- •Методический комментарий
- •Introduction
- •1. Write or say the word you think of first to go with each of the words below. Possible answers are given on the right.
- •2. Now, play the game the other way round. Write or say the nationality you associate with the things listed below.
- •Exercise 3. Where are they?
- •In which cities are the following landmarks?
- •He/she comes from… He/she is… He/she speaks…
- •1.1 National characters
- •Text 1*
- •III. Comprehension check
- •V. Writing
- •Text 2 notes on the british*
- •In the following extract Bill Bryson, an American writer, makes observations of the British people.
- •IV. Language focus
- •1. Match the word with its definition.
- •2. Pick out the words from the text describing the American and the British ways of life.
- •Italian neighbours*
- •II. Skim Extract 1 with Tim’s interview about his living in Italy and find answers to the questions:
- •Extract 2
- •Baby? I'd rather have a mobile phone
- •VIII. Writing
- •Text 4 westerners and the japanese
- •II. Read the first part of the text about Leadership and decide which of the following statements accurately reflect John Mole’s comments.
- •Leadership
- •Attitudes and Behaviour
- •IV. Language focus
- •1. Find English equivalents to:
- •2. Translate the following sentences into English.
- •V. Speaking
- •Text 5 the amish
- •II. Read the article carefully and do the tasks that follow.
- •III. Comprehension check
- •V. Writing
- •Vocabulary box
- •Achievement test 1 national characters
- •Information check (orally)
- •Vocabulary check (in writing)
- •1. Match the two columns.
- •2. Match the definitions below with the words from the box.
- •3. Translate the sentences into English.
- •1.2 Communicating interculturally
- •Importance of intercultural communication*
- •II. Read the text and find information on the following points.
- •IV. Speaking
- •V. Writing
- •Text 2 main concepts of intercultural communication*
- •Culture
- •Subculture
- •Culture Shock
- •Ethnocentric reactions
- •IV. Writing
- •Text 3 understanding culture*
- •II. Read the following text and check if your predictions were right.
- •Text 4 activity orientation
- •Text 5 time orientation
- •Text 6 predictions of communication problems*
- •In what way can we predict communication problems with people from foreign countries?
- •II. Read the text and check whether your predictions were right.
- •1. Control Issues
- •2. Intrapersonal Factors
- •3. Biological Factors
- •4. Interpersonal Factors
- •5. Space and Time Factors
- •6. Geopolitical Factors
- •IV. Language focus
- •V. Speaking
- •VI. Writing
- •Text 7 recognizing cultural differences
- •II. Read the following text and write down the main cultural factors to fill in the table below the text.
- •IV. Writing
- •Text 8 dealing with language barriers
- •Barriers to written communication
- •Barriers to oral communication
- •IV. Language focus
- •1. Fill in the gaps with the prepositions where necessary.
- •2. Find synonyms to the following words in the chart below and learn them.
- •V. Speaking
- •Text 9 suggestions for the cross-cultural sojourner*
- •1. Learn the Rules of the New Culture.
- •2. Assume Responsibility
- •3. Observe Carefully
- •4. Tolerate Differences
- •5. Develop Flexibility
- •IV. Speaking
- •V. Writing
- •Acting out
- •1. Role-play the conversation.
- •2. Role-play the conversation in a travel-bureau.
- •Project writing
- •Social Customs
- •Vocabulary box
- •Achievement test 2 communicating interculturally
- •Information check (orally)
- •Vocabulary check (in writing)
- •1. Define the meaning of the following words in English.
- •2. Match the two columns.
- •3. Translate the sentences into English.
- •1.3 English as a global language
- •Text 1 ways of learning*
- •Starter activities
- •How do you like to learn languages? Look at these extracts from advertisements for methods of learning languages. Choose the methods you would like. Explain and discuss your answers.
- •People learn languages in different ways. Here are some descriptions and explanations of different kinds of language learners. Match the descriptions (1-6) to the explanations (a-f).
- •The table below lists the ways of learning. Complete the column about “you” and discuss your answers.
- •Discussion
- •Text 2 why don’t we all speak the same language?
- •How Did the English Language Begin?
- •III. Comprehension check
- •Text 3 the english language*
- •The english language
- •The english language in north america
- •1. Say whether each of the following sentences is true or false. Correct the false sentences to make them true.
- •2. Give examples of different borrowings in the English language.
- •V. Speaking
- •Text 4 british and american english*
- •The main differences of American English in pronunciation are:
- •1) The pronunciation of r in all positions, e.G. Part, first, corner;
- •VI. Writing
- •Text 5 english as a world language*
- •In the countries listed in the table, English is used either as a first language or as a second. Identify the 7 countries in which it is used as a first language.
- •II. Read the text carefully the spread of english
- •Basic characteristics
- •III. Comprehension check
- •IV. Speaking
- •Text 6 a global language*
- •II. Read the text and check your guesses.
- •V. Writing
- •Imperial english*
- •In this article below Professor Anne Eisenberg writes about the importance of English in the scientific world. For which jobs or subjects is it important to know English in your country?
- •II. Reading
- •1. The statements below express the main idea of each of paragraph. Read the article and match the statements to the paragraphs.
- •2. Decide which sentences in each paragraph express the main ideas.
- •97 % Населения мира предпочитают английский язык для международного общения
- •Text 8 the language of business
- •II. Read the text and write questions for these answers.
- •Look at the expressions in the box using rule. Use your dictionary to check the meanings of any of the expressions that you don’t know.
