Applying authentic materials for developing intercultural
communicative competence in teaching
Gulimxan Xo’jamuratova
University of Tashkent for Applied Sciences, Gavhar Str. 1, Tashkent 100149, Uzbekistan
(saparbayevnagulimkhan@gmail.com )
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10443862
Key words:
self-consciousness, integration, socio-cultural milieu, consciousness, cognitive demands, legitimacy, interlocutor,
phenomenon, prospective, prejudices.
Abstract:
This article discusses how to use authentic materials to improve intercultural communication skills. In recent years, there
has been a growing interest in the cultural aspect of foreign language training, and teachers are increasingly expected to help their
students to achieve intercultural competency. Furthermore, using actual resources into teaching culture is a powerful motivator, as
it allows students to recognize that there is a community of users who speak the other languages.
1
.
INTRODUCTION
In today’s society, a graduate of a linguistic
university is held to very high standards. It must be an
expert in intercultural communication in addition to
having a good command of a foreign language. It is clear
that language and culture are inextricably linked.
“Language is a mirror of culture, it reflects not only the
real world that surrounds a person, not only the real
conditions of his life, but also the public self-
consciousness of the people, his mentality, national
character, lifestyle, traditions, customs, morality,
system values, attitude, and world vision.” [
1]
One of the most pressing issues in foreign language
instruction today is the need for a more in-depth
understanding of the world of native speakers. In recent
decades, the European paradigm of teaching foreign
languages has emphasized intercultural competency as
a learning goal. Language is intended to be considered
both an object of study and a means of learning,
according to existing theories. The study of a foreign
language does not mean the separation of linguistic
characteristics and types of speech activity, but rather
their integration - learning everything at the same time
while immersed in the cultural context. [
2
]
In domestic linguo-didactics studies, similar
approaches to setting goals and changing the content of
teaching a foreign language are also offered. Every
step of the way, foreign language teachers are
confronted with the socio-cultural milieu and linguo-
culturological issues. "Each foreign language lesson is
a crossroads of cultures, a practice of intercultural
dialogue, because every foreign word reflects a foreign
world and a foreign culture: behind each word is a
national consciousness (again, foreign) idea of the
world".
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
A student of foreign languages needs certain basic
information in order to communicate effectively with
native speakers. It's hard to master a language as a
medium of communication without first comprehend-
ding the mindsets of the people you’ll be interacting
with. It is vital to have a basic understanding of the
history, state, social and economic structure, and
customs and traditions of the country where the
language is being studied. As a result, in order to equip
students with the essential background information,
language study and instruction should be handled in
such a way that they become acquainted with the culture
of the nation in which the language is studied at the same
time. Background knowledge and the capacity to apply
it effectively will be indicators of the development of
intercultural communication competence. Only a few of
the skills and talents that make up intercultural
competence are included here. These include:
- a positive attitude toward another culture and its
bearers;
- the ability to correctly interpret a partner’s language
behavior;
- the ability to initiate and maintain intercultural
dialogue;
- the ability to see similarities and differences between
communicating cultures and apply them in the context
of intercultural communication;
- the ability to put oneself in the shoes of an interlocutor
- a representative of another culture;
- the ability to put oneself in the shoes of a partner;
- the ability to put oneself in the shoes of an interlocutor
- a representative of another culture;
- the ability to avoid or resolve intercultural conflicts
and contradictions, rejection of prejudices and
stereotypes;
- the ability to operate with various verbal and nonverbal
means to achieve mutual understanding between
cultures;
- the ability to consciously vary the choice of speech
operations depending on the goals and situation of
communication.
Intercultural competence, on the other hand, is only
one component of a larger set of skills that a person
learning a foreign language employs in communicative
activity. Competencies are traditionally separated into
two categories: general and communicative. Without a
doubt, the primary goal of a teacher in a practical foreign
language course is to help pupils develop their own
language skills. However, the training must include the
linguistic and cultural aspects of the instruction. One of
the requirements is that the textbook use modern
language material. The textbook’s topic should be
relevant to current issues in society.
