scholarly journals How to Improve Communication within an Organization? The Relationship between Cultural Intelligence and Language Competence

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-81
Author(s):  
Miroslav Jurásek ◽  
Tomislav Potocký
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Effective Functioning ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractObjective: This article deals with the effective functioning of an organization in the international context. It focuses on the two key aspects of the communication in this respects: cultural intelligence (CQ), the capacity to operate successfully in the multicultural setting, and the quality of internal communication; it is investigated whether CQ (and its components: metacognitive, cognitive, motivational and behavioural) are rather related to the number of foreign languages or the language proficiency a person (or an employee) knows (has).Methodology: The sample of 132 undergraduate students of the English and Czech study programs at one private business university in the Czech Republic was used. The Spearman correlation coefficient, Chi–Square test for independence and the one–way ANOVA test (all of them conducted in the statistical program IBM SPSS Statistics 21) are calculated in the paper.Findings: CQ depends on the quality (the level of proficiency) rather than the quantity (the number) of foreign language skills. This conclusion applies regardless of gender: our data did not confirm that language skills were gender-dependent.Value Added: Recently a very fashionable cultural intelligence (CQ) construct has been explored in relation to a variety of variables and outputs. Nevertheless, insufficient attention has been given to the relationship between cultural intelligence and language competence so far; moreover, the research has brought contradictory results up to now. This study fills the actual knowledge gap.Recommendations: It is shown that in terms of the effective functioning in a culturally unknown environment and with a restricted time to learn foreign languages, it is preferable to develop continuously one´s skills in lingua franca than parallel and more superficial studies of several languages.

scholarly journals Management of Innovations in Cross-Cultural Communication within an Organization

2020 ◽  
pp. 108-121
Author(s):  
Miroslav Jurasek ◽  
Tomislav Potocky
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Intercultural Effectiveness ◽  
Cross Cultural Communication ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Native Language Proficiency ◽  
The Relationship

This paper summarizes the arguments and counterarguments within the discussion on the issue of cultural intelligence, bilingualism, and the relationship between language proficiency and cultural intelligence. The primary purpose of the research is to explore the relationship between bilingualism (or high language proficiency in two languages) and cultural intelligence. The systematization of literary sources and approaches for solving the problem indicates that a significant link between these constructs could be expected. The relevance of the decision of this scientific problem is that this relationship has not yet been the subject of any previous research. Investigation of the paper topic is carried out in the following logical sequence: a thorough look into a conceptual and theoretical framework of cultural intelligence, bilingualism and the link between cultural intelligence and language proficiency; in the second part of the paper two hypotheses are developed on the base of previous research, and the corresponding methodology is described. The theoretical model of the explored relationship is tested using the SmartPLS-SEM 3 program. The objects of the survey are 243 undergraduate students studying in the English study program at the University of Finance and Administration in the Czech Republic. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves that there is a positive correlation between the level of foreign (non-native) language proficiency and cultural intelligence score. Language competence predicates the overall rating for CQ. The metacognitive and motivational factors of CQ play a substantial role within the framework of this relationship. On the other hand, data do not confirm a statistically significant difference between the group of bilingual and monolingual respondents. The results of the research can be useful for those who manage people across cultures and prepare students for working abroad or in international teams such as language teachers at universities. Keywords: cultural intelligence, language proficiency, bilingualism, biculturalism, cultural frame switching, PLS-SEM, intercultural effectiveness

scholarly journals Wirklichkeitsnah oder stereotyp? Das Bild von Dänemark und den Dänen in ausgewählten deutschen Lehrbüchern für Dänisch als Fremdsprache

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-104
Author(s):  
Józef Jarosz
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Communication Situations ◽  
Successful Transfer

Abstract The contemporary teaching of foreign languages assumes the development of the ability to use a foreign language in different communication situations. Apart from language competence, also the cultural competence is developed as it is a necessary component of communication. A successful transfer of knowledge and language skills in the process of foreign language learning is determined by a textbook (in addition to other factors). The goal of this article is to analyze the content and assess three Danish textbooks, which were published in Germany in the years 2008-2010. The textbooks are examined in terms of knowledge about Danish life and institutions, the transfer of intercultural competence and the presence of stereotypes. The textbooks were studied based on the list of criteria and it resulted in stating that the textbooks fulfill the objective of providing the knowledge about the country to a great degree. The intercultural component and the issue of stereotypes are dealt with in a different manner.

