The means of inter-cultural communication in thr terms of literary text

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Donbas State Teachers' Training University

THE MEANS OF INTER-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN THE TERMS OF LITERARY TEXTS

Kovalenko V. Senior Lecturer,

Foreign Languages Department

Annotation

cultural literary text communication

The article investigates the importance of reading literary texts in gaining cross- cultural competence for successful inter-cultural communication. There are characteristics of existing approaches for the work over literary texts. It proves that reading literary texts facilitate fundamental mastering of culture, understanding of national mentality, creating deeply emotional positive attitude to another cultural values and historical heritage. The article gives and describes the models of the literary texts. It recommends the most effective for the molding cross-cultural competence for inter-cultural communication. It defines the main criteria of the selection of socio-cultural contents of literary texts.

Key words: literary text, cross- cultural competence, inter-cultural communication, culture, language, socio-cultural potential.

Анотація

Коваленко В. - старший викладач кафедри іноземних мов Донбаського державного педагогічного університету

ЗАСОБИ МІЖКУЛЬТУРНОЇ КОМУНІКАЦІЇ В ПЛОЩИНІ ЛІТЕРАТУРНОГО ТЕКСТУ

У статті проаналізовано роль художнього тексту як посередника міжкультурної комунікації. Подано характеристику існуючих підходів до роботи з художнім текстом. Наведено й описано моделі художнього тексту, рекомендовано найбільш ефективні для формування міжкультурної компетенції в ході культурної комунікації. Визначені основні критерії відбору соціокультурного наповнення художнього тексту.

Ключові слова: художній текст, міжкультурна комунікація, міжкультурна компетенція, культура, мова, соціокультурний потенціал.

Аннотация

Коваленко В. - старший преподаватель кафедры иностранных языков Донбасского государственного педагогического университета

СРЕДСТВА МЕЖКУЛЬТУРНОЙ КОММУНИКАЦИИ В ПЛОСКОСТИ ЛИТЕРАТУРНОГО ТЕКСТА

В статье проанализирована роль художественного текста как одного из средств межкультурной коммуникации. Представлена характеристика существующих подходов к работе с художественным текстом. Приводятся и описываются модели художественного текста, рекомендуются наиболее эффективные для формирования межкультурной компетенции в ходе межкультурной коммуникации. Определены основные критерии отбора социокультурного наполнения художественного текста.

Ключевые слова: художественный текст, межкультурная компетенция, межкультурная коммуникация, культура, язык, социокультурный потенциал.

The main text

Presentation of Academic Problem and its Meaning. For centuries literature has always presented fa significant part and still continue to play an important role in traditional education as well as in foreign language acquisition, remaining fundamental for human's culture.

Reading literary texts (LT) in foreign languages is considered as a specific form of inter-cultural communication. This process modules reader's samples and models of accepted behavior develops constructive thinking, ability to analyze and estimate, create images and ideals about the facts of reality, their places in a national aspect of a language, i, e, of background knowledge of a foreign country.

The culture concept of communication is the complex which includes knowledge, belief, art law, morals custom, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

Without being plunged into language surrounding, a real source of information about a culture of a target language, its mainly literary texts. They facilitate instrumental mastering of the culture, penetration into national mentality.

The Research Analysis of the Problem. The tasks of the modern research of the literary text reading in intercultural role of communication are laid in the works of more or less contemporary scholars of their country and abroad: Gachev G., Kulibina N., Pakhomova G., Romanova T.,

Smeliakova L., Tomakhin G., Zhyrnova L., Zhuravleova L., Zinovjeva M., Carter R., Harmer J., Long M.

The Aim of the Paper is to analyze the role of literary texts as a mediator in Inter-Cultural Communication and cross-cultural awareness.

The Aim of the Paper puts the tasks:

• to overview the ways treat literary texts;

• to distinguish the ways culture infiltrate language;

• to determine the means of representing socio-cultural potential in literary texts.

Content. The development of literary appreciation is a worth wide pursuit. It is something that can be done due to the means of literary texts which influence different aspects of intercultural communication. These means are: authentic and socio-cultural potential in learning another culture, in creating deeply emotional, positive attitude to the country and its people on the other side of the cultural bridge which authentic literary texts offer to the reader. This is the main reason for the literary texts to rank high among effective tools in gaining cultural competence in inter-cultural communication.

Reading literary texts for this purpose comprises such aspects as:

• considering reading of LT as means of mastering reading and writing skills;

• choosing appropriate LT;

• carrying authentic-semantic analysis;

• molding socio-cultural competence while reading LT;

• making use of linguistic and stylistic potential of LT for creating culturological image that arises in reader's consciousness depending on the contents of the analysis of the LT suggested.

Actually, there are two distinct ways to treat LT in teaching languages. The first involves an emphasis on the analysis of the language used, the other is the examination of the text from a literary point of view, with a greater focus on meaning [6, p. 29-31]. It is believed that keeping the balance between these two approaches shows that both can be integrated within the same scheme.

As Ron Carter and Michael Long have pointed out, some literature models are suggested:

• the cultural model;

• the language model;

• the personal growth model [2].

The cultural model is the most traditional approach to deal with LT. It is based on study literary movements and genres in their historical and social contents. It is mostly centered on cultural acquisition than on a target language gaining.

With language model LT can be used to focus on lexico-grammar aspects in the same way as they are presented in text books or in stylistic analysis. However, this model proposes a somewhat “reductive” approach to literature, since its linguistic activities are completely disconnected from the literary aspects of LT and could be used with virtually any LT.

The third one, the personal growth model suggests a quasi opportunity between the cultural model, as far as the text is used both to the explore the cultural context and also to study the target language. Here the reader in encouraged to express his own opinions, feelings and personal experiences so that the interaction between the text and the reader takes place. This very model relies on the ability of literature to touch people, and takes advantage of that potential to offer a richer cross-cultural competence in intercultural communication. The model is drawn mainly on combination of the cultural model and the personal growth model, attempting to make the study and enjoyment of literature possible whilst also to offer linguistic abilities [6, p. 29].

Any challenge of “culture” can be summed up “as a dense backdrop, culture in implicated in every instance of language in use” [5, p. 288-306]. The ways in which culture can infiltrate language have been distinguished by Tricia Hedge:

“The aesthetic sense: by this they mean the art, literature, music, media, etc. to be found in other cultures.

The socio-logical sense: by this they mean what has often been called “life and institutions”, that is, the nature of family, work, leisure, customs, etc.

The semantic sense: this relates to... the conceptual system embodied in the language.

The sociolinguistic sense: by this they mean such things as politeness conventions, the way in which language is governed by issues of status or age in relationships and familiarity with rhetorical conventions in formal and informal letters, and other written genres” [4, p. 38].

There is one more immediate problem to solve is to determine criteria for revealing socio-cultural potential of LT.

The prominent scientist on subject offers to take into consideration the following peculiarities:

• the availability of socio-cultural information in LT;

• the way of presenting such information from the point of reader's view: an even distribution, “selfcomment” (extratext comment);

• semantic and stylistic filling with socio-cultural information [1, p. 2328].

Of all kinds of interactions, inter-cultural communication is by far the most difficult because it is exactly that form of communication where differences in cultural assumptions and values are most vividly and strikingly perceived by counterparts. As Stewart and Bennet [7] suggest for successful inter-cultural communication some necessary steps should be taken:

1. Establish conceptual cross-cultural bridges.

2. Foster an attitude of cultural relevance, which means that since a cultural provides a complete system of meaning for conducting life, each culture possesses integrity and is neither inferior nor superior to any other culture. But in a structured situation (i.e. contextualized situation) for a specific purpose, one cultural system may work better than another.

3. Work toward self-understanding. An awareness of one's own culture along with examples of contrasting cultures contributes to the individual's understanding of her- or himself as a cultural being. This understanding assists in preparing for the hardships of cultural shock and the frustrations common to working abroad or dealing with foreign nationals at home. Obtaining objectivity in appraising oneself as well as one's counterparts and an ability to separate cultural from idiosyncratic factors in one-self and oneself and others is important to effectiveness in foreign countries.

4. Identifier facilitating and interfering factors, those which help work with foreign counterparts and those which are usually a handicap.

5. Develop cultural judgement, since any success relies on judgement, good will, and cross-cultural commitment. It is necessary to question and require, and to test our analyses and suggestions [7].

Conclusion. In the way of summarizing one should admit that reading LT greatly contributes to aimed and steady development of reader's competence of cross-cultural awareness for inter-cultural communication.

As a consequence of processing LT reader gains - reading competence - the ability of getting to grips with any LT independently of their genres linguistic features or literary language.

Moreover, substantially socio-culturally filled LT represent a considerable investment into reader's sensitivity to how elements of culture can become embedded in language and affect meaning both of which will contribute to over roll communicative competence.

It is a high time to abandon the idea that cultural differences are minefields to communication and mutual understanding and accept the challenge that cultural differences are the relevant source material to be employed for mutual benefit and cooperation.

References

1. Смелякова Л. П. Концепция отбора художественного текстового материала ВУЗа. Іноземні мови. 1995. № 1. С. 23-28.

2. Carter R. Long M. Teaching Literature. Longman, 1991. 305 p.

3. Donald J. Literature with a small “1”. Modern English Teaching. 2012. Vol. 21. № 3. P. 12-13.

4. Herdge T. Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. 464 p.

5. Monthomery M. “Foreword” Corbett J. An Intercultural Approach to English Language Teaching. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Ltd., 2003. P. 288-306.

6. Sanches P. Balancing Act. English Teaching Professional. 2009. Issue. 60. P. 29-31.

7. Steward E., Bennet M. American Cultural Patterns: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Yarmouth, Main: Intercultural Press, 2001. 192 p.

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