MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

FEDERAL AGENCY FOR EDUCATION

ST. PETERSBURG STATE ELECTROTECHNICAL UNIVERSITY "LETI" NAMED AFTER IN AND. ULYANOV (LENIN)

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

COURSE WORK IN DISCIPLINE

"FUNDAMENTALS OF THE THEORY OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION"

“Problems of intercultural communication: perceptions of English jokes by representatives of different cultures”

Completed by: student of group 8721

Afanasyeva Veronica

Head: Kiseleva M.A.

St. Petersburg, 2010

Introduction

1.2 The British and humor

Conclusions on the first chapter

Conclusions on the second chapter

Conclusion

List of used literature

This work is devoted to the problem of perception of English humor by representatives of different cultures.

Humor is a significant component of human communication. The question of what determines the particular sense of humor of certain people still remains open. On the one hand, humor has an individual coloring. It is also believed that an individual’s belonging to a particular culture plays a big role in assessing jokes. Is it so? The relevance of this work lies in the fact that, firstly, it helps to penetrate deeper into the culture of the British, since its basic values ​​and priorities are expressed in humor and, secondly, to study what reaction English humor evokes among representatives of different cultures. This will help answer the question about the factors influencing people's sense of humor in general.

The purpose of the work is to determine in what cases the perception of English humor by people from different countries depends on their belonging to a particular culture.

Job objectives:

1) study theoretical material, dedicated to humor as a component of cultures, especially the humor of the British;

2) determine what factors influence the perception of humor by representatives of different cultures;

3) study the main topics for jokes from the British;

4) identify similarities and differences in the perception of English humor by representatives of different cultures;

5) prove/refute the existence of differences in the perception of English humor by the British and representatives of other cultures.

A written survey (questionnaire) was chosen as the research method.

1.1 Humor and intercultural communication

Culture is a specific form of existence of man and society in the world. This is what unites and distinguishes people based on a similar lifestyle, behavioral system, norms, and values. Its unique “mirror” is language, which in turn influences culture. At the same time, it acts as a means of interpreting human culture and the mentality of a nation. The relationship between language and culture can be considered as a relationship of part and whole. Language can be perceived as a component of culture and as a tool of culture (which is not the same thing). Since every native speaker is also a carrier of culture, linguistic signs acquire the ability to perform the function of cultural signs and thereby serve as a means of representing the basic attitudes of culture. That is why a language is able to reflect the cultural and national mentality of its speakers. (3, p. 62)

There are similarities and differences between cultures. Semantic areas that are more susceptible to universalization and semantic areas that exhibit originality to a greater extent are identified (1, p. 76). Culture shapes and organizes the thought of a linguistic personality, forms linguistic categories and concepts.

Such a universal aspect of human life, present in all cultures and characteristic of literally every person around the world as humor, finds its expression in language. The most common speech genre aimed at creating a comic effect is an anecdote - very short story with funny, funny content and an unexpected poignant ending (7). This genre has a special designation in Russian - unlike, say, the French language, in which the analogue of a Russian joke is simply histoire'history' or histoire amusante ‘funny story', or in English, to which the joke translates simply as joke‘joke’ (5, p. 196).

Being a cultural concept, humor has value characteristics, i.e. associated with key life guidelines. Humor, in its essence, is one of the most convenient ways of adapting a person to changing circumstances; it is a reaction to unexpected developments of events, to a certain extent, reconciliation with reality, and with experience positive emotions, which are known to improve human health. Thus, humor is an organic protective characteristic of the human psyche, a rather subtle and complex emotional phenomenon associated with the survival of man as a species, i.e. humor is associated with a person’s vital values ​​(1, p. 156).

On the one hand, a sense of humor is a purely individual property of everyone. Often, jokes that seem funny to one person will not cause any reaction from another or may even cause conflict. On the other hand, humor can be culturally conditioned, since culture is of decisive importance in shaping a person’s attitude to reality. This area is very interesting for everyone who is in one way or another concerned with the problem of intercultural communication. Firstly, understanding national humor leads to understanding the culture as a whole (its inherent values, peculiarities of perception of the world, behavior, attitude of its representatives to reality, etc.). Secondly, the pragmatic side of this issue is important, because in intercultural communication it is necessary that there is mutual understanding between its participants. What may be considered a great sense of humor in one culture may be perceived as ignorance in another; A funny joke for some may simply go unnoticed by others.

There are various reasons for the misunderstanding of humor in intercultural communication:

1) Ignorance of the realities of a given culture. An example is the following joke:

· “No, well, you have to be so greedy!” thought Inspector Ivanov, looking at the belted drivers politely letting pedestrians pass.

For a foreigner to understand this anecdote, he would have to explain that the Russian police officers controlling traffic they constantly take bribes from violators and that this joke plays on a paradox: the rules are not broken, but the one who is responsible for order on the roads is dissatisfied because he cannot make a profit from it.

2) Humor is based on wordplay. Only a very deep knowledge of the language will make a foreigner smile in response to such jokes

· The patient needs the care of a doctor. And the sooner the doctor leaves, the better.

· In a restaurant, a visitor asks the waitress:
-Is this a chicken? - No, it eats.

3) Misunderstanding of certain norms accepted in the culture. Example:

The men went fishing. And they forgot the vodka...

A Russian person will laugh at this situation; it will seem unlikely and comical to him, since it is known that not a single fishing trip can be done without drinking alcohol; a foreigner will not see any joke here.

4) Lack of understanding of the deep values ​​of the corresponding culture.

· Patient at an appointment with a psychologist:

- Doctor, my husband and I never quarrel.

- Strange... So you are not made for each other.

Among representatives of other, especially Western, cultures, the Russian “darlings scold - only amuse themselves” will most likely cause bewilderment. The following “folk wisdom” will not meet with sympathy:

· The lazier a person is, the more his work resembles a feat.

In cultures where enterprise and efficiency are especially valued, laziness is especially condemned, so there can be no talk of a “feat” of a lazy person.

Each culture has its own “favorite” joke topics and its own characters. For us, this is Vovochka, and the “new Russian”, and Stirlitz, and others. Australians love to joke about New Zealanders and about the sheep drivers and shearers who live in remote areas. Americans are about politicians and lawyers ( Question: Why are Arizona swarming with vultures, but Washington is full of lawyers? Answer: Arizona chose first). The main source of Spanish jokes is the small village of Lepe in southwestern Andalusia. For example: “How many Lepe residents does it take to unscrew a light bulb from its socket?” - “Four. One to hold the light bulb and three to turn the chair.". Many themes, such as relationships with mother-in-law, excessive wealth and excessive poverty, greed and stinginess, extravagance and other behavioral characteristics, are universal to most countries.

In addition, representatives of different cultures love to joke with each other. Most often, the closest neighbors become the “victims”: for Russians – Chukchi, Ukrainian, Estonian; the French have a Belgian; Ukrainians have Russian and Moldovan. English jokes ridicule “greedy Scots” and “drunkard Irish”. The main object of German humor, as a rule, is characteristics residents of certain regions of Germany: the stiffness of the natives of Prussia, the arrogance and carelessness of the Bavarians, the stupidity of the East Frisians, the nimbleness of the Berliners, the deceit of the Saxons (8). Most of these jokes are based on stereotypes. Thus, the ideas of Europeans about each other are well illustrated in a well-known joke:

Paradise is a place where the police are English, the cooks are French, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian, and the managers are Swiss. Hell is a place where the cooks are English, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, the police are German, and the managers are Italian.

The British respect their police officers, the German police are known for their severity, French cuisine is famous for its sophistication, and English cuisine is criticized. The Germans are known in Europe for their love of mechanics and precise mechanisms, the stereotype of the Italian is a passionate lover, the Swiss are famous for their discipline and good organizational skills (1, p. 168).

However, one should not assume that absolutely all the jokes of one culture will be incomprehensible to another. An example is the fact that in different countries they watch foreign comedies and, most importantly, laugh at them. Sometimes jokes are interpreted differently in different cultures, not as intended by the creators, but still cause laughter. Often, people from another culture understand the meaning of a joke, but do not find it funny.

Thus, in order to understand a joke, you must have certain basic knowledge: first of all, this is knowledge of the language, stereotypes, certain realities, features national character etc. However, understanding the meaning of a joke does not always lead to a positive assessment of it.

