Phát triển năng lực liên văn hóa trong dạy và học ngoại ngữ thời hội nhập và toàn cầu hóa

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hi nhp Tháng 11/2014 559 PHÁT TRIỂN NĂNG LỰC LIÊN VĂN HÓA TRONG DẠY VÀ HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ THỜI HỘI NHẬP VÀ TOÀN CẦU HÓA Nguyn Duy Mng Hà Trường Đại học Khoa học xã hội và Nhân văn - ĐHQG Tp. HCM Tóm t t: Ngoại ngữ được xem là công cụ giao tiếp với người nước ngoài. Tuy nhiên, năng lực ngoại ngữ phải được kết hợp với năng lực văn hóa mới có thể giúp giao tiếp hiệu quả trong thời đại hội nhập và toàn cầu hóa. Ngoài ra, năng lực ngoại ngữ cùng với năng lực liên văn hóa mới là chìa khóa thành công trong các hoạt động hợp tác và quan hệ quốc tế. Trong bối cảnh toàn cầu, người sử dụng bất kỳ ngoại ngữ nào cũng thường phải giao tiếp với nhiều người thuộc các quốc gia,dân tộc và văn hóa khác nhau cùng sử dụng ngoại ngữ như mình ngoài những người bản xứ, do con người ngày càng di chuyển nhiều, học nhiều ngoại ngữ và có nhiều quan hệ rộng rãi. Chỉ có kiến thức ngoại ngữ không thể đủ để giao tiếp hiệu quả và làm việc nhóm thành công trong các nhóm đa văn hóa. Do đó, năng lực liên văn hóa phải được tích hợp vào việc dạy và học ngoại ngữ. Bài viết phân tích bối cảnh và lý do cần phải có giáo dục đa văn hóa và đào tạo liên văn hóa cũng như gợi mở các chính sách và biện pháp lồng ghép đào tạo liên văn hóa vào dạy-học ngoại ngữ trong nhiều môn học và nhiều hoạt động dạy học khác nhau. Bài viết cũng phần nào bàn luận về thực trạng đào tạo liên văn hóa trên thế giới và ở Việt Nam. Đặc biệt là mô hình phát triển năng lực liên văn hóa với 6 giai đoạn do nhiều học giả phương tây đề xuất và các kết quả học tập dự kiến của thế kỷ XXI được phân tích làm nền tảng cho các gợi mở và đề xuất. T khóa: năng lực liên văn hóa, ngoại ngữ, toàn cầu hóa, các nhóm đa văn hóa. Abstract: Foreign languages are considered as the tools for communication with foreigners. However language competence must be combined with cultural competence for effective communication especially in the era of globalization and integration. Moreover, language competence together with intercultural competence would be the key to success in international cooperation and relations. In the global context, users of any foreign language often have to communicate with diverse people coming from different countries or different cultures in addition to the native speakers due to their frequent mobility and extensive contacts. Only the knowledge of the language cannot lead to effective communication and successful teamwork in multicultural groups. Therefore, intercultural competence must be integrated in teaching and learning of foreign languages. The paper analyzes the context and reasons for multicultural education and intercultural training as well as gives some implications for the policies or measures of integrating intercultural training in teaching and learning foreign languages in a variety of language subjects and activities. The reality of teaching and training intercultural competence in the world and in Vietnam will also be partly discussed in the paper. Especially, the model of intercultural development with 6 stages by some scholars and the learning outcomes of the 21st century will be the basis for these implications and recommendations. Key words: intercultural competence, globalization, multicultural groups, foreign languages IMPROVING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE ERA OF GLOBALIZATION AND INTEGRATION 1. Introduction One of the main tendencies in higher education in the era of globalization and integration is internationalization. A wide variety of languages have been taught and a series of exchange programs have been carried at many Vietnamese Tiu ban 4: Văn hóa trong hot đng ging dy ngoi ng thi kỳ hi nhp 560 universities recently. Students and lecturers have opportunities to have direct communication with foreigners/native speakers not only through the lessons with foreign teachers, meetings with foreign colleagues but also through international seminars, workshops, conferences, research projects, exchange activities right in the campuses of the Vietnamese universities. Moreover, ICT has become important tools that greatly support learners of foreign languages and facilitate the academic and cultural exchanges for all teachers and students with easy access to the Internet today. Upon leaving universities, graduates nowadays are expected to become global citizens who can work well with foreign partners and confidently participate in international projects, conferences, activities of all fields and all kinds for further development. As a result, they can make more effective contributions to the modernization process of the country and to the sustainable development of the world peace with mutual understanding and cultural tolerance. Some graduates may go abroad for further study or job practice, and with the socio-cultural competence, they can avoid culture shock more easily and integrate more quickly. In communication with any foreigners, not only do they have to think of the language but they must also be aware of the cultural elements, since the same language can be used by people of different nationalities/ethnic groups in different communication contexts for different purposes. Misunderstanding could be caused by both language barriers and cultural differences. Therefore, intercultural competence has become indispensable and increasingly important in teaching and learning foreign languages. Moreover, students and teachers are not only required to know the native speakers’ culture and society but they are also motivated to learn about other cultures and societies of various users of the language they learn, in accordance with one of the UNESCO’s educational aims “learn to live together”. This can be acquired through self-study and lifelong learning. 