Effective Usage Of Game Activities, Dialogues And Role-Plays In Communicative Language Teaching

2021 ◽  
Vol 03 (02) ◽  
pp. 72-79
Author(s):  
Fotima Abduvosiyevna Rafikova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Educational System ◽  
English Language ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Communicative Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
National Standard ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Foreign Language Skills

At present, the English language is being taught by adapting world standards of Common European Framework Reference (CEFR) for teaching foreign languages to our national educational system. According to the Uzbek national standard the knowledge of the foreign language competence from the first to fourth grade is defined as A 1- for the beginner level. This article will disclose the formation and development of primary school learners’ foreign language skills through communicative competence.

Host country language skills and expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment in the presence of fear of terror

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Paulus ◽  
Katrin Muehlfeld
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Cultural Adjustment ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Terrorist Threat ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Threat Level ◽  
Threat Levels ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between host country (HC) language skills, fear of terror, and cross-cultural adjustment (CCA) of expatriates based in host countries with different terrorist threat levels. Design/methodology/approach Integrating the expatriate adjustment framework by Black et al. (1991) with social identity theory-based literature, this study first, theorizes about the effects of both fear of terror and HC language proficiency on CCA and, second, puts forward the moderating effect of the actual terrorist threat level on the relationship between HC language proficiency and fear of terror. Hypotheses are tested using survey data of 116 expatriates based in host countries with different threat levels. Findings HC language proficiency is positively associated with CCA. Yet, it is also positively associated with fear of terror, which is, in turn, negatively related to CCA. Consequently, the beneficial effect of HC language skills on CCA is reduced in environments where expatriates experience significant fear of terror. While the actual threat level has a direct positive effect on fear of terror, it also positively moderates the relationship between HC language proficiency and fear of terror. Originality/value This study extends prior literature on expatriation to dangerous environments by zooming in on a specific type of risk factor associated with international assignments, i.e., terrorism, and by integrating HC language proficiency and fear of terror as important factors, which may influence CCA in contexts in which expatriates experience significant fear of terror.

scholarly journals Improving Refugee Well-Being With Better Language Skills and More Intergroup Contact

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda K. Tip ◽  
Rupert Brown ◽  
Linda Morrice ◽  
Michael Collyer ◽  
Matthew J. Easterbrook
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Intergroup Contact ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Path Modeling ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Majority Culture

The effects of intergroup contact on prejudice are well established. However, its effects on minority group well-being have been rarely studied. We hypothesized that contact with members of the majority culture will be related to better well-being, and that this is facilitated by majority language proficiency. We tested this hypothesis in a three-wave longitudinal study of refugees over 2 years ( N = 180). Cross-lagged path modeling confirmed that intergroup contact at earlier time points was associated with increased well-being at later time points; the reverse associations (from earlier well-being to later contact) were not reliable. Self-rated earlier English language competence was positively associated with later intergroup contact (but not the reverse), suggesting that improving majority language proficiency might be the key to better well-being of refugees, with intergroup contact being the mediator between language and well-being.

scholarly journals Foreign language skills and employment status of European natives: evidence from Germany, Italy and Spain

Empirica ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 713-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Gazzola ◽  
Daniele Mazzacani
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Employment Status ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Conditional Correlation ◽  
Economic Concept ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Adult Education Survey ◽  
Foreign Language Skills

Abstract This article examines the relationship between foreign language skills and the employment status of natives in Germany, Italy and Spain. Using a probit model and data from Eurostat’s Adult Education Survey 2011, this article studies the conditional correlation between knowledge of English and French as foreign languages, and the probability of being employed, comparatively, for men and women. The results reveal that skills in English increase the probability of being employed for men in the three countries, respectively, by 3.4, 4.3 and 5.2%. Knowledge of English increases the probability of being employed for women in Germany and Italy—respectively, by 5.6 and 5.7%—but not in Spain. The results also show that very good skills are associated with a higher probability of being employed than sufficient or good skills. The conditional correlation between knowledge of English and employment status for men is larger in countries where skills in this language are less common among the population, and where the unemployment rate is higher. This is consistent with the fundamental economic concept of scarcity. Estimates for French are not statistically significant.