1.2 The British and humor

Humor is present in one form or another in every culture. But it was the British who were able to make it their brand, creating a reputation for “subtle”, “intellectual” humor, “which you need to grow into.” It is even considered that this is the best humor in the world. However, not all foreigners make him smile. Is it really that they are “not mature enough”? Humor is a relative thing, and it is impossible to say objectively what is funny and what is not. In other cultures it is simply different. However, the combination “English humor” has become something of a cliché. In any associative dictionary, next to the word “English”, among others, there will be “humour”, and for the word “humor” one of the associations will necessarily be the adjective “English”. And the point here is not that this humor is “good” and the rest are “bad,” but that it has extraordinary value in a given culture. Here is what the English anthropologist Kate Fox writes about this: “The English sense of humor is the talk of the town, whoever talks about it, including numerous patriots who seek to prove that our sense of humor is something unique, unprecedented and unknown among other nations . Many Englishmen seem to be confident that we have been granted an exclusive right, if not to humor itself, then at least to some of its “types,” the most “prestigious” - wit and, most importantly, irony. Perhaps English humor is indeed special, but in the course of research I came to the conclusion that its main “ characteristic“The value we attach to it, the central place that humor occupies in English culture and the system of social relations...” (4, p. 34)

The main feature of English humor is that it is somehow present in any dialogue, when, as in other cultures, it is given “time and place.” In a conversation, it is very important not to be too serious, otherwise it will be perceived as excessive pomp and pomposity - something that is absolutely unacceptable for the British.

Irony occupies a special place in British humor. “Irony is not a savory spice, but a basic ingredient in English humor,” says Kate Fox (4, p. 38). Irony is a type of comic when the funny is hidden under the guise of the serious and conceals a feeling of superiority or skepticism (BES). Almost every Englishman’s remark is permeated with irony, which can be a big obstacle in intercultural communication, especially when its purpose is business communication. In order not to get into trouble in such cases, it is important to remember 2 most important rules of English irony:

· Rule of understatement. According to this rule, Antarctica is “quite cold,” the Sahara is “somewhat hot,” an act of vile cruelty is “not a very friendly act,” an unforgivably stupid judgment is “not a very smart assessment,” and indescribable beauty is “quite nice.” This rule is the result of the same fear of appearing too serious, sentimental, pretentious or boastful. Such an understatement will not cause friendly laughter, but only a restrained smile - after all, this is so “English”. The main difficulty for a foreigner is to determine what is actually hidden behind such phrases.

· Rule of self-deprecation. In the minds of many, the British are modest and reserved. However, this is one of the most common misconceptions. The British are by no means a modest nation. In conversation, they like to downplay their merits, but this modesty is rather ostentatious, a consequence of the unspoken rules that dominate in their society: it is customary not to boast, but to be ironic. So, for example, a neurosurgeon might say: “ Well, my profession does not require great intelligence at all, as is commonly believed; To be honest, it's a bit of a hit and miss affair. Like plumbing, but laying pipes under a microscope. But, perhaps, plumbing work requires more precision" This behavior can hardly be called modest, but playful self-deprecating responses also cannot be regarded as a deliberate, calculated manifestation of “false” modesty. This is just a game by the rules, most often unconscious, where the Englishman is ironic about his successes, which he was embarrassed to boast about openly. By belittling his own dignity, he implies the opposite, and this produces the desired impression: others highly value a person who belittles himself, both for the successes he has achieved and for his reluctance to talk about them.

As for a foreigner who does not know about this rule, he is unlikely to see humor here. He will take his word for it and will not express admiration for the “insignificant” achievements of his interlocutor.

This culture especially loves to laugh at itself. Since the English rarely say what they think, and generally have a tendency to remain silent and understate, their humor is partly based precisely on some protrusion of this facet of the English character. So, if in ordinary conversation they avoid the truth that could lead to confrontation, then in their jokes they ridicule this property. For example:

“At dinner in a rich country mansion, one of the guests, having drunk too much, falls face first into his plate. The owner calls the butler and says: “Smithers, please prepare a room for guests. This gentleman has kindly agreed to stay overnight with us.”(2, p. 16)

Since irony is everywhere, it is difficult to make an Englishman laugh. Writers, artists and comic performers have to try very hard to make the English laugh. In everyday communication, a dry half-smile in response to a joke is the most common reaction.

According to eyewitnesses, the English of Shakespeare's time were very aggressive: fights in the street happened at every turn, men walked around armed, it was dangerous for a young woman to leave the house without an escort, the crowd's favorite pastimes were dog and cockfights. It is surprising how it could happen that a nation of pirates and bullies turned in three to four hundred years, a relatively short historical period, into a society of friendly and law-abiding citizens for whom the word gentle has become an important characteristic of behavior (1, p. 77). Most likely, the very character of the English has not changed (take, for example, the behavior of football fans, known for their aggressiveness), it is only controlled by strict rules of behavior accepted in society: the most important thing for an Englishman is not to lose face. One of the outlets for their violent character was rather cynical humor. Radio and television programs for mass audiences are replete with examples of crude comedy based on insult and humiliation of one of the participants in communication. The subject of ridicule is the physical defects and weaknesses of people - age, excess weight, baldness, speech impairment, etc. The situation is seen as humorous and therefore harmless (1, p. 79).

English society is characterized by a strong class division, but when it comes to humor, it is the same for everyone. There is no such rule of social behavior that would apply everywhere, but all Englishmen, without exception, obey the rules of English humor (albeit unconsciously). Any violation of them - no matter in what class environment it occurs - is instantly noticed, subject to censure and ridicule (4, p. 45). At the same time, class differences and the class system are one of the objects of jokes, like many of the realities of this culture, in which they do not miss the chance to laugh at themselves.

Conclusions on the first chapter

Humor, as one of the types of human linguistic activity, is an important aspect of intercultural communication, since it reflects the mentality of representatives of a given culture. It can both unite and alienate representatives of different cultures from each other. Understanding the other person's humor is the key to successful communication.

Humor is one of the most important components of English culture, permeating all spheres of life and representing extraordinary value for its representatives. It forms a special picture of the world, regulates behavior and outlook on life. The taboo against excessive seriousness, the rules of English irony, understatement and self-deprecation are firmly rooted in this culture. Humor is a kind of release, a way to “let off steam” for reserved Englishmen. A foreigner in contact with the British must always be ready to take and understand a joke, which turns out to be quite difficult, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the hidden rules of behavior of this culture.

culture communication perception england joke

A study of the perception of English jokes by representatives of different cultures

Browsing a certain number of British Internet sites dedicated to modern humor allows the author of this work to identify the main themes of English jokes:

Animals

· Bars, bartenders and visitors (Bar jokes)

Blonde Jokes

· Doctors (Doctor Jokes, Medical)

· Computers, technology (Technology Jokes)

· Relationships (Boyfriends, Girlfriends, Marriage)

Education

· Sport

· Politics

· Insults – a series of jokes containing mocking remarks addressed to another, for example:

« Smite me, Tell What- someday smart"(Shock me, say something intelligent).

· Jokes about “drunken Irish” and “greedy Scots”, as well as other jokes based on national stereotypes.

English jokes can vary in length from one sentence to detailed story large size (which is not typical for Russian jokes). A popular form of dialogue is the characters of which can be either defined or unknown, depending on the situation.

There are a large number of jokes based on wordplay. These jokes are quite easy to understand when reading them, but it is much more difficult to recognize the comical nature of them when listening to them.

Jokes about animals, blondes, computers, relationships are universal for most cultures, especially European ones, since everyone knows the habits of animals, stereotypes about blondes, the peculiarities of relationships between women and men, and computers are the same everywhere, and these topics are quite relevant. Therefore, the likelihood that representatives of different cultures, especially Europeans, will evaluate these jokes positively is quite high.

Jokes about doctors, bars and education also exist in other cultures, but not always they are separated into separate sections, as is the case with English jokes. Apparently, this is due to their importance in a given culture.

Politics and sports are also popular joke topics across cultures. In many cases, the heroes of such jokes are unique to each culture, since their characteristics, which are the basis for humor, are known to most people only within that culture. As a result, there is little chance that such jokes will make people from other cultures smile. If the heroes of jokes are designated as “politician”, “tennis player”, “football player”, etc., then this probability will increase.

