scholarly journals Preparing students for the global workforce: Chinese and non-Chinese working professionals on key employability skills

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Work Settings ◽  
Global Workforce ◽  
Conversational Competence

In this study, 79 Chinese and non-Chinese working professionals responded to an employability-skills survey. They were asked to identify key language and intercultural proficiencies that would allow non-Chinese professionals to work more effectively with Chinese colleagues and clients. All participants work or worked in multilingual and multicultural settings from a limited set of business sectors and job positions in mainland China. Quantitative data suggest that the participants consider intercultural competence to be the most valuable skill in global work settings. Intercultural competence includes the ability to collaborate with colleagues and clients of different nationalities, the ability to adapt to Chinese problem-solving norms when conflicts arise, and the flexibility to apply Chinese cultural practices inside and outside the workplace. Notably, a significant mean difference exists between the Chinese and non-Chinese participants concerning adaptability to Chinese norms around conflict. Regarding language proficiency, the participants identified conversational competence as the most important skill for interpersonal communication at work and beyond, placing less emphasis on the ability to read formal documents and correspondence in Chinese. This analysis attempts to suggest pedagogical guidance for Chinese and other business language educators seeking to develop sustainable business language curricula that meet the demand for a globally competent workforce.

Language and (Inter)cultural Socialization in Study Abroad (SA) Contexts

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Jackson ◽  
◽  
Cherry Chan Sin Yu ◽  
Tongle Sun ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Acculturative Stress ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Cultural Socialization ◽  
Intercultural Development ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Identity Reconstruction ◽  
Ways Of Being

Students who participate in a study abroad (SA) program are naturally exposed to new ‘ways of being’ (e.g., unfamiliar linguistic and cultural practices) and as they adjust to the host environment, they may experience acculturative stress and identity confusion (Jackson 2018, 2020). To better understand the challenges facing second language (L2) SA participants, applied linguists in various parts of the world are conducting introspective studies that seek to identify and make sense of factors that can influence L2 socialization and sojourn outcomes (e.g., language proficiency gains, intercultural competence development) (Iwasaki 2019; Jackson 2019). Their work is providing much-needed direction for pedagogical interventions in SA programs (e.g., pre-departure orientations, language and intercultural transition courses) (Jackson and Oguro 2018; Vande Berg, Paige and Lou 2012). This, in turn, is helping institutions of higher education to realize some of their internationalization goals (e.g., the enhancement of language and intercultural development). After explaining contemporary notions of L2 socialization/acculturation and poststructuralist perspectives on identity, this colloquium presented the key findings of three mixed-method, largely qualitative, longitudinal studies that investigated the L2 socialization and identity reconstruction of participants in various short-term SA programs.

Converging cultures of communication: A comparative study of Internet use in China, Europe, and the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1751-1772
Author(s):  
Jacob Ørmen ◽  
Rasmus Helles ◽  
Klaus Bruhn Jensen
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Shared Reality ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Media Systems

Global Internet use is circumscribed by local political and economic institutions and inscribed in distinctive cultural practices. This article presents a comparative study of Internet use in China, the United States, and five European countries. The empirical findings suggest a convergence of cultures, specifically regarding interpersonal communication, alongside characteristic national and sociodemographic configurations of different prototypes of human communication. Drawing on the classic understanding of communication as a cultural process producing, maintaining, repairing, and transforming a shared reality, we interpret such configurations as cultures of communication, which can be seen to differ, overlap, and converge across regions in distinctive ways. Looking beyond traditional media systems, we call for further cross-cultural research on the Internet as a generic communication system joining global and local forms of interaction.

scholarly journals Exploring intercultural competence through an intercultural extracurricular activity in Taiwan

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-109
Author(s):  
Kai Li Liu
Keyword(s):  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Foreign Students ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Foreign Student ◽  
Depth Information ◽  
Extracurricular Activity ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
Intercultural Awareness ◽  
Communication Difficulties

Abstract This study used interviews to explore how 10 Taiwanese college students' intercultural competence was developed after participating in an intercultural extracurricular activity designed with a purpose to facilitate foreign students’ study in Taiwan and to promote meaningful home-foreign student contacts. In-depth information and narratives from the interviews were collected as evidence of intercultural competence development. The results showed all the interviewees appreciated the experience and felt it to have been of value to them in terms of building international friendships, heightening their intercultural awareness and the benefits of intercultural competence, and having more appreciation and better understanding of Taiwanese culture. Students also realized that a lack of understanding of Taiwanese culture could exacerbate communication difficulties. Students thus became aware of the importance of describing Taiwanese cultural practices in English and realized that more language practice was necessary for smoother communication. Suggestions for both extracurricular activities and language programs improvement in the future were also provided in the conclusion.