scholarly journals Leveraging Language Proficiency Through Cultural Intelligence to Improve Global Virtual Team Performance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Stephens ◽  
Longzhu Dong ◽  
Ana Maria Soares
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Group Processes ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Team Creativity ◽  
The Relationship

We examine the effect of group level skills on group processes and collective outcomes in multilingual, multicultural global virtual teams. We test a moderated mediation model in which cultural intelligence (CQ) is found to moderate the relationship between average team perceived English language proficiency, team creativity, and team performance with the variables of elaboration of task information and task conflict serving as mediators in the relationship. Data was gathered from 5,852 people working in 895 teams to test the model. Results show that the average English proficiency of the team is positively associated with both team creativity and overall team performance through the mediator of elaboration of task information. CQ moderates this relationship such that teams high in average CQ are much better at elaborating task information as average team English skills increase while teams with low average CQ experience only minimal increases in task elaboration as English skills increase. The model is not significant, however, when using average levels of task conflict on the team as a mediating variable. CQ does not moderate conflict, and conflict is not significantly related to either creativity or overall team performance. We explore implications for managerial practice and directions for future research. Keywords: GVTs; CQ; English proficiency; elaboration of task-relevant information; task conflict; team creativity; team performance

scholarly journals Investigating the Relationship between English Language Proficiency and Academic Performance of Engineering Students in Mehran University Jamshoro, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bibi Sadia ◽  
Shumaila Memon ◽  
Habibullah Pathan
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
The Relationship

The present study investigated the relationship between language proficiency and academic performance of students at Mehran university Jamshoro, Sindh. The study employed quantitative correlational research design to measure the variables. The researchers adapted English language test to measure the language proficiency of the learners. And CGPA (cumulative grade point average) to measure the academic performance of the research participants. The researchers collected data from 100 undergraduate students by doing simple random sampling. The data was collected in two phases: first pilot study and then main study. The pilot study was done before the actual research to measure validity and feasibility of the adopted English language proficiency test. The cronbach alpha was used to check reliability of the data. SPSS version 26 was used to perform the Pearson correlation analysis. The findings revealed that data was reliable with alpha value. 702 and the correlation was highly positive with a value of .826 at the significance value .000. The study confirms that the language has played a pivotal role to improve academic performance of the students studying in Mehran university of science and technology.

scholarly journals Crossing the bridge to literacy in foreign languages: C-test as a measure of language development

Multilingua ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Gogolin ◽  
Birger Schnoor ◽  
Irina Usanova
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
School Students

Abstract Throughout an educational career, literacy skills become more elaborated. However, little is known about the development of reading and writing skills in foreign languages in adolescents. In this contribution, we focused on the development of language skills in the foreign languages English and French in Germany as measured by a C-Test. Hereby, we aimed to explore the potential of C-tests to provide a differentiated approach to the assessment of foreign language development in secondary school students. We draw on the data from the German panel study “Multilingual Development: a Longitudinal Perspective” (MEZ) on students’ language skills in the foreign languages English (n = 1987) and French (n = 662). We investigated the differences in the means of “classical” and “word recognition” scores in English and French C-tests and the development of these differences. The application of both scores in our study provided differentiated information on students’ receptive and productive aspects of literacy in adolescents and showed that students in secondary school are still on their way of developing spelling skills in both foreign languages. Furthermore, our results reveal that the receptive and productive components of language proficiency show different developmental patterns at various stages of foreign language learning.

scholarly journals Learner autonomy and English proficiency of Indonesian undergraduate students

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 803-818
Author(s):  
M. Melvina ◽  
J. Julia
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Political Variables ◽  
Sociocultural Variable

This research aims at investigating the relationship between learner autonomy including technical, psychological, political, and sociocultural and language proficiency of Indonesian university EFL learners. Forty second-year undergraduate students majoring in English in a public university in Indonesia participated in this research. The data were collected through a learner autonomy questionnaire and English language skills scores. The outcome of the research showed that the variables in this research model had a very good relationship. In addition, the results of hypothesis testing indicated that the technical, psychological, and political variables had a positive and significant effect on English proficiency, while the sociocultural variable did not show either a positive or a significant influence on English proficiency. The finding suggested that both teachers and students should be aware of the important roles of learner autonomy to improve English proficiency. In addition, it mandatory to equip students with learner training to become learners that were more autonomous.   Keywords: Autonomous learner, English proficiency, learner autonomy, learner training, undergraduate students, SEM-PLS. 

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