A fairly specific category is “insults”. The British humor is quite cynical, so such jokes are a very common phenomenon in this culture. First of all, a person’s mental abilities are ridiculed, which is one of the proofs that in the culture in question, a person’s intellect and erudition are of great importance. Jokes on this topic may cause understanding among representatives of other cultures, but it is possible that for a certain part they will seem too rude.

Jokes based on national stereotypes will most likely be understood only in cases where the listener is familiar with the stereotype itself. To confirm/refute this forecast, the author of the work conducts a study in which English jokes are given on different topics and their rating scale: very funny ( very funny), quite funny ( fairly funny), mediocre ( mediocre), and the option “I don’t find a joke in this” ( I cannot see any joke here). The study involved 20 representatives of different cultures, and three Englishmen. The list of jokes is as follows:

1. My dog ​​is a nuisance. He chases everyone on a bicycle. What can I do?

Take his bike away.

Translation:

-My dog ​​is simply unbearable. She chases anyone on a bike.

- So take the bike away from her.

The reaction of the English respondents was completely different: one rated it as “very funny”, the second said that he did not see any joke here, the third characterized it as “mediocre”, explaining that it was too simple. The majority of foreigners surveyed, namely 60%, adhere to this option. The option “quite funny” was chosen by 25% of respondents; 10% didn't find a joke here. Most likely, in this case, personal taste rather than cultural affiliation determined the choice.

2. Three blondes are stranded on an island. They find a lamp and out pops a genius. "I will grant each of you one wish" the genius said.

The first blonde said that she wished to be smarter than the other two, and she turned into a brunette and swam off the island.

The second blonde said that she wished to be smarter than the other two, and she turned into a red-head and built a raft and rowed off the island.

The third blonde wished to be smarter than the other two, and she turned into a brunette and walked across the bridge.

Three blondes ended up on a desert island. There they found a lamp from which the genie appeared. “I will grant one wish for each of you.” The first blonde wished to be smarter than the other two, turned into a brunette and swam away from the island.

The second wished to be smarter than the other two, became red-haired, built a raft and sailed away from the island.

The third also wished to be smarter than the other two, became a brunette and crossed the bridge.

The British rated this joke mostly positively (two – “quite funny”, one – “mediocre”). Representatives of other cultures also rated it quite highly: 45% considered it “fairly funny,” 15% considered it “very funny,” and 35% found it “mediocre.”

3. "Doctor, doctor, little Jimmy has a saucepan stuck on his head. Whatever shall I do?"

"Don"t worry, you can borrow one of mine. I"m going out for dinner." Translation:

-Doctor, doctor! My little Jimmy has a pan on his head and can't get it off, what should I do?

-Don't worry, you can take mine. I'm dining out today.

Two out of three Brits thought the joke was “mediocre”, with 50% of those surveyed agreeing, while a third chose the option “quite funny”. His opinion is shared by 35% of respondents. 20% of respondents did not see the joke here.

4. Tech Support: "I need you to right-click on the Desktop."

Customer: "Ok."

Tech Support: "Did you get a pop-up menu?"

Customer: "No."

Tech Support: "Ok. Right click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?"

Customer: "No."

Tech Support: "Ok, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?"

Customer: "Sure, you told me to write "click" and I wrote click"."

This joke on the topic “computers” is based on a simple play on words. So the word right(right) And write(write) They sound the same in English. The comical situation is that someone calls technical support, where he is asked to open the context menu on the computer (by right-clicking the mouse), and instead he writes the word “click” on paper.

All three English people interviewed agreed that the joke was “pretty funny.” 45% of respondents answered similarly. To them we can add 15% who chose the “very funny” option. Many noted that this joke is good because a similar situation happens quite often in life. 10% did not see the joke, 20% considered it “mediocre.”

5. Wife: To think that I had to marry you to find out just how stupid you are.

Husband: You should have realized that when I asked you to marry me.

Wife: “Just think, I married you and realized how stupid you are.”

Husband: “You should have realized that when I asked you to marry me.”

Two Englishmen found the joke “mediocre”, the third – “quite funny”. 30% found her “very funny”; 40% chose the option “quite funny”; 25% - “mediocre” and 5% - “I don’t find any humor in this.” The last option was chosen by a woman who professes Islam. In her culture, behavior of spouses similar to that described in this anecdote is unacceptable, which fully explains her choice.

6. Pupil: "Excuse me, Sir, but I don"t think I deserve a mark of zero for this exam paper."

Teacher: "Neither do I, but it"s the lowest mark I can give."

Student: “I'm sorry sir, but I don't agree that I deserve a zero mark for this paper.”

Teacher: “I don’t think so either, but this is the lowest grade I can give.”

All English respondents rated this joke positively (two – “quite funny”, one – “very funny”). Similar estimates were chosen as 35% and 25% respectively. 30% of respondents called the joke “mediocre”; 10% (namely two Americans) did not find a joke here.

7. The angry captain snarled at the referee. "What would l happen if I called you a blind bastard who couldn't make a correct decision to save his life?"

"It would be a red card for you."

"And if I didn't say it but only thought it?"

That's different. If you only thought it but didn't say it, I couldn't do a thing."

"Well, we"ll leave it like that, then, shall we?" smiled the captain. Translation:

The angry captain of the football team tells the judge, “What happens if I call you a blind asshole who can’t make the right decision to save his life?” The judge replies: “Then you will get a red card” - “What if I don’t say this, but just think?” - “These are different things. If you just think and don’t say anything, then I can’t do anything” - “Well, then it’s better to leave everything as it is, isn’t it?”

As has already been said, in ordinary conversation the British avoid truths that could lead to confrontation, and in their jokes they ridicule this property. This joke shows a similar situation in which the player, on the one hand, is angry, and on the other, is engaged in “small talk” with the judge.

Two of the English people surveyed called the joke “mediocre,” and 45% of respondents agreed with them. One of the Englishmen and 15% of respondents chose the option “funny enough.” The percentage of those who did not find a joke here is high - 40%.

8. During Britain's "brain drain," not a single politician left the country.

During the period of the “brain drain” in the UK, not a single politician left the country.

Two Englishmen rated this joke positively, one as “mediocre.” According to one of the respondents, the joke is “funny enough” because it is “true.” However, it enjoyed little success among representatives of other cultures: 40% found it “mediocre”; 25% didn't see the joke here.

9. You"re not yourself today. I noticed the improvement immediately.

You're not like that today. I immediately noticed an improvement.

This joke was regarded relatively positively by the British respondents. One of them, having chosen the “mediocre” option, explained this by saying that it was not rough enough. However, the majority of representatives of different cultures did not find this joke good: 20% did not find the joke here, 45% chose the “mediocre” option.

10. An Englishman, and Irishman and a Scotsman went into a bar. The Englishman stood a round of drinks, the Irishman stood a round of drinks and the Scotsman stood around.

The joke is based on the national stereotype of the stingy Scots and a play on words. The situation is as follows: an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walk into a bar. An Englishman and an Irishman order a lot of drinks ( stood a round), and the Scotsman stands nearby ( stood around).

This joke evoked a positive reaction from two English people interviewed. Together with a third, 45% of foreigners considered it “mediocre”; 20% did not see this as a joke.

11. An Irishman McQuillan w lked into a bar and ordered martini after martini, each time removing the olives and placing them in a jar. When the jar was filled with olives and all the drinks consumed, the Irishman started to leave.

"S"cuse me," said a customer, who was puzzled over what McQuillan had done. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing," said the Irishman, "my wife just sent me out for a jar of olives."

The joke is based on the stereotype of the "drunkard Irishman". Translation:

Irishman McQuillan walks into a bar and drinks one glass of martini after another, each time taking out olives and placing them in a jug. When the jug is full, the Irishman prepares to leave.

“Excuse me,” says one of the visitors, “what are you doing?”

“Nothing special,” McQuillan replies, “just my wife told me to buy some olives.”