Investigating Patterns of Cognitive and Interactive Acts in an Online Student Cooperative Program

2007 ◽  
pp. 135-149
Author(s):  
Lucio Teles ◽  
Nancy Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Online Student ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
College And University ◽  
Cooperative Program ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Simon Fraser University

Student co-op programs are being increasingly developed to enhance employability skills of college and university students. While most of these programs are taught face-to-face, some universities and colleges are now offering co-op programs online. This article investigates the implementation of a pilot online co-op program, the Bridging Online (BOL), at the Simon Fraser University, in Burnaby, B.C., Canada. A research methodology, based on transcript analysis of participants’ messages and interviews, was used to address the research questions. Participants in the pilot project found the online version to be a valuable tool to support co-op students in learning and developing employability skills, including problem defining and solving, planning and goal setting, improved interpersonal communication skills and self assessment, and peer feedback skills.

Mathematics Education: The People's Republic of China

1973 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-120
Author(s):  
Frank Swetz
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
People’S Republic Of China ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
People's Republic Of China ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Language And Mathematics ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Educational Campaigns

The People's Republic of China has attempted to use education as the main avenue for ideological, sociological, and technological advancement. In the educational campaigns that have taken place on mainland China since 1949, two disciplines have always received primary attention: the Chinese language and mathematics. Improved language proficiency was necessary for the processes of indoctrination, while mathematics provided a base for the scientific studies so vital to an industrial competency.

scholarly journals THE ROLE OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES TO FUTURE MANAGERS OF SOCIO-CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AT THE PRESENT STAGE

2020 ◽  
pp. 90-94
Author(s):  
Serhiy DANYLYUK ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Communicative Behavior

The need to review goals, objectives and teaching methods in the process of teaching foreign languages in Ukraine in connection with the rapid entry of Ukraine into the world community, which, in its turn, leads to changes in both general methodology and specific methods, and techniques in the theory and practice of teaching foreign languages is discussed in the paper. It is noted that the main purpose of learning a foreign language is the formation of a linguistic personality who is ready for real, productive com- munication with representatives of other cultures at different levels and in different spheres of life. At the forefront is the need for verbal support for intercultural communication. Emphasis is placed on the fact that an integrative approach to foreign language teaching is especially important in the context of intercultural dialogue, which assumes that the interaction of different worldviews presented by communicators in- cludes their logics, thinking, values and is not blocked but stimulated by mutual understanding, tolerance, positive attitude. It is emphasized that relations are intercultural if their participants do not resort to their own traditions, customs, ideas and ways of behavior, but get acquainted with other people’s rules and norms of everyday communication. Intercultural communication requires that the sender and recipient of the message belong to different cultures. It also requires participants in communication to be aware of each other’s cultural differences. In essence, intercultural communication is always interpersonal communication in a special context, when one par- ticipant discovers the cultural difference of another.It is also said that successful intercultural communication involves, in addition to foreign language proficiency, the ability to adequately interpret the communicative behavior of a representative of a foreign society, as well as the willingness of partic- ipants to perceive other forms of communicative behavior, understanding its differences and variation from culture to culture. The strategy of convergence of non-cultural knowledge is aimed at preventing not only semantic but also cultural failures in communication.

scholarly journals On the Factors Influencing EFL Students’ Intercultural Competence

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-156
Author(s):  
Paweł Sobkowiak
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Small Degree ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Intercultural Competencies ◽  
Efl Students

AbstractCultural intelligence (CQ) as a micro-level construct describing intercultural competence has garnered growing attention in academic literature recently, resulting in an increase in research. This paper reports on the empirical research which, using as a survey instrument the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) developed by Earley and Ang (2003), examined intercultural competencies of Polish EFL students at the tertiary education, measured by the level of CQ. In addition, the investigation aimed to analyze whether individual difference variables such as gender, educational level, linguistic proficiency, multilingualism, motivation to study English, and study abroad experience are significant predictors of students’ level of CQ. The results show that the respondents’ intercultural competence has been developed only to a small degree. Further, CQ is positively related to gender, educational level, foreign language proficiency, the number of foreign languages known, motivation to study English, and study abroad experience. Some practical applications of the study findings for the Polish tertiary education have been presented.

scholarly journals Plagiarism and Academic Writing of Learners of English

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (28) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia LoCastro ◽  
Mayumi Masuko
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
Actual Situation ◽  
Classroom Context ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Written Assignments

Incidents and anecdotal evidence accrue of learners’ resorting to plagiarism in their essays and research papers. There seem to be three possible reasons that plagiarism is common among students writing in English as a second language. First is the desire to cut corners. Second, there are differences in cultural practices. Third, the learners have a lack of skills and/or language proficiency. We wanted to begin to document the actual situation in Japan. Therefore, we decided to conduct an ethnographic type of study in which we would seek evidence from a variety of sources. Although we focused our attention on written assignments of learners within the classroom context, specifically examining plagiarising the work of others, we also examine the broader social context.

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