- •Complete these sentences using the expressions from the box in Exercise 1. Change the verb tense if necessary.
- •Do You Speak Japanese?
- •Project writing
- •Essay writing
- •Vocabulary box
- •Acievement test 3 english as a global language
- •Information check (orally)
- •Vocabulary check (in writing)
- •1. Define the meaning of the following words in English.
- •2. Give synonyms to:
- •3. Match the professional areas with language needs.
- •3. Complete each sentence with the words from the box.
- •For reading, discussing and reporting
- •Text 2 the japanese sense of beauty
- •Text 3 you have to catch them young…
- •Text 4 when the locals are friendly Free accommodation with plenty of surprises ... Servas is a cheap - and enlightening - way to see the world, says Patricia Cleveland-Peck
- •Text 5 must one be so polite that it hurt?
- •Text 6 should americans be required to learn another language?
- •Discussion
- •Text 7 tips for communicating with people from other cultures
- •Text 8 developing intercultural competence
- •1. Privacy and its implications
- •2. "So much for complaining"
- •3. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"
- •4. Meals
- •5. Attitude to time
- •6. Academic life
- •7. Facial expressions
- •8. Gestures
- •9. Clothes
- •10. Topics for small talk
- •11. Politeness Strategies
- •Text 9 the image of russia in western travel guides
Ethnocentric reactions
Although language and cultural differences are significant barriers to communication, these problems can be resolved if people maintain an open mind. Unfortunately, many of us have an ethnocentric reaction to people from other countries – that is, we judge all other groups according to our own standards.
When we react ethnocentrically, we ignore the distinctions between our own culture and another person’s culture. We assume that others will react the same way we do, that they will operate from the same assumptions, and that they will use language and symbols the same way we do. An ethnocentric reaction makes us lose sight of the possibility that our words and actions will be misunderstood, and it makes us more likely to misunderstand the behaviour of others.
Generally, ethnocentric people are prone to stereotyping and prejudice. They generalize about an entire group of people on the basis of sketchy evidence and then develop biased attitudes towards the group. As a consequence, they fail to see people as they really are. Instead of talking to Abdul Karhum, unique human being, they talk to an Arab. Although they have never met an Arab before, they may already believe that all Arabs are, say, hagglers. The personal qualities of Abdul Karhum become insignificant in the face of such preconceptions. Everything he says or does will be forced to fit the preconceived image. [6, pp. 415-417]
III. Post-reading tasks
Answer the following questions.
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Which of the definitions of culture do you find the most appropriate? Explain your choice.
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In the text there are different definitions of “a big culture”, but can you guess the definition of “a small culture”?
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Can you give some examples of various subcultures? What subculture do you belong to?
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Is it possible to be out of culture?
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What is culture shock and what distinct features does it have?
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Have you ever experienced culture stress when coming to a foreign country? How did you try to cope with it? Comment on the one of the phenomena contributing to culture stress.
-
Have you ever suffered from a biased reaction? What is the way to overcome stereotyping and generalizations?
IV. Writing
Think of some other notions connected with intercultural communication. Write out their definitions from any English dictionary.
Text 3 understanding culture*
(Intermediate – upper-intermediate)
I. Pre-reading task
Look up the meaning of the following words.
ethnic group affect (v)
religious group hostile (adj)
sorority (n) disparate (adj)
fraternity (n) homogeneous (adj)
aloofness (n) aloof (adj)
Before reading try to answer the questions.
-
What is culture for you?
-
Can you think of some features characterizing different cultures?
II. Read the following text and check if your predictions were right.
You may not realize it, but you belong to several cultures. The most obvious is the culture you share with all other people who live in this country. But you also belong to other cultural groups, such as an ethnic group, a religious group, a fraternity or sorority, or perhaps a profession that has its own special language and customs. Thus all members of a culture have similar assumptions about how people should think, behave, and communicate, and they tend to act on those assumptions. Distinct groups that exist within a major culture are more properly referred to as subcultures. Among groups that might be considered subcultures are Mexican-Americans in East Los Angeles, Mormons in Salt Lake City, dock workers, wrestling fans, Russian immigrants, and Harvard M.B.A.s.
Cultures and subcultures vary in several ways that affect intercultural communication:
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Stability. Conditions in the culture may be stable or may be changing slowly or rapidly.
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Complexity. Cultures vary in the accessibility of information. In the United States and Canada, information is contained in explicit codes, including words; whereas in Japan, a great deal of information is conveyed implicitly, through body language, physical context, and the like.
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Composition. Some cultures are made up of many diverse and disparate subcultures, others tend to be more homogeneous.
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Acceptance. Cultures vary in their attitudes towards outsiders. Some are openly hostile or maintain a detached aloofness. Others are friendly and cooperative towards strangers.
As you see, cultures vary widely. It’s no wonder that most of us need special training before we can become comfortable with a culture other than our own. [3, 562]
III. Post-reading tasks
1. Answer the questions.
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What is the main difference between culture and subculture?
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What subculture do you belong to?
-
What are the main features describing different cultures?
2. State the difference between the following notions.
– ethnic group and religious group
– fraternity and sorority
3.Find in the text antonyms to the following words in the box.
Stable static explicitly disparate friendly openness, friendliness |
IV. Speaking
How would you describe Belarusian culture in terms of the above-mentioned characteristics?
V. Writing
Complete the following table.
Characteristics |
Belarusian culture |
British culture |
1. 2. 3. 4. |
|
|