Two Englishmen surveyed found the joke “mediocre”, while one rated it as quite funny. It is noteworthy that among respondents from other cultures the joke was more successful: 45% chose the option “quite funny”; 20% - “very funny”; 10% - “mediocre”. This does not at all prove that all representatives of different cultures surveyed know the stereotype on which the joke is based. Most likely, the situation itself caused laughter, and main character introduced himself simply as a “drinker.” At the same time, the percentage of those who did not see the joke is relatively high, namely 25%. Explaining this choice, some respondents noted the illogicality of this situation, and, therefore, did not find it funny.

English opinions coincided with those of other cultures in 27% of cases regarding jokes about blondes, doctors and computers. The number of cases where their opinions did not coincide was approximately equal to 45% in jokes about education, politics, insults and national stereotypes. Thus, the forecast made by the author turned out to be generally correct.

This sample contains several pairs of representatives of the same culture. Their answers coincided completely in 18% of cases. In 70% of cases, they chose answers that were nearby. As a result, we can talk about the relative unity of perception of humor by representatives of the same culture.

In the second chapter, a review of the main themes of English humor was carried out and a forecast was made about the possible features of the perception of English jokes by representatives of different cultures. To confirm or refute this forecast, the author resorts to the survey method. A list of jokes taken from English sites dedicated to humor is provided. The survey involved the British on the one hand and representatives of various cultures on the other. The author of the work compared the assessment of jokes made by the British with the answers of others and came to the conclusion that jokes on universal topics are perceived by the British and representatives of different cultures relatively equally and here, first of all, there is an individual sense of humor. Anecdotes on more specific topics cause differences of opinion between the British and representatives of different cultures.

During intercultural communication, it is necessary to remember the relativity of values ​​and the uniqueness of the perception of reality in different cultures, therefore such a concept as “bad humor” should be absent.

The purpose of this study was to determine in what cases the perception of English humor by people from different countries depends on their belonging to a particular culture. To resolve the issue, a number of tasks were completed. First of all, theoretical material was studied on humor as a component of cultures, especially the humor of the British. Then, during the study, it was determined that the perception of foreign humor by representatives of different cultures is influenced by such factors as knowledge of the language, realities, accepted norms, and understanding of the values ​​of the corresponding culture.

It was also found that British and cross-cultural joke perceptions were similar for jokes about blondes, doctors and computers. Their opinions differed in jokes about education, politics, insults and national stereotypes.

Thus, the existence of differences in the perception of English humor by the British and representatives of other cultures has been proven.

List of used literature

1. Karasik V.I. Language circle: personality, concepts, discourse. – Volgograd: Peremena, 2002. – 477 p.

2. Mayol E., Milstead D. These strange Englishmen = The Xenophobic Guide to the English. - M.: Egmont Russia Ltd., 2001. - 72 p.

3. Maslova V. A. Linguoculturology: Textbook. aid for students higher schools, institutions. - M.: Publishing center "Academy", 2001. - 208 p.

4. Fox K. Watching the British. Hidden rules of behavior. – electronic version

5. E.Ya. Shmeleva, A.D. Shmelev. Russian joke as a text and as a speech genre // Russian language in scientific coverage. - M.: Languages Slavic culture, 2002. -319 p.

6. Large encyclopedic dictionary - #"#">http://www.langust.ru/index.shtml

Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

Posted on http://allbest.ru

Introduction

Chapter 1. Intercultural communication. Purpose of study

1.1 Types of intercultural communication

1.1.1 Verbal communication

1.1.2 Nonverbal communication

1.2.3 Paraverbal communication

Chapter 2. The problem of understanding in intercultural communication

2.1 National mentality

2.2 The essence of the perception process

2.3 Attribution in intercultural communication

2.4 Stereotypes of perception in intercultural communication

2.4.1 Classification of stereotypes

2.4.2 Stereotypes and background knowledge

2.4.3 Stereotypes and literary text

2.4.4 Perception and understanding of stereotypes in literary text

Conclusion

List of used literature:

Introduction

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 the combination of these two types of knowledge is language and culture - ensures effective and fruitful communication." In this work, the subject of research is the process of communication between different cultures; an attempt was made to analyze the process of communication, its main types and laws. The object of the study is the national mentality, namely the German mentality as an element of the mental makeup of the nation, its manifestations in intercultural communication. The stereotypes that other nations have regarding the Germans were also analyzed. The methodology for studying the national mentality in this work is a system of research procedures, such as observation, analysis of scientific literature, texts fiction, collections of proverbs.

The course work was carried out with the aim of increasing the level of intercultural competence of language teachers, translators, researchers and improving the communication process with representatives of German culture. The set goal necessitated the implementation of two tasks: research into the theory of intercultural communication and the practical application of the laws of communication in communication with representatives of German culture.

The topic seems important for linguistics, since it allows one to integrate achievements in the field of linguoculturology, social linguistics, history, psychology, and ethnography.

Chapter 1. Intercultural communication. Purpose of study

“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.

American linguist Edward Hall was the first to come to the conclusion about the need to teach the culture of communication with other peoples. In his opinion, the main goal of studying the problem of ICC is to study the practical needs of representatives of different cultures for successful communication with each other.

1.1 Types of intercultural communication

The variety of types of social interaction, social contexts and intentions of the participants in communication is reflected in the variety of speech genres - from everyday chatter to emotional confessions, from business meetings and negotiations to speeches in the media. At the same time, verbal communication through images, motives, attitudes, emotions determines social and interpersonal relationships, speech constitutes them.

Special studies by foreign scientists have established that the nature, form and style of communication largely depend on the first minutes, and sometimes even seconds, of communication. There are many very simple techniques that can facilitate the initial stage of communication in almost any situation, which determines the entire further course of this process. Such techniques include smiling, addressing the interlocutor by name, complimenting him, etc.

Depending on a combination of different methods. Techniques and styles of communication in communication studies are divided into three main types of intercultural communication - verbal, nonverbal and paraverbal.

1.1.1 Verbal communication

According to experts, three-quarters of human communicative interaction consists of speech (verbal) communication. In science, various forms of linguistic communication are called verbal means of communication.

The use of language as the main means of verbal communication implies that each word or sound is given a special, unique meaning. For native speakers of a given language, this meaning is generally accepted and helps them understand each other.

However, in modern world There are about 3,000 languages, each of which has its own linguistic picture of the world, suggesting a specific perception of the world by speakers of a given language. Therefore, when communicating between speakers of different languages, situations of linguistic inconsistency arise, manifested in the absence of an exact equivalent to express a particular concept or even in the absence of the concept itself. As a rule, the basis for such inconsistency are objects and concepts reflecting them that are characteristic only of a given culture and absent in other cultures, as well as different cultural ideas about them.

In low-context cultures, which, according to E. Hall's theory, includes Germany, verbal statements alone are sufficient for understanding. Context matters little. In the West, the old tradition of oratory (rhetoric) assumes the utmost importance of verbal messages. This tradition fully reflects the Western type of logical, rational and analytical thinking. In Western cultures, speech is perceived independently of the context of the conversation, so it can be considered separately and outside the sociocultural context. Here, in the process of communication, the speaker and the listener are considered as two independent subjects, whose relationship becomes clear from oral utterances, in contrast to Asians, for example, who are more interested in the emotional side of the interaction as a whole than in the meaning of certain words and expressions.

Compared to verbal means of expressing thoughts in Asian and Eastern cultures, residents of European countries and the United States speak more directly, clearly and precisely, trying to avoid silence during communication. Representatives of European cultures say what they think and think what they say, since the sociocultural context of communication does not matter to them. These cultures highly favor those who express their thoughts and feelings simply and directly.

Verbal communication can take place primarily in the form of dialogue or monologue.

a) Verbal communication styles. According to research, the style of communication depends both on the individual characteristics and personality traits of a person, and on the generally accepted norms of communication and attitude towards people in a given culture. In this regard, communicative style can be defined as a set of stable and habitual modes of behavior inherent in a given person, which are used by him when establishing relationships and interactions with other people. Like many other things, verbal communication styles also vary significantly across cultures. In communication science, there are usually three groups of verbal communication styles: direct and indirect; artful (pretentious) and concise (concise); instrumental and affective.

