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THE CONCEPT AND STRUCTURE
OF INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE
Nasiba TEMUROVA
Student of International journalism faculty, UzSWLU
Abstract.
The topicality of the theme of Intercultural competence is seen as an
important component of a person's professional and social skills. Intercultural
competence is a system of linguistic and cultural knowledge that develops over the
course of learning a foreign language. Such didactic strategies as a linguistic-
conceptual approach to teaching a foreign language, engaging with real texts and
videos, and corrective exercises targeted at removing potential communication failures
aid in the development of intercultural competence.
Cross-cultural competency aids in the process of mutual understanding in
communication by taking cultural differences and thinking stereotypes into
consideration. Cross-cultural education aims to strengthen students' intercultural
communication skills, arouse in them a sense of belonging to a certain ethnic group, and
study the traditions and practices of representatives of another culture. It is vital to
understand the idiosyncrasies of the partner's thinking to communicate effectively
The notion of intercultural competence
Intercultural competence is the capacity to operate successfully across cultures,
to think and behave correctly, and to interact and collaborate with individuals from
diverse cultural backgrounds - whether at home or abroad. Intercultural competence is
a vital tool in today's more globalized society, where we are more likely to contact
individuals from other cultures and nations, each with their own set of values, beliefs,
and experiences.
Intercultural communication is the study of communication between cultures and
social groupings, as well as how culture influences communication. It highlights a wide
range of communication processes and difficulties that naturally arise within an
organization or social setting composed of people from various religious,
socioeconomic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. In this way, it strives to
comprehend how individuals from other nations and cultures behave, communicate, and
perceive their surroundings. Intercultural communication focuses on acknowledging
and respecting cultural differences. Rather than total absorption, the objective is a
mutual adaptation between two or more separate cultures, leading to multiculturalism.
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It encourages the development of cultural awareness and allows for empathy across
cultures. Intercultural communication refers to the ability to communicate across
cultures. People can comprehend how particular norms in adjusting to different cultures
are prevalent by knowing the ideas.
Intercultural communication is important in the social sciences, including
anthropology, cultural studies, linguistics, psychology, and communication studies.
Intercultural communication is often known as the foundation of international
commerce.
Components of Intercultural Competence
The concept of intercultural competence has been paid attention to in recent years.
Berardo described intercultural competence as “the capacity of behaving effectively
and accordingly by using intercultural sources”. In other words, it is possible to say that
intercultural competence means having the necessary skills, knowledge, attitudes, and
behavior to know both one’s her/his own culture and other cultures, behaving
accordingly. Different researchers classified intercultural competence in different
ways. According to Bennett, intercultural competence is comprised of the dimensions
of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills. The cognitive dimension of intercultural
competence includes intercultural awareness, general knowledge, and specific cultural
knowledge. The affective dimension of intercultural competence consists of an
individual’s curiosity toward other cultures, cognitive flexibility, motivation to learn,
and open-mindedness. The dimension of behavioral skill of intercultural competence
includes the ability to communicate with people from different cultures, listen to them,
problem-solve, empathize, and gather information.
Another classification of intercultural competence was made by Fantini. Fantini
divided intercultural competence into four dimensions which are intercultural
knowledge, intercultural attitude, intercultural skill, and intercultural awareness.
Different attitudes to politeness in different cultures
Being polite is helpful. It makes it easier to create a good impression on others and
develop trust connections since politeness is considered a sign of respect. But what
exactly does "politeness" simply? Your "politeness" is the same as that of others. It may
differ from one country to the next. As a result, your pleasant approach may produce
positive results in some cultures, but not in others.
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Being politeness
Power, distance, and rank are the three basic components of politeness. The
perceived dynamic between speaker and listener, such as socioeconomic status, is
referred to as power. The degree of social distance between the speaker and the hearer
is referred to as distance. Rank is the subject's cultural rating; for example, a topic may
be sensitive in one culture but not in another.
Examples of politeness in many cultures
Varied cultures have different levels of politeness. In Sweden, for example,
individuals must keep a sufficient distance from one another and do not pleasantly
contact. Similarly, in Japan, individuals tend to maintain some distance, and in the
discussion, they prefer ambiguous inquiries and responses to direct ones. Space
between individuals is very significant in Korea.
On the contrary, individuals in Brazil are not scared to touch another user’s div
and laugh a lot. Argentina is known for its intimate distances and frequent bodily
contact. They believe the individual who maintains their distance is "cold."
Because of this difference in politeness, misunderstandings might occur when
speakers or listeners are unfamiliar with the cultures of others. You may have incorrect
perceptions about people if you do not have a clear comprehension of their cultures and
do not make any attempt to comprehend the reasons for their behavior. This might be
the source of the prejudice.
Intercultural competency is a necessary skill set in today's industry. We develop
vital communication skills, efficient time management, dispute resolution, and
collaboration through learning how to connect productively with individuals from all
backgrounds, both virtually and in person.
Cultural competency is the capacity to recognize and communicate successfully
across cultural borders. I will be able to grasp my own cultural viewpoint and respond
constructively to cultural differences if I am culturally competent. There will be
significant discrepancies between people who have different cultural standards and
worldviews. Because people's life experiences are varied and complicated, cultural
competency can only go so far in comprehending intercultural communication.
Being polite is helpful. It makes it easier to create a good impression on others and
develop trust connections since politeness is considered a sign of respect. Power,
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distance, and rank are the three basic components of politeness. The perceived dynamic
between speaker and listener, such as socioeconomic status, is referred to as power.
The degree of social distance between the speaker and the hearer is referred to as
distance. Because of this difference in politeness, misunderstandings might occur when
speakers or listeners are unfamiliar with the cultures of others. You may have incorrect
perceptions about people if you do not have a clear comprehension of their cultures and
do not make any attempt to comprehend the reasons for their behavior. This might be
the source of the prejudice. We realize, through humility, that it is difficult to study all
cultures - we cannot know everything, but we may be acquainted. Understanding
cultures does not lead to mastery and uniformity. Miscommunication or
mismanagement can result from perceived skill.
References
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