It has been traditionally supposed that the language
presented to learners should be simplified in some way
for easy access and acquisition. Nowadays there are
recommendations that the language presented should be
authentic” [3]. Students’ curiosity is piqued by appeals
to modernity, which leads to an increase in another
educational component required for motivation is the
truthfulness of textbooks. Authentic texts have the
advantage of representing actual language material,
illustrating how the language functions in the form used
by native speakers and in a natural social setting. As a
result, authentic texts are the finest way to teach the
culture of the target language's country. Because it is not
always possible to utilize actual texts in guides for
beginners learning a foreign language, specifically
prepared or adapted texts prevail at the beginning of the
learning process.
However, it is advisable to use the
original language material in textbooks for university
students who continue to study a foreign language
beyond high school. The English-language press could
be a source of such information. It’s worth noting that
newspaper and magazine articles offer a wealth of
chances for analyzing contemporary sociocultural data.
Students' cognitive demands should be met by texts that
engage their cognitive curiosity, provide new
knowledge on an existing problem, and provide creative
ideas and non-traditional techniques to covering the
topic.
The authenticity of the texts’ structure and content,
as well as their stylistic diversity, boosts students'
enthusiasm and offers the best circumstances for
effective immersion in the linguistic environment
during English practical sessions. The study of such
works allows one to delve into a foreign country culture
and grasp native speakers' ordinary lexicon. Authentic
texts provide the most communicative and meaningful
vocabulary units to a foreign language learner. At the
same time, the assimilation of terms with the advanced
national-cultural component is taking place. Teaching a
foreign language necessitates the development of not
just linguistic, but also sociolinguistic and pragmatic
skills.
This includes things like politeness standards,
proverbs, and popular idioms, as well as the ability to
expand and generalize information gleaned from a
variety of written and audio texts. In oral
communication, the ability to extract the essential
information is established, as is the ability to apply it in
varied forms, volumes, and situations.
Students must be
able to master the principles for creating statements and
utilize them to execute a variety of communicative
duties, including expressing their own opinions,
persuading, debating, proving, and explaining.
The following are some examples of tasks:
1. Demonstrate or reject the legitimacy of the article's
author's opinion;
2. Express your own thoughts on the topic;
3. Examine the facts in the text and draw your own
conclusions;
4. Define this phenomenon in your own words.
As recent research in the field of foreign language
teaching methods have revealed, studying a foreign
language and developing a foreign culture is impossible
without referring to one's own language and culture. It
is necessary to compare and contrast cultural and
national values and customs. It is insufficient for a
teacher to confine himself to correcting grammatical and
phonetic problems in order to build students'
communication abilities.
You should also attract
students' attention to the national characteristics of
English-speaking cultures, and encourage them to
comprehend why people who speak a different language
speak, act, and react the way they do. Students must
know and respect the interlocutor's cultural traditions in
order to speak effectively and create mutual
understanding, without compromising their own
identity.
CONCLUSION
To summarize, authentic materials, without a doubt,
are a rich supply of cultural material. Teachers should
not be scared to use authentic materials because they are
a lot of fun to work with, as well as motivating and
instructional. Authentic materials must be carefully
picked and prepared, but they are well worth the effort.
Finally, in the relaxed atmosphere of the language
classroom, learners should openly debate and compare
the selected cultural elements to their own culture.
Learners who are exposed to authentic materials on a
regular basis may get more familiar with them and may
be able to avoid cultural shock while visiting the culture
in issue in the future. It is necessary to draw students'
attention to the differences and similarities of culture in
all types of work, while emphasizing that neither our
culture nor the culture of English speakers is “better” or
“worse,” but rather distinct, and we must take this into
account in order to communicate effectively and achieve
mutual understanding.
As a result, foreign language
teachers must comprehend what is behind the new skills
and methods that their students must learn in order to
achieve
intercultural
comprehension.
Language
teachers will be better equipped to integrate cultural
practices into their instruction if they become more
aware and skilled about the subject.
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Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 97-118, 1993.
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Widdowson H.G., Aspects of Language Teaching Oxford,
O.U.P. p. 67, 1990.
4. Baker W., From Cultural Awareness to Intercultural
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