Direct and indirect styles of verbal communication. Thanks to these two styles, the deepest motives and intentions of a person are expressed or hidden in the process of communication or, in other words, the degree of openness of a person is revealed. Direct verbal style aims to express a person's true intentions and therefore presupposes a strict communication style that excludes conventions and understatements. Most often, this style develops in individualistic cultures. Indirect verbal style is characteristic of the high-context cultures of Japan and Korea, where traditions do not allow the possibility of openly saying “no”.

Artful (pretentious) and concise (concise) verbal styles. These styles of verbal communication are based on varying degrees of use of expressive language, pauses, silence, etc. Artful style involves the use of rich, expressive language in communication, for example, this style is widespread in the cultures of the Arab peoples of the Middle East, where, through oaths and assurances, both the face of the speaker and the face of his interlocutor are preserved. A concise verbal communication style is the opposite of pretentious. His main feature consists in using the necessary and sufficient minimum of statements to convey information. In addition to laconicism and restraint, this style is also characterized by evasiveness, the use of pauses and expressive silence.

Instrumental and affective styles of verbal communication differ in the orientation of the process of verbal communication towards one or another of its participants. The instrumental style focuses primarily on the speaker and the goal of communication. He relies on accurate information to achieve his communication goals. Using this style allows a person to assert himself in the communication process, as well as maintain a sense of autonomy and independence from the interlocutor. The instrumental style is presented in European cultures and the USA.

The affective style has the opposite direction of the communication process: it is focused on the listener and the communication process itself. To achieve the set goals, this style involves adapting the participants to the communication process itself, to the feelings and needs of the interlocutor. With this style, a person is forced to be careful in his speech, to avoid risky statements and positions; for this he uses imprecise expressions and avoids direct statements or denials ( Japanese style communication).

b) Characteristics of verbal communication. The process of mutual understanding in verbal communication is significantly influenced by such characteristics of verbal communication as denotation and connotation, polysemy, synonymy, mixing observation and evaluation.

Denotation and connotation. Each person's life experiences influence the meanings they attach to words. Denotation- this is the meaning of the word recognized by the majority of speakers of a given language (this is the lexical meaning of the word). Connotation- these are secondary associations of a word shared by one or more speakers of a given language. For example, the word lion means a predatory animal of the cat family (denotation), and in everyday communication of people this word can be synonymous with power, strength and greatness (connotation). The meanings of words change from era to era, from generation to generation, year to year, and also depending on region, time and place. Choosing the wrong word can lead to confusion, resentment and misunderstanding.

Polysemy. Some words have more than one common meaning, which can also cause ineffective communication. Examples of such words in Russian can be the words castle, flour, onion etc. Each specific meaning of a polysemantic word is usually determined in the speech context in which they are included.

Synonymy. The communication process involves the possibility of encoding any information using different words and phrases. The choice of such a number of synonyms is carried out by the sender of the message in order to attract the attention of the recipient, convey the necessary information and cause an appropriate response. Synonyms can demonstrate a neutral, positive or negative attitude of one side of the communication towards the other.

Observations and assessments. Competence in communication, and therefore its effectiveness, also presupposes the ability to see the difference between factual statements and conclusions based on opinion, to feel the difference between assessments that include the results of observations and assessments in which observations and assessments are separated. The results of our observations are descriptive. The assessment includes some conclusions from what we observe, our attitude towards the actions of our partner. In the process of communication, misunderstandings often arise due to the fact that participants present their assumptions or opinions as facts. Instead of trying to attribute to the interlocutor some thoughts, feelings, moods that are meaningful to us, sometimes it is better to try to highlight those of his words that served as the basis for the appropriate interpretation.

1.1.2 Nonverbal communication

The perception of information from representatives of other cultures depends not only on knowledge of the language, but also on the understanding of the so-called language of non-verbal communication. It is important to know here that if partners are not able to perceive the content of the conversation, then they watch how it is said.

Nonverbal communication in science is understood as a set of non-linguistic means, symbols and signs used to convey information and messages in the process of communication. Facial expressions, gestures, body movements, pace and timbre of speech, clothing, hairstyle, surrounding objects, habitual actions - they all represent a certain type of message.

Forms and methods of nonverbal communication are:

Kinesics - a set of gestures, postures, body movements;

Takeshika - handshakes, kisses, stroking, patting and other touching the body of the communication interlocutor;

Sensory - a set of sensory perceptions based on information from the senses;

Proxemics - ways of using space in the communication process;

Chronemics - ways of using time in the communication process.

Kinesics - a set of gestures, postures, body movements used in communication as additional expressive means communication; “Kin” is the smallest unit of movement of the human body. Behavior is made up of “kinems” in the same way that human speech is made up of a sequence of words, sentences, and phrases.

Gestures. This means of nonverbal communication represents various types of movements of the body, arms or hands that accompany a person’s speech in the process of communication and express the person’s attitude directly to the interlocutor, to some event, object, or other person, indicating the desires and state of the person. A gesture carries information not only about a person’s mental state, but also about the intensity of his experiences. Gestures are believed to have a social origin, and therefore cross-cultural differences are particularly evident in them.

For example, when expressing their approval in public places, Germans do not clap their hands, as is customary to do in the cultures of other nations, but knock their knuckles on the table top, whistle or shout. When counting, they do not bend their fingers, as is customary in Russian culture, but, on the contrary, they straighten the fingers of a clenched fist.

It should be borne in mind that in different countries the same gesture can have opposite meanings. For example, a German will raise his eyebrows as a sign of admiration for someone’s idea. For an Englishman, the same gesture means extreme skepticism.

Pose - the position of the human body and movements that a person takes in the process of communication. Like other elements of nonverbal communication, postures vary not only across cultures, but also within the same culture across social and age groups. For example, almost all Western people sit on a chair with their legs crossed, but if a European, while in Thailand, points the sole of his shoes at a Thai, he will feel humiliated and offended, and the Arab partner will perceive this as a deep insult.

Body movements . Body motor skills also help a person express their feelings and intentions. Misuse of gestures can lead to very serious misunderstandings.

Facial expressions . These are all changes in a person’s facial expression that can be observed during communication. Various forms of manifestation of human emotions often have a specific character for different cultures. For example, laughter and smile in everyone Western cultures associated with jokes and joy. The typical “smiling” of Asians can be both an expression of positive emotions (sympathy, joy, etc.) and a way to hide negative emotions (dissatisfaction, confusion, surprise, etc.). If a European does not know such a feature Japanese culture, then his anger increases, since he may think that they are laughing at him.

Ophthalmology is the use of eye movement, or eye contact, or visual contact in the process of communication.

Takeshika - a special scientific direction that studies the meaning and role of touch in communication. As various studies have shown, with the help of different types of touch, the communication process can take on a different character and proceed with different effectiveness.

From this point of view, cultures can be divided into contact, in which touching is very common and distant where they are completely absent.

Contact cultures include Latin American, Eastern, and Southern European cultures. North Americans, Asians, and Northern Europeans are low-contact cultures. They prefer to be at a distance from the interlocutor when communicating. Germans rarely use touch when communicating. Studies of the tactile behavior of Germans, Italians and North Americans have confirmed that belonging to a contact or distant culture also depends on the person’s personality and gender. For example, in Germany and the USA, men communicate at a greater distance and touch each other less often than in Italy.

An attribute of meeting and communication is a handshake. In communication it can be very informative, especially its intensity and duration. A too short, limp handshake with very dry hands can indicate indifference. On the contrary, a very long handshake and too wet hands indicate strong excitement, high feeling responsibility.

For Germans, like all Europeans, a handshake is an integral part of greeting. They shake hands not only during the first greeting, but also at the end of the conversation. They prefer a strong handshake. Usually the person who is older or has a higher position in society offers his hand first. The woman offers her hand first, unless the man's status is higher than her own. The man bends slightly when greeting. Usually this is a slight tilt of the shoulders and neck. If a person enters a room in which there are other people, he must shake hands with everyone present.

Sensory - a type of nonverbal communication based on the sensory perception of representatives of other cultures. We build our communication with the interlocutor largely depending on how we smell, taste, perceive color and sound combinations, and feel the warmth of the interlocutor’s body. Of particular importance in communication are smells. Smells that are familiar in one culture may seem disgusting in another.

Features of national cuisine also differ among different nations. The aromas of traditional cuisine, which a foreigner perceives as unusual or repulsive, may seem quite acceptable and familiar to representatives of this culture.

