Articles
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Fables and ICT: Intercultural Communication and E-Language Teaching.
Abstract: This paper presents an experimental workshop held as part of an annual university teacher training course directed at Italian teachers involved in teaching Italian as a second language in multicultural classes mainly from primary and secondary schools. Its objective is to train teachers in an intercultural methodology through the use of fables and fairy tales as they have been proven to be an educational tool with a great intercultural power... [...] Read more
The Discourse of Philanthropy in Italy and The United States: A Case Study of Interparadigmatic Translation.
Abstract: This paper discusses translation of texts about nonprofit organizations from English into Italian as a case study of intercultural communication. Firstly, we note the importance of adaptation as a valuable strategy for translation of nonprofit texts from English into Italian. Secondly, we describe the intercultural difference between the nonprofit sector in Italy and the United States in terms of paradigms, following Kuhn’s theory of... [...] Read more
Speaking to Domestics in Lebanon: Power Issues or Misguided Communication?
Abstract: The Lebanese use a combination of Arabic and English telegraphic speech, along with gestures and other forms of speech adjustments to address their domestics. This pattern of inadequate speech is based on the misconception that domestics understand exactly the same way they speak. Using interviews, questionnaires, and participant observations, the researchers identified some of the underlying issues, power and trust, related to this form of... [...] Read more
Cultural Marginality: Exploration of Self-Esteem and Cross Cultural Adaptation of the Marginalized Individual: An investigation of the second generation Hare Krishnas .
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the cross-cultural adaptation of a sample of adults raised in the Hare Krishna culture. Fifteen second generation ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) adults were asked to describe their family, peer, and social interactions and the perceived impact on their cross-cultural adaptation. An analysis of participant responses generated the following fifteen themes: (1) age and context of... [...] Read more
An Exploratory Study of “Fairness” in Educational Settings —American and Japanese University Students—.
Abstract: This paper deals with differences and similarities in the perception of "fairness" in e ducational settings between American and Japanese university students. First, data was collected through open-ended questionnaires and interviews as to the words and actions of Native English-Speaking (NES) teachers that Japanese students regarded as unfair, and those of Japanese students that American teachers found to be unfair. Based on the responses, a... [...] Read more
Rules and regulations: is culture-learning like language -acquisition?
Abstract: The article attempts to tease apart Regulative, Constitutive, Prescriptive and Descriptive Rules, and pinpoints their respective role in First and Second Language Acquisition as well as in Culture Learning. It is proposed that the proportion of Regulative Rules is generally under-estimated, while the incidence of Constitutive Rules tends to be over-estimated. The paper puts forward the Rule Category Substitution Fallacy, a hypothesis... [...] Read more