ABSTRACTS

• Natasa Bakic-Miric, Re-imaging Understanding of Intercultural Communication, Culture and Culturing
  
• Ali S. Hasan and Volker Raddatz Analysis of EFL elementary textbooks in Syria and Germany: cognitive, affective and procedural aspects in their inter-cultural context
  
• Aladdin Al-Kharabsheh, Unintentional Humour in the Translation of Jordanian Shop Signs
  
• Martina Maletzky, Expatriate Power – a counteractive factor of intercultural Learning?
  
• Claude-Hélène Mayer, Identity and health in transcultural mediation:The Model of Culture-Synergetic Transcultural Mediation and its Impacts
  
• Halvor Nordby, Values, Cultural Identity and Communication: A Perspective From Philosophy of Language
  
• Gabriele Pallotti & Cecilia Varcasia, Service telephone call openings: a comparative study on five European languages
  

Natasa Bakic-Miric

Abstract

The paper examines intercultural communication as the management of messages across cultures. Our understanding of culture, culturing and intercultural communication enlarges our understanding of what being human means and, moreover, expands moral action by locating our humanity within a constantly changing world. This emergent quantum understanding brings a closer look on intercultural theory and the phenomenon of culturing, thus, broadening human understanding of intercultural communication.

Key words: intercultural communication, culture, culturing, quantum, intercultural theory

Abstract

This study attempts to explore and compare the cognitive, affective and procedural aspects of EFL elementary textbooks in Syria and Germany. It analyses a corpus which consists of three Syrian elementary textbooks, Starters I-III, and their German counterparts, Kooky I-II. Based on the paradigmatic change from instructivism to constructivism, a descriptive-analytical approach is used to examine the content-material in terms of teacher- vs. pupil orientation, product- vs. process orientation, virtuality vs. authenticity, cognitive learning vs. learning by doing which represent the essential parameters of learner autonomy. Results indicate that the Syrian material focuses on the cognitive element of language learning without ignoring affective and procedural factors, whereas the German material tends to put special emphasis on affectivity and process-orientation. Culturally, the Syrian textbooks confine their view to the domestic background before opening up to British culture in book III, whereas the German textbooks are keen to introduce the British dimension right from the start. For the Syrian material, the study suggests the inclusion of pronunciation exercises and a stronger consideration of learner autonomy. For the German material, close attention should be paid to a well-balanced relationship between the three parameters mentioned above.

Keywords intercultural communication, culture, culturing, quantum, intercultural theory

Abstract

This paper examines unintentional humour, as a non-bona-fide instance of communication, in the translation of shop signs in the Jordanian public commercial environment. It shows that unintentional humour not only permeates a shop sign's translated version, but is also indissolubly linked to its lingua-cultural and social context. Closer scrutiny reveals that unintentional humour, just like intentional humour, essentially emerges from script opposition and script overlap (Raskin, 1985), where the communicator unconsciously infringes one or more of the Maxims of Conversation (Grice, 1975). The analysis also indicates that, in interlingual communication, unintentional humour hinges upon the interaction between the mediated script and the receiver, apart from the producer; particularly, upon the output of the communicator's interlingual translation competence, which is extricably bound to be conducive of humour-inducing potential.

Keywords: unintentional humour; script opposition; infringing a maxim; translation competence; interlingual/intercultural communication

Abstract

Due to the advancement of globalization, overseas assignments are becoming increasingly necessary for the coordination of international subsidiaries or to guarantee the transfer of knowledge, among other things. However many of these assignments are unsuccessful in that either the business expatriates return earlier as planned or they do not perform as well as expected. Multiple reasons for the failure of such assignments have been identified, most of which are related to the ability of an individual to adapt to the host culture and culture learning. In this article it will be argued that power may affect the quality and nature of an expatriate's culture learning and thus may undermine the chance to adapt adequately. The article presents first results of a case study regarding German expatriates of five organizations in Mexico. The data displays evidence that power may restrict sanctions of host country nationals (HCNs) of an expatriate’s culturally inappropriate behaviour. This tendency appears to be reinforced by the high value placed on power distance and an emphasis on hierarchical structures within an organization.

Keywords: overseas assignment, cultural learning, power

Abstract

Over the past decades, interest in the field of conflict research has developed worldwide. A broad range of literature evaluates conflicts as stressors with negative health effects. Particularly in transcultural situations conflict parties experience stress due to the lack of transcultural understanding, differences in value-orientations and culture-specific attitude and behaviour. This article introduces the model of "Culture-Synergetic Transcultural Mediation" (CSTM), which is based on transformative mediation philosophy and promotes culture-synergetic processes in conflict situations. These processes aim at transforming personal, relationship-based, structural and cultural identities. They particularly integrate the concept of identity and salutogenesis as important aspects in conflict transformation. The article presents the dynamic interrelationship of CSTM, transcultural identities and salutogenetic aspects in transcultural conflict situations.

Keywords: transcultural mediation, conflict management, identity, sense of coherence, health, transcultural health improvement

Abstract

Problems of communication in intercultural dialogue typically arise when the communicators understand concepts of meaning and identity in strikingly different ways. This article employs influential assumptions in modern philosophy of language to discuss fundamental aspects of these problems. Drawing on a distinction between beliefs and values, it is argued that intercultural communication typically fails when communicators have different values and do not acknowledge that culturally shaped values are different from beliefs and thoughts. Within a hermeneutical approach to understanding, it is explained how an understanding of the nature of values can help secure successful intercultural communication. Cases of cultural conflict are used to clarify this and other practical implications of the philosophical analyses that are developed.

Keywords: intercultural communication, meaning, beliefs, values, Wittgenstein.

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a comparative study on how speakers of different languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish) manage the opening of service phone calls. Previous research has focussed on cross-cultural variability in telephone conversations, but this is the first attempt to systematically compare several European languages at the same time. The communicative strategies speakers use in each language are analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, allowing a systematic comparison across cultures and languages and the observation of intra-cultural variability. Comparative analysis is based on five fundamental moves that may be performed in a telephone call opening: summons-answer, identification, greetings, how-are-you’s, getting-down-to-business. Implications are drawn for cross-cultural research on interaction and for training staff working in multi-lingual and multi-cultural settings.

Keywords: telephone calls, conversation analysis, cross-cultural pragmatics, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish.