Intercultural communication definition. Basic concepts of intercultural communication

The concept of intercultural communication is primarily based on the concept of intercultural competence. That is why we chose it as one of the basic concepts of our research.

Summarizing various points of view, we came to the following working definition of the key concept: “intercultural competence”. We believe that we are talking about an integrated systemic education of an interconnected humanistic worldview, including a high culture of interpersonal communication and a developed general cultural level, knowledge, abilities and skills, as well as methods of activity that allow an individual to carry out activities in a modern multicultural space, the ability to show tolerance, friendliness and other positive feelings and emotions, the ability to take active action based on holistic self-determination in accordance with social requirements and expectations.

In search of the essence of the basic concepts related to the problem of the formation of intercultural communication, we turned to the works of domestic linguists (E.M. Vereshchagin, V.G. Kostomarov, E.I. Passov, I.L. Bim, N.D. Galskova, I.I. Khaleeva, S.G. Ter-Minasova, N.V. Baryshnikov, A.L. Berdichevsky, I.M. Salomadin) and foreign scientists (W. Helmolt, K. Muller, H. Krumm, V. Pauwels, I. Goeringhausen, etc.). As a result, it was possible to find out that this concept is interpreted by domestic linguo-didacts as a set of specific processes of interaction between communication partners belonging to different linguistic-ethnocultural communities.

The issue of intercultural communication became relevant in Russia in the late 90s of the last century due to the fact that new conditions required specialists using language as a real means of communication with colleagues from different countries. To solve these urgent needs of Russian society, some universities began to rebuild the teaching of foreign languages, taking as a basis the thesis that “languages should be studied in inextricable unity with the world and the culture of the peoples speaking these languages” (S.G. Ter-Minasova ).

At the same time, every culture does not stand still, but is constantly developing and improving in the modern world. Thus, we come to the concept of cultural dynamics. These are changes that occur in the culture of a particular people at a certain point in time.

In cultural anthropology, it is customary to distinguish the following sources of cultural dynamics:

1. Innovation - the invention of new images, symbols, norms and rules of behavior, new forms of activity aimed at changing people's living conditions and forming a new type of thinking and perception of the world.
2. Appeal to cultural heritage
3. Cultural borrowings.

It should be noted that in the process of borrowing, the recipient people do not accept everything, but only what is close to their culture, can bring obvious or hidden benefits and will result in an advantage over other peoples. It is also characterized by some factors:

a) intensity of contacts
b) the conditions of intercultural communication contacts (whether this was done voluntarily or through violence)
c) the degree of differentiation of society, i.e. the presence of sociocultural groups ready to accept innovation
d) fashion
4. Synthesis - the interaction and combination of heterogeneous cultural elements, as a result of which a new cultural phenomenon arises, which differs from its constituent components and has its own quality.

The main prerequisites for the development of intercultural competence are sensitivity and self-confidence, understanding of other behavior and mental patterns, and also the ability to clearly and accurately convey one's own point of view; be understood and show flexibility where possible and be clear where necessary.

It is about an adjusted balance between:

* Knowledge and experience respectively of other cultures, personalities, nations, behavior, etc.,
* sensitivity, empathy, the ability to put oneself in the place of others and embrace their feelings and needs,
* and self-confidence, knowledge of one’s own strengths, weaknesses and needs, emotional stability.

Based on these and other criteria, countries, regions, enterprises, social groups, as well as individuals are distinguished.

At the same time, for effective interaction in intercultural terms, a clear understanding of the inclusion of so-called “inculturization” in culture is necessary.

Mechanisms of inculturation.

1. Imitation is a child’s conscious desire to imitate a certain model of behavior. Parents and teachers act as examples. Years later, he would train his children in the same imitative positions that he had imbibed;
2. Identification - a way for children to assimilate parental behavior, attitudes and values as their own;
3. Shame, a feeling of shame - appears if you are caught at the scene of a crime, exposed and disgraced;
4. Feelings of guilt - associated with the same experiences, but for its appearance there is no need for exposure, the voice of your conscience is enough, which says that you have acted badly, and you will be tormented by the consciousness of the bad act you have committed. Those. it's about punishing yourself.

Thus, for a person who grew up in a certain environment, there are several ways to become included in that environment. Most of them are not even perceived by native speakers as a learning process. It is so natural to become immersed in the environment that surrounds each person.

Thus, the concept of intercultural communication is closely related to the concept of intercultural competence, as an opportunity for effective dialogue in real time with representatives of other cultures. Having certain knowledge regarding non-linguistic factors itself makes it possible to better understand your interlocutor and build more trusting and friendly relationships. Allows you to avoid unnecessary disputes and misunderstandings.

Intercultural communication

Intercultural communication is communication and communication between representatives of different cultures, which involves both personal contacts between people and indirect forms of communication (such as writing and mass communication). Intercultural communication is studied at an interdisciplinary level and within the framework of such sciences as cultural studies, psychology, linguistics, ethnology, anthropology, sociology, each of which has its own goals and means.

The definition of intercultural communication given by A.P. Sadokhin: “Intercultural communication is a set of various forms of relationships and communication between individuals and groups belonging to different cultures.” The question, therefore, is what and how different cultures relate. Moreover, “what” and “how” here not only presuppose each other, but can also be essentially identical.

Let us recall that when we talk about culture, we mean, among other features, that culture is a set of forms of human activity, without which it cannot be reproduced, and therefore cannot exist. Culture is a set of “codes” that prescribe this or that behavior to a person, thereby exerting a managerial influence on him. Therefore, for the researcher, the question cannot but arise about which of them he should start with, in order to then understand further on this basis.

Thus, I. Kant opposed the culture of skill to the culture of education. “He calls the external, “technical” type of culture civilization,” notes A.V. in this regard. Gulyga. - Kant sees the rapid development of civilization and alarmingly notes its separation from culture; the latter is also moving forward, but much more slowly. This imbalance is the cause of many of humanity’s ills.” (Gulyga A.V., Kant today. // I. Kant. Treatises and letters. M.: Nauka, 1980, p. 26.).

Currently, the leading place in intercultural interaction undoubtedly belongs to electronic communications. Nevertheless, pre-electronic communications still play a significant role in it, which is often expressed in the fact that researchers, recognizing the primary role of electronic communication, understand it by analogy with pre-electronic communication.

For modern Russia, up to the present day, electronic communications as a form of managerial culture and independent action play a secondary role in intercultural interaction, which is a serious factor in its lag. Until now, scientific research activities are organized mainly according to the templates of Gutenberg technology (as something that should be carried out linearly and sequentially), and not in the mode of electronic simultaneity, which significantly hinders its development.

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See what “Intercultural communication” is in other dictionaries:

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Books

Intercultural communication in the information society, Yulia Valerievna Taratukhina, Lyubov Aleksandrovna Tsyganova, Dmitry Eduardovich Tkalenko. The textbook provides a systematic and comprehensive description of the history of the emergence of intercultural communications as an academic discipline, presents a thorough analysis of Western and non-Western...
Intercultural communication in the information society. Study guide, Yulia Valerievna Taratukhina. The textbook provides a systematic and comprehensive description of the history of the emergence of intercultural communications as an academic discipline, presents a thorough analysis of Western and non-Western...

One of the characteristic features of modern societies is the powerful and large-scale flow of information exchange between people. Communications permeate all areas of our lives, work, and leisure. To define the main categories of the concept of “communication”, F. Lutens proposes to consider a continuum, at one pole of which there is the most complex, modern communication technology, and at the other pole - simple non-verbal communication. The middle link of this continuum reflects interpersonal communications [Lutens, 1999, p. 72]. Thus, communication is a socially determined process of transmitting and perceiving information, both in interpersonal and mass communication through various channels, using various verbal and non-verbal communication means.

The relationship between the concepts of intercultural and interethnic communication

In the scientific literature one can find numerous references to intercultural differences and the characteristics of intercultural communication. Intercultural communication in a broad sense is understood as communication between speakers of any different cultures. In cases where the term “intercultural communication” is used, communication between representatives of different subcultures within one society is also considered (for example, between youth and “bureaucracy,” which can be represented as a subculture of a significant type of activity - public administration in society). .

The widespread use and dissemination in Russian-language scientific literature of the concepts “intercultural communication”, “intercultural communication”, “interethnic communication” makes it necessary to clarify the substantive aspects of these phrases, based on the position of the authors on this issue. Indeed, the English word communication does not completely coincide with the concept of communication. If in communication “what is important is what people want to say,” then in communication what is important is “what they are currently thinking or feeling” [Vezhbitskaya, 2011, p. 416-417].

“Intercultural communication is a process of communication between speakers of different cultures, combining all forms of social interaction based on the representation of information content in them. Intercultural communication is a special type of interaction between cultures, the specificity of which is that its content is mediated by information processes - the receipt, accumulation and transmission (broadcast) of information.” [Klimov, 2012, p. 916].

The problem of the relationship between the concepts under consideration is reflected in the title of one of the sections of the textbook on ethnopsychology by T.G. Stefanenko, which is called “Russian communication and Western communication”. The author draws attention to the exceptional place that communication occupies in Russian culture, as one of the types of human activity [Stephanenko, 2014].

When studying intercultural interaction at the community level, the structural and functional characteristics of cultures are highlighted and their comparative analysis is carried out. The focus of researchers is on such cultural phenomena as traditions, customs, rituals, religion, social institutions of marriage and family, rights, etc. . At the interpersonal level of intercultural communication, verbal and non-verbal means, patterns of behavior, rules and norms, social roles, as well as perceptions, learned concepts, ideas, and beliefs are studied that allow an individual to identify himself with his own culture.

Interethnic communication is a real process of interaction between two subjects belonging to different ethnic, cultural and other social groups (person-to-person, person and group of people, one group to another), in which actions caused by thoughts, feelings, emotions, experiences of one subject are addressed to another, being fixed, reflected and refracted in his consciousness in the form of a response. Thus, communication is mainly assigned the characteristics of interpersonal interaction; and communication is assigned an additional meaning - information exchange in society.

The process of interethnic communication is complex and multifaceted and has its own patterns and characteristics. Interethnic communication comes down to speech and non-verbal messages, in which verbal communication is usually accompanied by non-verbal communication. The following relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication is possible:

1. The nonverbal message is consistent with the verbal one, without causing cognitive dissonance on both parties involved in the communication process. In this case, we can say that both spoken language and sign language, both the content of the transmitted information and the socio-psychological context, are equally understandable and accessible.
2. Complete discrepancy between the nonverbal and verbal components of ethnic communication. The nonverbal message (positive) contradicts the verbal message (negative). Another option is possible when the verbal message (positive) does not correspond to the nonverbal message (negative).
3. Culturally conditioned and accepted in a particular society, the discrepancy between the content of a verbal message and the socially acceptable type of response verbal message, which does not correspond in meaning to the content of the message. For example, in England, to the question: “Isn’t the weather nice today?”, the answer is implied: “Yes, of course, the weather is great!”, regardless of what it actually is, since you should not transfer your mood to the weather, problems, difficulties, etc. In China: to the question “Have you eaten today?” you are expected to respond affirmatively and with gratitude, regardless of whether you actually had time to eat.

Interethnic communication also performs a number of important functions: communicative, interactive and perceptual. At the level of communicative communication, information is exchanged between representatives of different nationalities, ideas, feelings, states, etc. are exchanged. This process is complex, as it depends on the national and cultural values, attitudes, and lifestyle of peoples. Knowledge of language and other sign systems plays an important role. The interactive side of communication is the interaction of people based on joint activities. In the process of joint work, differences in work skills, habits, norms, national experience in organizing work, the nature and form of communication, gender differences, etc. may appear. The perceptual side of communication reflects the peculiarities of perception and understanding of each other by people of different nationalities. Thus, in the process of interethnic communication, ethnocultural specificity is manifested at the communicative, interactive and perceptual levels.

In the context of intercultural interaction, generalized characteristics are considered that make it possible to take into account the characteristics of culture, which are reflected in all its elements and manifest themselves in people’s behavior. G. Triandis introduced the concept of “cultural syndrome”, by which he understands a set of values, beliefs, attitudes, models and norms of behavior that distinguish one group of people from another. He described three cultural syndromes: individualism - collectivism, simplicity - complexity and openness - closedness. G. Hofstede, based on a large-scale empirical cross-cultural study, in addition to collectivism - individualism, identifies three more characteristics for which significant differences were obtained in the cultures surveyed: masculinity - femininity, uncertainty avoidance and power distance.

U. and K. Stefan, based on an analysis of the results of a number of studies, highlight the main characteristics of crops proposed by various authors.

- individualism - collectivism (orientation towards individual or group goals);
- degree of tolerance to deviations from culturally accepted norms;
- the degree of avoidance of uncertainty and, accordingly, the need for formal rules;
- masculinity - femininity, i.e. the culture's assessment of qualities seen as stereotypical for men and women and the extent to which traditional gender roles are encouraged;
- assessment of the nature of a human being as “good”, “bad” or “ridiculous”;
- the complexity of culture, the degree of its differentiation;
- emotional control, the degree of permissible emotional expressiveness;
- contact - distance, i.e. acceptable distances and touches during communication;
- the distance between the individual and the “authority”, the degree of inequality between superiors and inferiors;
- high context - low context, i.e. maximization - minimizing differences in behavior depending on the context of communication;
- dichotomy of man - nature (the degree of man's dominance over nature, his subordination to nature or life in harmony with nature).

Thus, effective intercultural communication requires an understanding of the basic functions performed in the communication process; taking into account cultural characteristics that are manifested in people's behavior.

Particular attention, in our opinion, should be paid to the cultural and ethnic characteristics of communication and consider examples of the use of verbal and nonverbal means in various communication situations.

Features of verbal communication

Each language is a unique system of symbols that reflects what is most significant in a given culture. Culture influences not only the vocabulary of a language, but also its function. Researchers have found cultural differences in many aspects of communication, including intragroup and intergroup communication, the use of apologies, frank confessions, compliments, criticism, etc. According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, culture also influences the structure of thought processes. Despite criticism of this hypothesis and a number of studies that do not find such a connection, in recent years it has received support with regard to the influence of grammar and syntax of language on thinking [Matsumoto, 2008, p. 416]. In addition, research on bilingualism has also shown the close connection between culture and language, finding that bilinguals admit different cultural systems into their consciousness depending on which language they are using at the moment. Thus, a study of the emotional state of Russian-Uzbek bilinguals when they perceived situations containing cultural cognitive dissonance showed that depending on the language used, their emotional state and readiness for activity differed [Govorin, Mikhalyuk, Ryzhenko, 2012].

As examples, let us consider the most frequently used speech formulas adopted in communication among representatives of different cultures. Let us pay attention to what is and is not customary to say in different cultures (questions, greetings, wishes, parting words, topics of conversation, forms of address, etc.), depending on the time of year, day, type of activity, and the status of those communicating people, etc.

Greetings. The form of greeting depends largely on who you are greeting. In Russian etiquette, the youngest person says hello first; it is considered a sign of poor upbringing if a person does not say hello. Among the North Caucasian peoples, on the contrary, the eldest in age is the first to greet, and it is completely unforgivable to greet the youngest first; this is perceived as a manifestation of bad manners and lack of restraint. But, as a rule, the oldest man greets a woman first.

Questions. The most common question in situations of modern intercultural interaction is: How are you? (How are you?).However, in the Caucasus, the question “How are you?” is not always appropriate, especially if it is asked by a stranger. In Muslim society, a foreigner cannot address any question or request to a woman; this is considered indecent. Among Ossetians, one of the forms of verbal greeting is “May your day be bright,” and in Chechnya the common form of greeting is “Come free!” international communication etiquette, questions that are related to a person’s age, personal problems, surgical operations, court cases, etc. should be avoided.

Wishes may differ and vary depending on the time of year, day, type of activity, and the status of communicating people. For example, depending on the time of year: in the Caucasus - in the spring, at the height of work, you can hear one wish - “To see the sprouts of your labor,” and in the fall: “To have enough not only for your family, but also for your enemies.” Depending on the type of activity: in many cultures they always wish the traveler “Have a nice journey!” At the festive table of many Caucasian peoples, in the midst of fun, you can hear the following wish: “May the Almighty reward us with great rewards, but for our little work!”

Polite forms of contact. Each culture offers its own set of certain words, phrases, questions, phrases, etc. that are most often used in speech. In many cultures, it is customary to address the addressee with emphatic politeness; the word “please” is present in all cases when people need to give up their comforts for the sake of other people: “Please don’t block the door!”, “Thank you for not smoking!”, “Thank you for cleaning up after yourself!” [Ter-Minasova, p. 112].

Notes. In most cultures, any form of reprimand to an older person is unacceptable. If they want to make a remark, they do so in an indirect form, observing certain requirements: criticize in private, speak impersonally, specifically, in a calm voice, correctly. At the same time, each culture, of course, has its own invective - forms of insults, curses.

Topics and ways to maintain a conversation. Forbidden topics are those that contradict the moral laws and ideas of decency in a given culture. An important point in effective intercultural communication is maintaining acceptable conversation topics. Thus, in the Middle East one should not touch on religious topics or discuss intimate and personal problems. While observing international communication etiquette, the following topics should be avoided in discussion: bad news, belonging to a certain religion, political extremes, health conditions, mistakes of other people, etc.

The given examples of the features of verbal communication in different cultures show the diversity of existing forms, sometimes opposite to each other. It should be noted that effective interaction cannot be reduced solely to a set of various verbal constructs and mastery of them. In many situations, not only knowledge of verbal “blanks” is required, but also a deep, inclusive, empathic understanding of the content and meaning of what is said. Thus, the problem of studying the characteristics of interethnic and intercultural verbal communication can be considered at the following levels: what to say, how to correctly formulate what we want to ask; how to say depending on gender, age, situation, etc.; how a given meaning or concept lives in the reality of the world of the language being studied.

1. What to say, how to correctly formulate what we want to ask.

The peculiarity of national cultures to correlate action and status was first studied by E. Hall, who proposed dividing cultures into high-context and low-context. To understand the specifics of intercultural communication, this model was further developed in the research of G. Triandis [Triandis, 2007, p. 231-234]. In low-context cultures, people rely on verbal communication. The ability to formulate thoughts, accurately convey meaning, speak directly, and avoid ambiguity is valued. Americans, first of all, are focused on content, on clarity of statements. What to say (speech content) mainly characterizes low-context cultures. In the process of verbal communication, they prefer to speak clearly and clearly, they strive to be the first to put forward the main argument for or against. Direct, frank conversation is an indicator of honesty, while indirect conversation is associated with dishonesty and uncertainty. Origin and belonging to a certain noble family are not the basis for career growth and advancement. It is customary to call everything by its proper name; if they say “no,” it means no.

2. How to say depending on gender, age, situation, etc.

How to say (communication context) mainly characterizes high-context cultures. The most important components of the communication process are restraint and ambiguity. Understanding what is said out loud and what is actually meant are completely different things. Courtesy is more important than truthfulness, restraint is needed when expressing negative emotions, and ambiguity helps avoid a harsh “no” answer. Language "coding" is widely used. The meaning of the word “yes” can vary from real consent to refusal, since it is not customary to say “no”. The same remark, depending on the context and tone, can have completely opposite meanings and meanings. Directness and openness are perceived with caution, and trusting relationships are established after careful study of the entire context of social relations. In high-context cultures, communication relies more on knowledge of the context - the physical environment, status relationships, previous communication, and nonverbal communication becomes more important. During a discussion, the Japanese avoid the word “no” and express themselves vaguely, trying not to disrupt the harmony of relationships. In Japanese there is a term "isshin denshin", which literally translates to "traditional mental telepathy". This term reflects the highly valued implicit or silent communication in Japanese culture. The Korean language has a similar term, "i-sim-jun-sim", which is considered one of the highest forms of communication in Korea.

3. How a given meaning or concept lives in the reality of the world of the language being studied.

In situations of intercultural communication, a large number of difficulties arise when translating information from one language to another. The main reason for this kind of linguistic inconsistency is often the lack of an exact equivalent for the concept itself. For example, in Russian culture there is no whiskey or ale, which means there are no corresponding words. In the English language there are no words “pancakes”, “borscht”, “vodka”, “maybe”, “feast”. Researchers note the high emotionality of the Russian language, its wealth of verbs that reflect the human state: sad, yearning, moping, indignant, ashamed, admiring, admiring, admiring, etc. In the Russian language there are many sincere words and expressions (cherished, beloved, darling, darling, darling, my little light, etc.), which are not translated into other languages of the world, moreover, when trying to translate, they lose their semantic meaning.

Intercultural communication- this is communication and communication between representatives of different cultures, which involves both direct contacts between people and their communities, and indirect forms of communication (including language, speech, writing, electronic communication).

In essence, intercultural communication is always interpersonal communication in a special context, when one participant discovers the cultural difference of another. Such communication raises many problems due to differences in expectations and prejudices that are inherent to each person and, naturally, differ in different cultures. Signs of cross-cultural differences can be interpreted as differences in verbal and nonverbal codes in a specific communication context. Moreover, each participant in cultural contact has his own system of rules that function so that sent and received messages can be encoded and decoded. The interpretation process is also influenced by the age, gender, profession, social status of the communicants, their tolerance, enterprise, and personal experience.

Forms of intercultural communication

There are four main forms of intercultural communication - direct, indirect, mediated and immediate.

At direct communication information is addressed by the sender directly to the recipient and can be provided either orally or in writing. In this case, the greatest effect is achieved through oral speech, combining verbal and non-verbal means.

IN indirect communication, which is predominantly one-sided in nature, information sources are works of literature and art, radio messages, television programs, publications in newspapers and magazines, etc.

Indirect And direct forms of communication differ in the presence or absence of an intermediate link acting as a mediator between partners. A person or a technical device can act as an intermediary. Communication mediated by technical means can remain direct (telephone conversation, email correspondence), but the possibility of using non-verbal means is excluded.

It is possible to study communication processes between different cultural groups (large and small) or between individuals. Most studies conducted at the group level are in the nature of cultural anthropological and sociological studies, which consider the cultural group as a collective whole and attempt to understand it holistically.

The final subject of intercultural communication is the person himself. It is people who directly interact with each other. At the same time, whether voluntarily or not, these people are part of certain social groups that have their own cultural characteristics. In direct communication, representatives of different cultures must overcome not only language barriers, but also barriers that are non-linguistic in nature and reflect the ethnonational and sociocultural specifics of perception of the world around them, and national characteristics of thinking.

It should be taken into account that the process of communication and interpretation of messages in interpersonal communication, in addition to cultural differences, is influenced by the age, gender, profession, and social status of the communicant.

Intercultural communication in small groups takes many forms: planned negotiations, for example between representatives of government agencies or business organizations of countries with different cultures; unplanned interactions, such as during holiday trips, conferences or academic seminars.

For effective communication in a small group, the communicator is forced to adapt to the cultural values and beliefs of foreign cultural group members. Often in an intercultural group, discussants exhibit stereotypes of their own culture not intentionally, but out of habit, and their behavior, as well as the course of the discussion, is influenced by many cultural factors.

In cases where intercultural communication is carried out between large groups of people, ethnic and national levels of communication are distinguished.

The ethnic level is observed between local ethnic groups, ethno-linguistic and other communities. In modern ethnology, an ethnos is considered to be a historically formed set of people in a certain territory, characterized by common cultural characteristics, self-awareness and jointly carried out economic activities.

In the interaction of cultures at the ethnic level, two trends are clearly evident. Mutual assimilation of cultural elements, on the one hand, contributes to integration processes, mutual cultural exchange and enrichment, and on the other hand, it is accompanied by strengthening of ethnic self-awareness and the desire to consolidate ethnic specificity.

The national level of intercultural communication is possible in the presence of national unity. National unity arises both on a mono-ethnic and multi-ethnic basis through common economic activity and state-political unification. This is complemented by the formation of an appropriate culture. National culture represents a set of traditions, norms, values and rules of behavior common to representatives of one nation or state. Since the nation embraces a state-organized society, and society is characterized by stratification and social structure, the concept

National culture embraces subcultures of social groups that ethnic culture may not have. Ethnic cultures can be part of the national culture, as well as the cultures of representatives of other nations. Thus, American national culture is extremely heterogeneous; it includes Irish, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican and other cultures.

“Intercultural communication” is a special form of communication between two or more representatives of different cultures, during which information and cultural values of interacting cultures are exchanged. The process of intercultural communication is a specific form of activity, which is not limited only to knowledge of foreign languages, but also requires knowledge of the material and spiritual culture of another people, religion, values, moral attitudes, worldviews, etc., which together determine the model of behavior of communication partners.

The study of foreign languages and their use as a means of international communication today is impossible without a deep and comprehensive knowledge of the culture of the speakers of these languages, their mentality, national character, way of life, vision of the world, customs, traditions, etc. Only a combination of these two types of knowledge - language and culture - ensures effective and fruitful communication."

Intercultural communication can be carried out either at the group level or at the individual level. But at both levels the main subject of intercultural communication is a person. Moreover, the behavior of each person is determined by the values and norms of the culture in which he is included. In this regard, each participant in intercultural communication has his own system of rules determined by his sociocultural affiliation. Therefore, when communicating directly, representatives of different cultures face the need to overcome not only linguistic differences, but also sociocultural and ethnic differences.

Currently, a whole group of humanities is studying intercultural communication: cultural studies, communication studies, sociology of culture, linguoculturology, ethnopsychology, etc. In order to maintain diverse and multi-level contacts and forms of communication, it is necessary not only knowledge of the relevant language, but also knowledge of the norms and rules of a foreign language culture . Each participant in international contacts quickly realizes that proficiency in a foreign language alone is not enough for full-fledged intercultural understanding, that knowledge of the communication process itself is required in order to predict the possibility of misunderstanding partners and avoid it. Human mutual understanding is becoming one of the most important aspects of the development of modern society.

Modern man is characterized by a growing need for full communication, the desire “to be best understood and appreciated by others.” The main means of achieving mutual understanding between people is their communication, during which people express themselves and reveal all their qualities. In communication, a person assimilates universal human experience, historically established social norms, values, knowledge, methods of activity, thus forming as a personality, as a bearer of culture.

Although a person experiences the world through himself, projecting his own worldview experience onto another person, one must remember that “other” first of all means “different from me.” The dissimilarity of people from each other creates favorable conditions for a person to acquire new skills and abilities and improve existing ones, but, on the other hand, the more differences in character, upbringing, education and level of culture among interacting partners, the more opportunities for contradictions to arise between them and conflicts. Therefore, people must possess a diverse arsenal of forms and means of cultural communication, the basics of psychological knowledge about the behavior of communication partners.

Most experts believe that we can talk about intercultural communication (interaction) only if people represent different cultures and recognize everything that does not belong to their culture as alien. Relationships are intercultural if their participants do not resort to their own traditions, customs, ideas and ways of behavior, but become familiar with other people’s rules and norms of everyday communication.

This concept was born as a result of a compromise. Its synonyms are cross-cultural, interethnic communication, as well as the concept of intercultural interaction.

The concept of “intercultural communication” was first formulated in 1954 in the work of G. Treyger and E. Hall “Culture and Communication. Model of analysis". In this work, intercultural communication was understood as the ideal goal that a person should strive for in his desire to adapt to the world around him as best and more effectively as possible. Since then, researchers have advanced quite far in the theoretical development of this phenomenon. As a result of numerous studies, the most characteristic features of intercultural communication have been identified. Thus, it was noted that intercultural communication requires that the sender and recipient of the message belong to different cultures. It also requires communication participants to be aware of each other’s cultural differences. In its essence, intercultural communication is always interpersonal communication in a special context, when one participant discovers the cultural difference of another.

Indeed, there is no doubt that communication will be intercultural if it occurs between speakers of different cultures, and the differences between these cultures lead to any difficulties in communication. These difficulties are due to the differences in expectations and prejudices inherent in each person, and, naturally, differ in different cultures. Representatives of different cultures decipher received messages differently. All this becomes significant only in the act of communication, leading to misunderstanding and tension, difficulty and impossibility of communication. linguoculturology language communication

Finally, intercultural communication is based on a process of symbolic interaction between individuals and groups whose cultural differences can be recognized. Perceptions and attitudes toward these differences influence the type, form, and outcome of contact. Each participant in cultural contact has his own system of rules that function in such a way that messages sent and received can be encoded and decoded. Signs of cross-cultural differences can be interpreted as differences in verbal and nonverbal codes in a specific communication context. In addition to cultural differences, the interpretation process is influenced by the age, gender, profession, and social status of the communicant. Therefore, the degree of interculturality of each specific act of communication depends on the tolerance, enterprise, and personal experience of its participants.

Based on what has been said intercultural communication should be considered as a set of various forms of relationships and communication between individuals and groups belonging to different cultures.

In intercultural communication, the spheres of macroculture and microculture are distinguished.

In the modern historical situation, it is obvious that there are vast territories on our planet that are structurally and organically united into one social system with their own cultural traditions. For example, you can talk about American culture, Latin American culture, African culture, European culture, Asian culture, etc. Most often, these types of culture are distinguished on a continental basis and, due to their scale, are called macrocultures. It is quite natural that within these macrocultures a significant number of subcultural differences are found, but similarities are also found, which allow us to speak about the presence of such macrocultures, and the population of the corresponding regions to be considered representatives of the same culture. There are global differences between macrocultures that are reflected in their communication with each other. In this case, intercultural communication takes place regardless of the status of its participants, in a horizontal plane.

At the same time, voluntarily or not, many people are members of certain social groups that have their own cultural characteristics. From a structural point of view, this is microcultures(subcultures) within the macroculture. Each microculture has both similarities and differences with its mother culture, which ensures that their representatives have the same perception of the world. The mother culture differs from the microculture due to the different ethnicity, religion, geographical location, economic status, gender and age characteristics, marital status and social status of their members. In other words, subcultures are the cultures of different social groups and strata within one society. Therefore, the connection between subcultures occurs within this society and is vertical.

Within each sphere, intercultural communication occurs at different levels. There are several types of intercultural communication at the micro level.

Interethnic communication -- This is communication between persons representing different peoples (ethnic groups). Most often, society consists of ethnic groups of different sizes that create and share their own subcultures. Ethnic groups pass on their cultural heritage from generation to generation and thanks to this they maintain their identity among the dominant culture. Coexistence within one society naturally leads to mutual communication between these ethnic groups and the exchange of cultural achievements.

Countercultural communication -- occurs between representatives of the mother culture and the daughter subculture and is expressed in the disagreement of the daughter subculture with the values and ideals of the mother. A characteristic feature of this level of communication is the refusal of subcultural groups to reject the values of the dominant culture and put forward their own norms and rules that contrast them with the values of the majority.

Communication among social classes and groups -- is based on the differences between social groups and classes of a particular society. There is not a single socially homogeneous society in the world. All differences between people arise as a result of their origin, education, profession, social status, etc. In all countries of the world, the distance between the elite and the majority of the population, between the rich and the poor is quite large. It is expressed in opposing views, customs, traditions, etc. Despite the fact that all these people belong to the same culture, such differences divide them into subcultures and affect communication between them.

Communication between representatives of different demographic groups - religious (for example, between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland), gender and age (between men and women, between representatives of different generations). Communication between people in this case is determined by their belonging to a particular group and, consequently, the cultural characteristics of this group.

Communication between urban and rural residents -- is based on the differences between the city and the countryside in the style and pace of life, the general level of education, a different type of interpersonal relationships, different “life philosophies”, which directly affect the process of communication between these population groups.

Regional communication -- arises between residents of different regions (localities), whose behavior in the same situation may differ significantly. For example, residents of Moscow experience significant difficulties when communicating with representatives of St. Petersburg. Muscovites are put off by the deliberately intelligent style of communication of the residents of St. Petersburg, which they consider insincere. And residents of St. Petersburg perceive their neighbor’s direct and free style of communication as rudeness and lack of education.

Communication in business culture -- arises due to the fact that each organization (firm) has a number of specific customs and rules related to corporate culture, and misunderstandings may arise when representatives of different enterprises come into contact.

So, a common characteristic feature of all levels and types of intercultural communication is the unawareness of cultural differences by its participants. The fact is that most people adhere to naive realism in their perception of the world. It seems to them that their style and way of life is the only possible and correct one, that the values they are guided by are equally understandable and accessible to all people. And only when faced with representatives of other cultures, discovering that the usual patterns of behavior stop working, does an ordinary person begin to think about the reasons for his failure.