Color combinations, used in different cultures also vary greatly. We may not like some combinations or patterns; they may seem too bright or too faded.

Hearing preferences also depend on the specific culture. This is why music differs so much among different nations. Other people's music often seems strange, incomprehensible or ugly.

Proxemics . This is the use of spatial relationships in communication, expressed in the separation of personal territory, personalization of the place and object of communication, which become the property of a person or group of individuals. This term was introduced by the American psychologist E. Hall to analyze the patterns of spatial organization of communication, as well as the influence of territories, distances and distances between people on the nature of interpersonal communication. Hall, as a result of his observations, identified four zones of communication: intimate, personal, social and public.

intimate - separating fairly close people who do not want to involve third parties in their lives. It has been proven that a person’s sense of territory is genetic and cannot be gotten rid of: the more a person is disturbed by someone’s approach, the more fight hormones are produced in his blood. At such a moment, a person, as a rule, prepares for self-defense. In Western European cultures, the intimate distance zone is about 60 cm. In the cultures of Eastern European peoples, this distance is less - approximately 45 cm.

For the communication process, the most important thing is personal space , immediately surrounding the human body (the distance that an individual maintains when communicating between himself and all other people). This zone is 45-120 cm and is where most of all human communication occurs.

For example, Germans communicate over greater distances than Russians, and a German may interpret an excessively close approach of a Russian as an invasion of his personal space and may respond aggressively. Cultures that prefer close contact are characteristic of regions with a warm climate, and those cultures where people prefer to communicate at a distance and have less physical contact are characteristic of cold climates.

Social zone - distance between people during formal and social communication. It is 120-260 cm.

Public area - communication distance at public events. It starts from a distance of 3.5 m and can extend to infinity, but within the limits of maintaining communication contact.

During World War II, Americans placed German prisoners four to a room. They immediately began to divide the space of the room into their personal territories. The design of houses in Germany provides maximum privacy: the courtyards there are carefully fenced, everything that is possible is locked. When a German wants privacy, he hides behind a closed door, while an Arab withdraws into himself.

Chronemics. It is the use of time in the nonverbal communication process. The perception and use of time is part of nonverbal communication and varies significantly across cultures. The criterion for attitude to time in different cultures is the amount of acceptable lateness. There are two main models of time use - monochronic and polychronic.

In Germany there is a monochronic model of time use, i.e. time is figuratively represented as a road or a long ribbon, divided into segments. Due to this division of time into parts, a person in a given culture prefers to do only one thing at a time, and also divides time for business and for emotional contacts. In monochronic cultures, being late by 10-15 minutes is acceptable, but it must be accompanied by an apology. In Germany, time is fixed, people are punctual, and consistency between plans and results is valued. Events happen quickly because time is finite, irreversible and therefore very valuable. intercultural German translator

In the polychronic model there is no such strict schedule; a person can do several things at once. Time here is perceived in the form of intersecting spiral trajectories or in the form of a circle. An extreme case is that of cultures whose languages ​​do not have time words at all (for example, the North American Indians). Here it is usually 40-60 minutes late and no apology.

Chronemics also studies rhythm, movement, and timing in a culture.

1.2.3 Paraverbal communication

Paraverbal means are a set of sound signals that accompany oral speech, adding additional meaning to it. The purpose of paraverbal communication is to evoke in the partner the appropriate emotions, sensations, and experiences that are necessary to achieve certain goals and intentions. Such results are usually achieved with the help of paraverbal means of communication, which include: prosody - rate of speech, timbre, pitch and volume of the voice; Extralinguistics - pauses, coughs, sighs, laughter and crying (i.e. sounds that we reproduce with our voices).

Thus, paraverbal communication is based on the tonal and timbre features of language and their use in culture. On this basis, quiet and loud cultures can be distinguished.

For example, in Europe, Americans are criticized for speaking too loudly. This trait of theirs is born of the fact that very often for sociable Americans it does not matter whether their speech is listened to or not. It is much more important for them to show their competence.

Paradoxically, silence plays a very important role in communication. In different cultures, the idea of ​​how much silence is necessary for adequate communication has its own national specifics. Also in intercultural communication, the intonation of verbal communication is important, which often determines the meaning and content of the transmitted information.

The culturally specific features of paraverbal communication are also reflected in the speed of speech. For example, Finns speak relatively slowly and with long pauses. This linguistic feature created for them the image of people who think for a long time and act slowly. Fast-speaking cultures include speakers of Romance languages ​​who hardly pause between segments of speech. According to this indicator, Germans occupy a middle position, but the speed of speech is faster in Berlin and slower in the north of Germany.

Chapter 2. The problem of understanding in intercultural communication

As already noted, the main distinctive feature of the communication process is the mandatory mutual understanding of the partners. Without correct perception, evaluation and mutual understanding, the entire communication process loses its meaning. For effective and successful communication with representatives of other cultures, certain knowledge, skills and abilities are required, which form an adequate and correct mutual understanding of communication partners. Let us consider the concepts of the mental make-up of a nation and national mentality.

2.1 National mentality

Mental makeup of the nation - a combination of properties of each specific nation, unique in its individuality, forming a stable unity, and reflecting what its ethnic community has in common in the following system-forming elements: national mentality, national mindset, national temperament, national character, national stereotypes, national feelings, national interests and orientations, national identity, national traditions and customs.

It should be noted that in reality, in national life, all national psychological characteristics act as an indivisible whole, therefore, the division of the mental makeup of a nation is possible only in the abstract, as a methodological technique necessary for their more detailed study.

National mentality is considered the most important component of the national psyche by a number of domestic ethnopsychologists such as T. G. Stefanenko, I. G. Dubov, V. S. Kukushkin, L. D. Stolyarenko and others.

National mentality is a system of interconnected images, including unconscious ones, that underlie a nation’s collective ideas about the world and its place in the world. These images are resistant to change, most of them are transmitted in the genotype and have a significant impact on the configuration of other components of the national mental makeup.

But one should not be under the illusion that knowledge of cultural differences alone is the key to resolving intercultural conflicts; one should always take into account that a possible breakdown in communication can be caused by incorrect attributions of communicants. Let us consider the factors that determine a person’s perception of reality and the mechanism by which a person interprets the reasons for another’s behavior.

2.2 The essence of the perception process

Research by domestic and foreign scientists on the problem of intercultural mutual understanding allows us to conclude that there are many reasons for misunderstanding and the emergence of intercultural conflicts. These reasons are directly or indirectly related to the psychological mechanism of perception and the formation of intercultural competence.

The process of perception involves the reflection in the human mind of individual sensations about objects, situations and events in the external world, as a result of which sensory data is selected and organized in such a way that we can understand both obvious and hidden characteristics of the surrounding world. At the same time, the perception of the world and subsequent judgment about it are not free from emotions, motivations or ideas. Thus, we tend to perceive people who are similar to us more positively than those who are unlike us; this attitude extends to people who resemble those acquaintances with whom we once had the experience of positive communication.

As a rule, the interpretation and structuring of incoming information occurs on the basis of previous experience. This approach ensures successful overcoming of difficulties and proves its practical effectiveness. Receiving information from the surrounding world, a person systematizes and organizes it in a form convenient for himself. In psychology, this process is called “categorization.”

So, a person’s perception of reality is determined by cultural, social and personal reasons. From a huge number of factors of this kind, scientists identify four main ones, which mainly determine a person’s perception of reality in the process of communication: the first impression factor, the “superiority” factor, the attractiveness factor and the attitude factor.

First impression factor. Each person has his own ideas and judgments about other people, about the world around him, about himself. All these ideas and judgments in the communication process form the first impression of partners and interlocutors. The first impression factor is of great importance, since the image of a partner, which begins to form immediately upon meeting, becomes the regulator of all subsequent behavior. The choice of communication “technique” is dictated by the sociocultural and personal characteristics of the partner, which allow him to be classified into a certain category or group.

The first impression of a person is greatly influenced by his appearance. A person's clothing can say a lot. Every culture has clothing patterns that can communicate a person's social status.

In nonverbal communication, the color of clothing and the manner of wearing it matter. The following differences can be observed in the clothing of Germans and Russians: among the Germans, brown, yellow and beige colors predominate. Russians are surprised by the way Germans wear shoes: when entering a house, they often do not take off their shoes and can even lie down on a sofa or bed in them. As a rule, shoes are not removed when visiting or at the table. This behavior is explained by the fact that the streets of Germany are as clean as the houses. There are widely known true stories that Germans wash the sidewalks near their houses with shampoo.

The superiority factor. The first impression only creates the basis for further communication, but it is not enough for constant and long-term communication. In constant communication, a deeper and more objective perception of the partner becomes important. In this situation, the “superiority” factor begins to operate, according to which the status of the communication partner is determined. Research shows that two sources of information are used to determine this communication parameter:

A person’s clothing, which includes all attributes of a person’s appearance, including insignia, glasses, hairstyle, jewelry, etc.;

Behavior (how a person sits, walks, talks and looks during communication).

Various elements of clothing and behavior serve as signs of group affiliation both for the “wearer” of clothing and the “author” of behavior, and for the people around him. The effect of the superiority factor begins when, during communication, a person detects the superiority of another over himself by signs in clothing and behavior. On the one hand, a person builds his behavior at the moment on the basis of this, and on the other hand, when assessing a partner’s personality, he can make mistakes, exaggerate or understate certain qualities.

Attractiveness factor. Research has established that almost all details of a person’s external appearance can carry information about his emotional state, attitude towards people around him, about his attitude towards himself, the state of his feelings in a given communication situation. The attractiveness factor is a person's efforts to appear socially approved and the desire to be assigned to a group with socially approved signs.

Factor of attitude towards us. This factor manifests itself during communication in feelings of sympathy or antipathy, in agreement or disagreement with us.

2.3 Attribution in intercultural communication

In the process of intercultural interaction, a person perceives his partner along with his actions and through his actions. The structure of interaction with another person, and ultimately the success of communication with him, largely depends on the adequacy of the understanding of actions and their reasons. In this case, most often the reasons and processes that determine the behavior of another person remain hidden and inaccessible. Since the available information is most often insufficient, and the need to draw causal conclusions remains, individuals begin not so much to look for the true reasons for the behavior of their partners, but to attribute them. Therefore, attempts to form an idea about other people and explain their actions without sufficient information for this end in “thinking out” the reasons for their behavior, which seem to be characteristic of this or that individual. Attribution is based on the similarity of the behavior of the perceived person with some other example or pattern that took place in a similar situation.

Naturally, the mechanism of such understanding has become the subject of scientific interest of psychologists. This gradually led to the emergence of an independent direction in social psychology, which began to study the processes and results of attributing causes of behavior. In social psychology, the explanation of the methods used to determine the causes of social behavior is carried out within the framework of the theory of causal attribution. The emergence of interest in the property of attribution is usually associated with the works of the outstanding American psychologist Fritz Heider.

IN modern science attribution is considered as an interpretative process by which an individual attributes certain causes to observed and experienced events or actions. Interpretation of the causes of human behavior is undertaken primarily when it does not fit into the ideas and logical explanations that the explainer uses in his life. It is in situations of intercultural contacts that the existence of attributions is especially clear, since it is constantly necessary to explain “unusual” behavior.

In the process of interpreting the behavior of representatives of one culture by representatives of another, the content of casual attribution is largely determined by the stereotypical ideas of each side about the other - these are ideas about the way of life, customs, morals, habits, i.e. about the system of ethnocultural properties of a particular people. The basis of such ideas is made up of simplified mental representations of different categories of people, exaggerating the similar qualities between them and ignoring the differences.

2.4 Stereotypes of perception in intercultural communication

National mentality has a significant impact on the process of formation of national stereotypes.

The term “stereotype” (Greek stereos - solid, typos - imprint) was introduced into scientific circulation by the American sociologist W. Lippman. In the book “Public Opinion” he made an attempt to determine the place and role of stereotypes in the system of public opinion. By stereotype, Lippman understood a special form of perception of the world around us, which has a certain influence on the data of our senses before this data reaches our consciousness. According to Lippmann, a person, trying to comprehend the world around him in all its inconsistency, creates a “picture in his head” regarding those phenomena that he has not directly observed. A person has a clear idea of ​​most things even before he directly encounters them in life.

Such stereotypical ideas are formed under the influence of the cultural environment of a given individual: “In most cases, we do not first see and then give a definition, we first define this or that phenomenon for ourselves, and then we observe it. In all the... confusion of the outside world, we pick up what our culture imposes on us, and we have an obvious tendency to perceive this information in the form of stereotypes. Stereotypes allow a person to form an idea of ​​the world as a whole, to go beyond his narrow social, geographical and political environment.

Lippman writes that stereotypes are so persistently passed on from generation to generation that they are often perceived as a given, a reality, a biological fact. If personal experience contradicts the stereotype, most often one of two things happens: the person is inflexible, uninterested for some reason in changing his views, or simply does not notice this contradiction, or considers it the exception that confirms the rule, and usually simply forgets about it. A receptive, inquisitive person, when a stereotype collides with reality, changes his perception of the world around him. Lippman does not consider stereotypes to be clearly false ideas. In his opinion, a stereotype can be true, or partially true, or false.

Lippman not only introduced the term “stereotype” into scientific circulation and gave it a definition, but also emphasized the importance of this phenomenon. “The system of stereotypes,” he wrote, “is perhaps the core of our personal tradition, it protects our place in society, ... and also saves time in our busy lives and helps us escape from the confusing attempts to see the world as stable and to embrace him entirely."

With this understanding of the stereotype, two of its important features stand out - being determined by culture and being a means of saving labor effort, and, accordingly, linguistic means.

In accordance with the hypothesis that the content of a stereotype can be true to one degree or another, the American social psychologist T. Shibutani gave the following definition of a stereotype: “A stereotype is a popular concept that denotes an approximate grouping of people in terms of some easily distinguishable characteristic, supported by widely held ideas regarding the properties of these people."

According to A.P. Sadokhin, stereotypes are a form of collective consciousness, therefore, their roots should be sought in the objective conditions of people’s lives, which are characterized by repeated repetition of monotonous life situations. This monotony is fixed in the human mind in the form of standard schemes and models of thinking. He adheres to the point of view of those authors who define a stereotype as “a schematic, standardized image or idea of social phenomenon or object, usually emotionally charged and enduring. Expresses a person’s habitual attitude towards any phenomenon, formed under the influence of social conditions and previous experience.”

Having analyzed the concept of “stereotype” in various sciences, we can draw the following conclusions:

every person has an individual personal experience, a special form of perception of the surrounding world, on the basis of which a so-called “picture of the world” is created in his head, which includes an objective (invariant) part and a subjective assessment of reality by the individual, the stereotype is part of this picture;

most linguists studying this problem note that the main feature of stereotypes is their cultural determination - a person’s ideas about the world are formed under the influence of the cultural environment in which he lives;

stereotypes are shared by most people, but they can change depending on the historical, international, and internal political situation in a particular country;

many scientists note that stereotypes can be both true and false;

A stereotype is not only a mental image, but also its verbal shell, that is, stereotypes can exist at the linguistic level - in the form of a norm.

2.4.1 Classification of stereotypes

Researchers subdivide stereotypes based on the following principles:

1. Belonging to a particular nation: There are autostereotypes, which reflect what people think about themselves, and heterostereotypes, which relate to other people, and they are more critical. For example, what is considered a manifestation of prudence among one’s own people, is considered a manifestation of greed among another people.

As an example, let us give the stereotypical ideas of the British towards the Germans (according to the above-mentioned classification, they are heterostereotypes) and analyze them from the point of view of reality:

1) Love of beer

It cannot be said that beer is some kind of nationally specific drink of the Germans. Other nations also drink beer. But at the same time, one cannot but agree with V.N. Vodovozova when she writes: “Beer is such a German invention that all of Germany, one can safely say, flows with this foamy drink of amber, pale yellow, brown or milky brown color. Passion for beer and the ability to prepare it excellently are a characteristic feature of the Germans, and this has distinguished them since the most ancient times.”

Already in the Middle Ages, beer was considered one of the main food products. The Germans call beer flüssiges Brot, literally liquid bread.

2) Bureaucracy

German bureaucracy is by no means a myth. In order to spend even a couple of days in Germany, a foreigner must fill out a lot of forms.