2. Intercultural competence 2.1. Characteristics of intercultural competence Intercultural competence refers to behaving and communicating effectively and appropriately in cross-cultural situations to achieve one’ goals to some degree (Deardorff 2006). Three key themes suggest that intercultural competence: • Requires a combination of specific knowledge, skills and attitudes that lead to successful interactions; • Is developmental in nature (Bennett, 1998), which means individuals and organizations may progress from a more ethnocentric worldview toward a more global mind-set; • Requires a process of learning that includes actual experience, reflection, conceptualization and experimentation (Kolb, 1984). It is a lifelong process of learning and self-reflection to develop cultural competence step by step. Therefore, we must pay attention to all the three aspects of knowledge, skills and attitude when we try to improve our intercultural competence and help our students improve their intercultural competence, among which attitudes are at the foundation of intercultural competence development as the starting point. We must be aware of the importance of this competence in the globalization era with various cross-cultural interactions and should be willing to learn about other cultures with openness and respect. As the development of this competence is a lifelong process, by building students’ cultural competence, we also help students develop their lifelong learning awareness and skills, which is one of the most important learning outcomes today. In addition, among various learning methods and techniques or theories including constructivism, reflective learning should be taken into serious consideration. This kind of learning helps students build the habit of reflecting on what they have learned and making appropriate associations to create their own knowledge. As a Chi
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hi nhp Tháng 11/2014 561 result, students can improve active and creative learning with critical thinking. By building intercultural competence, students can get further advantages in learning skills, which they can apply in learning any other subjects as well as develop their soft skills because the learning outcomes usually include cognitive, affective and behavioral ones. 2.2. Stages of intercultural competence development Being inter-culturally competent helps people improve communication across cultural boundaries and leads to their experience of Ethno- relativism. As a result, they can avoid ethno- centrism or sometimes the contrary feeling of inferiority complex. M. Bennett (1986, 1993) suggested the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) with 6 stages: Denial of cultural difference, followed by the Defense against cultural difference, the Minimization of the cultural difference is the transition, leading to ethno-relative Acceptance of cultural difference, at the heart of ethno-relativism is Adaptation to cultural difference, followed in some cases by the Integration of cultural difference into identity, as in the figure below: Denial Defense Minimization Acceptance Adaptation Integration The more relative world views are ways of seeking cultural differences, either by accepting its importance, by adapting perspective to take it into account, or by integrating the whole concept in the definition of identity. In the multicultural society like the US, the more ethno-relative world views have been introduced for several decades to avoid negative reactions to immigrants and non-dominant groups. In our globalization era, failure to recognize cultural differences or stereotyping would lead to failure in cooperation/communication with people from other groups. The experience of similarities would help us see some cultural elements as universal and willing to share the same values with others. We need to develop cultural self- awareness in contrast to other cultures before we move into much detail about the other cultures. At the Acceptance and Adaptation Stages, people construct self-reflexive perspective, experience others as different from themselves but equally human. One’s world view is expanded to include relevant constructs from other cultural world views, they can express alternative cultural experience, adapt their behavior to one another, become eager to experience other cultures, learn to act appropriately in the cultural contexts but do not lose their primary cultural identity. Adaptation is the goal of intercultural training for the acquisition of culturally appropriate behaviors. Integration of cultural difference is the state in which one's experience of self is expanded to include the movement in and out of different cultural world views. Training for the development of intercultural competence is of great importance for exchange students and teachers, to deal with cultural diversity today. 2.3. Tools and framework for building cultural competence Many scholars and educators have tried to develop some models, tools and framework with various kinds of activities for developing intercultural competence such as Darla K. Deardorff, Kate Berardo, M. Bennett, Emma Bourassa, Stephanie Pollack, Kyoung-Ah Nam, Jacqueline Wasilewski Some of the main framework and tools can be summarized as follows: The Intercultural Competence Model of Darla K. Deardorff can be used by trainers in designing their training curriculum and by participants in mapping their own intercultural competence development with the 5 components: (1) Attitudes (respect, openness, curiosity and discovery); (2) EHNO-CENTRISM EHNO-RELATIVISM Tiu ban 4: Văn hóa trong hot đng ging dy ngoi ng thi kỳ hi nhp 562 Knowledge (cultural self-awareness, cultural- specific knowledge, deep cultural knowledge including understanding other worldviews/perspectives); (3) Skills (observation, listening, evaluating, analyzing, interpreting and relating); (4) Internal outcomes (flexibility, adaptability, an ethno-relative perspective, and empathy) and (5) External outcomes (effective and appropriate behavior and communication in intercultural situations). The Framework of Describe – Analyze – Evaluate (DAE) by Kyoung-Ah Nam, the Tool of Observe – State – Explore – Evaluate (OSEE) by K. Deardorff (2000, 2008) and Four key components of transition planning by Kate Berardo are similar that in that they provide a practical process for moving beyond assumptions. DAE process is simpler with 3 levels: (1) Describe: what I see, (2) Analyze: what helps explain what I see and (3) Evaluate: what I feel about what I see. OSEE process include: O – observe and listen to what is happening, S – state objectively what is happening, E – explore different explanations for what is happening, E – evaluate which explanations is the most likely one(s). Four key components of transition planning include recognize the WHAT, understand the WHY, personalize the HOW and apply the WHAT NOW. The 5Rs (Routines, Reactions, Roles, Relationships and Reflections about Yourself) of cultural change by Kate Berardo looks at five key changes we face when we move across cultures. It helps people understand why it is normal to experience ups and downs when moving across cultures and why stress is a part of the transition process. Kate Berardo also suggests another framework of SCORE communication principles as guidelines for communicating effectively and appropriately across cultures. It is an easy to remember checklist for communicating in global settings and can be used to minimize miscommunications. SCORE includes: S – simply and specify, C – clarify and confirm, O – Organize and Outline, R – rephrase and reframe; E – explain with examples. To resolve differences, there are tools of a higher level. A 360 Degree View on cultural dilemmas by Kate Berardo helps people solve complex intercultural challenges in a structured, holistic way and provides a clear process, set of questions to reach more effective and appropriate solutions. One is required to look BETWEEN, look WITHIN, look BEHIND, look AROUND and look TO OTHERS to ask themselves questions related to cultures, values, motivations, surrounding systems and key stakeholders to see the influencing factors. The Multicultural Compass model by Jacqueline Wasilewski is a tool for navigating multicultural space, helps people decide how to behave when they have to choose between culturally marked behaviors, on the basis of 4 guidelines (Goals, Context, Choice and Continuation). The Multicultural Compass identifies 6 kinds of choices, options or directions we can move in when we are faced with having to choose how to behave: Maintaining, Converting, Adding, Subtracting, Mixing and Creating. 3. Integrating intercultural competence training in teaching & learning foreign languages In Vietnam, we have not developed many intercultural training activities so far. Some courses related to cross-cultural communication have been introduced in some educational programs at some universities recently, especially in the program of international relations and other cultural programs. However, in the context of teaching and learning foreign languages in Vietnamese universities, if we cannot develop extra courses or training programs for building intercultural competence using the tools and frameworks mentioned above although we still design this learning outcome in the curricula, we can integrate the intercultural competence training in some courses. Below are some suggestions or implications for the application of intercultural Chi
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hi nhp Tháng 11/2014 563 competence models/frameworks in teaching foreign languages. 3.1. Developing intercultural competence in teaching foreign language skills In all foreign language courses, the four language receptive and productive skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing are usually taught separately or in an integrative approach. Teachers and learners have to deal with the cultural elements frequently in addition to the language components. Lead-in/warm-up activities in teaching listening and reading comprehension such as brainstorming or giving guided questions to help students predict what they are going to hear and see in the authentic conversation or texts in the foreign contexts by reflecting on their personal background and experience can be used. Students may predict things in their own views or perspectives and later have a chance to discover different perspectives in the real texts they read or hear. In the follow-up activities, role-plays in which students can create similar role-plays in the Vietnamese context and with simulated partners from different cultural backgrounds or follow-up discussions/debates, short essay writing which may require students to explain the differences in perspectives/viewpoints, to express personal feelings, opinions about the texts, By using these, we can integrate the four skills in the lessons more creatively. Sometimes, we can apply some small games or quizzes in helping students discover similar or different cultural aspects such as some vocabulary games. In teaching speaking and writing, students could be encouraged to tell or write about their experience in facing with the challenges in the intercultural interactions or encounters such as when they travelled abroad, talked to the foreign tourists or made friends with foreign students through the Internet, They can develop cultural sensitivity and encourage other students to learn more about other cultures when they have opportunities to share these experiences with their classmates and teachers. However, teachers of foreign languages must be culturally competent themselves. 3.2. Developing intercultural competence in teaching foreign culture and literature The courses in culture and literature of foreign countries provide teachers with good opportunities to build students’ multicultural knowledge and intercultural competence. Students of foreign languages have to discover the similarities and differences between the culture of the foreign country they are learning and their own culture when they learn about the culture and society of that country with various aspects including visible things such as food, drinks, clothing, housing, traditions, customs, architecture and the invisible or abstract things such as values, beliefs, morals, ideals, lifestyles,with the illustrations from clips, films, pictures, photos and other media. Especially, students should be equipped with the knowledge of etiquette, rules of behaviors which are considered correct or polite in the foreign perspective, so that they know how to behave properly in that cultural context, how to apply “when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do” in a comfortable way. A series of activities can be applied with these topics such as quizzes, group discussions, role-plays, project work, group presentations This will facilitate students’ process of improving communication skill, comparative skills, critical thinking, evaluative skill and other high-order thinking skills. Literary works help students discover universal common values or different values/perspectives of the foreign authors and be able to explain the differences basing on the socio-cultural, historical contexts of the relevant countries. Students should be r