations. The clinician-patient interaction may become fraught with misunderstandings if the two parties come from different cultural backgrounds and bring distinct cultural expectations to the encounter.

Cross Cultural Counseling Issues of Males Who Sustain a Disability

2001 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irmo Marini
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Adjustment ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Severe Disability ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Acquired Disability ◽  
Male Roles ◽  
Perceptions Of Disability ◽  
Cross Cultural Counseling ◽  
Adjustment Issues ◽  
Different Cultures

This article explores the psychosocial adjustment issues faced by males from different cultures after sustaining a severe disability. Perceptions of disability and masculinity by different cultures impact a person's reaction to a severe acquired disability. Socially defined male roles and masculine traits as well as perceptions of disability are explored. Recommendations for counselors working with males with acquired disabilities from different cultural backgrounds are discussed.

scholarly journals A situation creation system to enable experiential learning in virtual worlds for developing cross-cultural competencies

2020 ◽  
pp. 233-239
Author(s):  
Maryam Sadat Mirzaei ◽  
Kourosh Meshgi ◽  
Toyoaki Nishida
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Simulation Games ◽  
Cultural Competencies ◽  
Different Cultures

The emergence of virtual worlds and simulation games provide ample opportunities for developing cultural competence by offering a visual, contextual, immersive, and interactive experience. Learners can benefit from contextual interactions and develop cultural competencies by fulfilling quests or exploring the environment. However, most of the existing systems contain few pre-designed scenarios, inadequate for covering unique aspects of different cultures. This study introduces a situation creation toolkit for teachers and learners to design their culture-specific scenarios in a 3D environment and share it with others to experience such situations. In a preliminary experiment, 37 English learners with different cultural backgrounds created a scenario, specific to their culture, and provided proper/improper communicative choices as well as cultural-related notes. Scenarios were then exchanged to those of different cultures for role-playing and decision-making. Results highlighted the influence of L1 culture and stereotyping when facing an unfamiliar cultural context, thus leading to culturally unacceptable behavior. Findings suggest that through real-life scenario design and experience, our platform can prepare learners to interact in culturally appropriate ways and encourages them to gain cross-cultural competence.

scholarly journals The Directness Levels of Criticism: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Korean and American Youtuber

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-119
Author(s):  
Aan Anisah Agustini Safari
Keyword(s):  
Speech Acts ◽  
Speech Act ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Cross Culture ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Cross Cultural Study ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
The Way

Background: Different countries may have different cultures that are influenced by their religion, traditions, or norms. These differences affect the way they speak, such as when they are commenting or giving opinions. Due to the way people express speech acts can be varied and lead to misinterpretation because of their differences, the researcher was intrigued to conduct this study. Methodology: This cross-cultural study was carried out to observe and compare the speech act of criticism between Korean and American YouTubers and to investigate the role of their cultural background in influencing the directness level they conveyed. First, the researcher selected three Korean Youtubers and Americans as well with food review content. Second, the researcher watched one video from each channel and took notes on every expression of criticism they used. Findings: The result of this study demonstrates that in American YouTubers speech, direct strategy emerges more frequently than the indirect one. Conversely, Korean YouTubers tend to use the indirect one. The finding also indicates that their speech behavior is related to their cultural norms, in which American culture encourages clear personal opinions, while Korean culture is a restraint to express their opinion or feeling clearly. Conclusion: Due to the considerable difference between Korean and American YouTuber speech, it can be concluded that culture takes a significant part in shaping one’s speech behavior. That is why people with different cultural backgrounds may have different ways of speaking.  Keywords: Criticism; cross-culture pragmatic; directness-indirectness.

“Actually, in my culture…” Identity, positioning, and intersubjectivity in cross-cultural interviews

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Olivia Groves ◽  
Honglin Chen ◽  
Irina Verenikina
Keyword(s):  
Common Ground ◽  
Multiple Identities ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Internationalization Of Education ◽  
Research Interviews ◽  
Identity Positioning ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The increasing internationalization of education has brought diversification to university student populations. The demographic changes pose great challenges to interview practice as interviews are increasingly occurring in cross-cultural contexts and often involve participants from diverse cultural backgrounds. Recent research has demonstrated that the cultural identity of the interviewer, in particular, the insider or outsider positioning relative to the participants, can impinge upon the quantity and quality of the collected interview data and research outcomes. In this paper, we go beyond this conception of interviewer as either a cultural insider or outsider to examine how multiple identities and positionings are enacted by interviewer and interviewees in order to achieve intersubjectivity, or common ground, in cross-cultural research interviews. The paper contributes to understanding the complexity of cross-cultural interviews, in particular, the impact of positioning processes on the establishment of intersubjectivity and data construction.

Issues of Cross-Cultural Communications in a Globalizing Era

2018 ◽  
pp. 100-116
Author(s):  
Ai-Ling Wang
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
World Englishes ◽  
Cultural Performance ◽  
Exchange Programs ◽  
Cross Cultural Communication ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
Computer Mediated Communications

This chapter describes issues of cross-cultural communications emerging in an era moving towards globalization. The author identifies three main areas of concern: language, culture, and technology. These issues are not new in cross-cultural communications. However, new issues are emerging. As World Englishes developed, cultural awareness alone is no longer enough to respond to a globalizing era and people are required to possess intercultural competences to be able to function appropriately in the global community. Additionally, new issues relevant to technology are emerging, such as digital divides and flaming in computer-mediated communications. Having discussed these issues, the author provides recommendations for practitioners of cross-cultural communication, including developing cross-cultural exchange programs, developing training programs, focusing on netiquette and respect of different cultures and languages, rather than computer skills, and finally, designing authentic assessment to evaluate students' cross-cultural performance.

A cross-generational and cross-cultural study on demonstration of attentiveness

Pragmatics ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeko Fukushima
Keyword(s):  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Interview Data ◽  
The Other ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Verbal Cues ◽  
Cross Cultural Study ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
The Relationship

This paper looks into whether there are any differences in demonstration of attentiveness between different generations and different cultures. By attentiveness I mean a demonstrator’s preemptive response to a beneficiary’s verbal/non-verbal cues or situations surrounding a beneficiary and a demonstrator, which takes the form of offering. When and how often one would demonstrate attentiveness may vary according to such factors as generation and culture. Three groups of people from different generations and different cultural backgrounds (Japanese and Americans) served as the participants (280 people for the questionnaire data and 18 people for the interview data). It was investigated whether there were any differences among the participants in demonstration of attentiveness, in the reasons for demonstration of attentiveness, and in rating degree of imposition to demonstrate attentiveness. It was also examined whether there was any relationship between degree of imposition to demonstrate attentiveness and demonstration of attentiveness; and in which relationship (the relationship between a demonstrator and a beneficiary of attentiveness varied from very familiar to not very familiar at all) attentiveness was demonstrated. The data were collected using a questionnaire with six situations, based on field notes; and the interviews were conducted using the same six situations. The results show that in most situations there were no major differences among the participants in the choice of demonstration of attentiveness and the reasons for it. The participants chose to demonstrate attentiveness in four situations in the questionnaire, because they wanted to be of help to the other party. There was a relationship between degree of imposition to demonstrate attentiveness and demonstration of attentiveness in four situations. Overall, the interview data confirmed the questionnaire data.

scholarly journals Cross-Cultural Communication Issues of Educating Bicultural Students

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeriia Petrovna Osadchaia ◽  
Olga Lvovna Ivanova ◽  
Elizaveta Iosifovna Getman
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Communication ◽  
Teaching Culture ◽  
Intercultural Awareness ◽  
Cross Cultural Communication

The article is devoted to the importance of incorporating of a foreign culture learning, acquiring cross-cultural communication and cultural awareness skills in a foreign language teaching. The authors point out that teaching culture in foreign language teaching context should include cultural knowledge, cultural values, cultural skills and behavior. The author also emphasize that attitudes to teaching culture in the process of foreign language teaching involve, on the one side, considering teaching culture as teaching the fifth language skill along with speaking, listening, reading and writing, implying teaching cultural sensitivity and cultural awareness or the behavior in certain cultural situations, and on the other side, regarding language as social practice being defined by culture in which culture becomes the core of language teaching with cultural awareness viewed as enabling language proficiency. Cultural awareness is the foundation of communication; it helps to understand cultural values, beliefs, and perceptions of the other culture. Training of both bilingual and bicultural students at higher educational institutions is of primary significance. Intercultural awareness presumes a number of skills, improving students’ native culture and other cultures’ awareness and understanding. The authors come to the conclusion that intercultural awareness skills imply overcoming misinterpretations and accepting differences.

scholarly journals Song Translation Analysis as a Means for Intercultural Connectivity

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Greg Aronson ◽  
Kiernan Box
Keyword(s):  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Strict Adherence ◽  
Ethnocultural Empathy ◽  
Intercultural Awareness ◽  
Protest Songs ◽  
Translation Analysis ◽  
Optimal Approach ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
Intercultural Analysis

In an increasingly interconnected and globalised world, the need for cross cultural understanding is greater than ever before. Exploring and analysing songs from different cultures can be an effective ‘entry point’ into learning about the nature of other peoples and societies lives and for developing a sense of ethnocultural empathy. Protest songs can provide a lens for intercultural analysis, especially for understanding minority or subcultural perspectives. Translating songs into different languages makes these works more accessible to a broader cross-section of people. We present translations of protest songs, two from Indonesian to English, and one from English to Indonesian. We discuss the respective importance of meaning and poetics in making song translations. Strict adherence to song rhymes is a challenge for translators and one which may impede meaning. The optimal approach depends on the format in which the translation is likely to be presented. Fluency in the target language, rather than the source language, is more helpful for successful translation. Finally, we make some recommendations about the usefulness of intercultural song (text) translation analysis and intercultural awareness.

The Integrative Role of Sport in Multicultural Societies

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis ◽  
Eleftheria Morela ◽  
Anne-Marie Elbe ◽  
Olga Kouli ◽  
Xavier Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Per Se ◽  
The One ◽  
Different Cultures

Sport participation has been recognized as an important socializing agent; the sport environment is considered a suitable setting for the development of social and moral values, particularly for youth. Therefore, it can be argued that participation in sport may reinforce understanding and respect of cultural diversity and foster the integration of migrants. In this paper, we review the existing literature on the integrative role of sport among individuals and groups with differing cultural backgrounds. The existing findings support the role sport may have in promoting integration; nonetheless, some controversy exists. On the one side, there is evidence suggesting that sport can promote interaction among people from different cultures, while also helping individuals maintain ties with their own cultural groups, thus facilitating the maintenance of their cultural heritage. On the other side, there are also indications that sport participation may accentuate cultural differences, thus evoking tensions. Therefore, it appears that sport participation per se may not have the strength to achieve the anticipated integration; rather, sport would provide a common ground where integration can be cultivated. Future directions are discussed to encourage the development of research that enhances further our understanding on the integrative role of sport in multicultural societies.

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