3) Accuracy, love of order

The Germans are famous:

his love of order;

its cleanliness;

with its punctuality.

Here are some examples:

everything that is done in Everyday life, must be done properly. Superficiality in business is frowned upon in Germany.

Only the Swiss are a cleaner nation than the Germans.

Public transport in Germany always arrives on time (as does anyone who has made an appointment with someone).

The Germans’ love for order is reflected in proverbs:

* Ordnung ist das halbe Leben (order - soul all sorts of things affairs).

* Ordnung muI sein (There must be order in everything).

* Heilige Ordnung, segensreiche Himmelstochter (holy order - blessed son of heaven).

4) Rudeness/Arrogance

Many foreigners tend to think that Germans are a rude nation, but in reality they are just straightforward. Any German will almost always tell you what he really thinks.

Germans are considered arrogant because their language sounds arrogant and because they think they know everything (even if they don't).

5) Rules and regulations

There are a lot of them in Germany, and they don’t seem particularly important to foreigners, which is wrong. If you break generally accepted rules, it will immediately become clear to a German that you are a foreigner.

6) Lack of a sense of humor

This is not to say that the Germans do not have a sense of humor, it is simply different than that of representatives of other nations, and it manifests itself differently in different situations. For foreigners, German humor can seem serious, due to the German bureaucracy, the large number of rules and regulations and the Germans' proverbial love of order.

7) Handshake

It's true that Germans use the handshake gesture wherever they are and whoever they meet. A handshake is considered a courtesy. Only young people and close friends replace the handshake with some other gesture.

2. Unconsciousness of stereotypes: ethnic stereotypes, cultural stereotypes, gaps N.V. Ufimtseva differentiates ethnic stereotypes and cultural stereotypes: ethnic stereotypes are inaccessible to self-reflection of a member of an ethnic group and are facts of behavior and the collective unconscious, they cannot be specially taught, while cultural stereotypes are accessible to self-reflection and are facts of the unconscious and consciousness, they can already be taught.

(The cultural sphere of a certain ethnic group contains a number of elements of a stereotypical nature, which, as a rule, are not perceived by speakers of another culture; Yu.A. Sorokin and I.Yu. Markovina call these elements gaps: everything that the recipient noticed in a foreign cultural text, but does not understand, what seems strange to him and requires interpretation serves as a signal of the presence in the text of nationally specific elements of the culture in which the text was created).

3. Psycholinguistic aspect of perception of surrounding reality: V.V. Red divides stereotypes into two types - stereotypes-images and stereotypes-situations. Examples of stereotypical images: a bee is a worker,

the ram is stubborn, and the stereotypes are situations: the ticket is a composter, the stork is cabbage.

4. The stability of stereotypes and their conditionality by the historical, international, domestic political situation and other factors: superficial and deep stereotypes; among the deep stereotypes, external stereotypes also stand out.

Superficial stereotypes are those ideas about a particular people that are determined by the historical, international, internal political situation or other temporary factors. These stereotypes change depending on the situation in the world and society. The duration of their existence depends on the general stability of society. These are, as a rule, images-representations associated with specific historical realities.

Superficial stereotypes are of undoubted interest primarily for historians, as well as anyone interested in the socio-political processes taking place in society.

Unlike superficial deep stereotypes are unchanged. They don't change over time. Deep stereotypes have amazing stability, and it is they who are of the greatest interest to the researcher of the characteristics of national character: the stereotypes themselves provide material for the study of the people who are the object of stereotyping, and assessments characterize the characteristics of the group in which they are common.

5. The existence of the same stereotypes in the culture of different peoples: quasi-stereotypes that coincide in general, but differ in nuances and details that are of fundamental importance.

6. The presence of general and specific in stereotypes: The problem of general and specific stereotypes is determined by their division into invariants and variants. Universal, invariant patterns of behavior seem to be completely determined by human biological properties. However, it should be noted that they are significantly adjusted by social and cultural mechanisms. The effect of cultural factors on the universals of behavior is especially pronounced in cases where “natural” actions are given social significance. Among the Kutenai Indians, cough has an ethno-differentiating meaning: by the characteristic nasality of the cough, they distinguish their fellow tribesmen from representatives of other groups. Regulation in the sphere of “natural” behavior affects only the external side of actions, their design and comprehension, while the nature of actions remains unchanged, universal and invariant. This behavior does not imply a category of choice and, therefore, has only one way of implementation. There is no “wrong” option for this behavior.

Alternative behavior always implies a choice and, accordingly, an alternative decision: you can do “right” or “wrong”.

Such behavior is regulated exclusively with the help of secondary restrictions that do not directly follow from the context. These restrictions are private, conditional and relative in nature, which allows us to consider them as ethnically differentiating characteristics that underlie the division of people into separate groups. In turn, the category of choice serves as the basis for all kinds of ethical assessments and concepts regarding certain actions.

7. The integrity of culture, the stability of its structure, its viability: stereotypes of behavior, perception, understanding, communication. Background knowledge and precedent names are very important for “deciphering” and interpreting national cultural stereotypes, for their comprehension and correct interpretation.

2.4.2 Stereotypes and background knowledge

An indispensable condition for communication is not only possession common language, but also the presence of certain knowledge accumulated before it. For communication it is necessary that its participants have a certain common social history, which is reflected in knowledge about the world around them. This knowledge, present in the minds of the participants in a communicative act, is called background knowledge. According to the definition of O.S. Akhmanova, background knowledge is “mutual knowledge of realities between the speaker and the listener, which is the basis of linguistic communication.”

The need to take into account background knowledge in the communication process is generally recognized today. The background knowledge possessed by members of a certain ethnic and linguistic community is the main object of linguistic and regional studies. EAT. Vereshchagin and V.G. Kostomarov distinguishes three types of background knowledge:

universal (for example, all people without exception know the sun, wind, time, birth, etc.);

regional (not all residents of the tropics, for example, know what snow is);

regional studies.

The last type is that information that is available to all members of a certain ethnic and linguistic community and is associated with knowledge national culture. Such background knowledge, characteristic of a certain linguistic community and absent from foreigners, is called regional knowledge.

...

Similar documents

The science of communication and its main directions. Linguistic picture of the world in intercultural communication. Reconstruction of the German language picture peace. Typical characteristics German mentality. German culture and determinants of intercultural communication.

course work, added 03/20/2011


Ethnic stereotype as a phenomenon in intercultural communication, its concept and essence, mechanisms of formation and assimilation. The problem of the truth of ethnic stereotypes. Features of the use of stereotypes of English culture in literary texts.

course work, added 02/26/2010


Theoretical foundations for the development of intercultural communication in teaching foreign languages. Technology for the development of intercultural communication in teaching foreign languages. The essence and development of intercultural communication in domestic and foreign schools.

thesis, added 09.22.2003


Consideration of the history of the development of intercultural communication training. Determining the purpose and content of linguistic and cultural knowledge as an aspect of foreign language communicative competence. Requirements of the state education standard in English.

presentation, added 01/25/2015


Reflection of the features of national culture in the language of a literary text. Contextuality of intercultural communication. The problem of translating metaphors and idioms. Reflection of important translation units in literary translation from English into Russian.

course work, added 12/23/2012


Study of cultural aspects that influence language and communication processes. Definition of the role of the translator in intercultural communication. History of language policy, justification of the need and possibility of its reform in modern Belarus.

course work, added 12/21/2012


Consideration of the essence of translation as language mediation and a method of intercultural communication. Study of the goals and content of linguistic and cultural knowledge. Analysis of the features of the reflection of foreign language descriptions of native culture in English-language guidebooks.

course work, added 09/13/2010


Features of the formation of intercultural communicative competence. Formation of educational competencies of school students. Formation of the foundations of intercultural competence of students. Basic ways to use the Internet in an English lesson.

course work, added 03/07/2012


Research into the theory of intercultural communication. Demonstration of the practical application of the laws of communication in communication with representatives of German culture. In German culture, the tradition of rhetoric assumes the utmost importance of verbal messages.

course work, added 03/20/2011


The importance of intercultural communication in all areas of practical activity. Features of ethnocentrism for different cultures. Specifics of verbal communication at work in different cultures. Cultural specificity of speech behavior in a conflict situation.

Thus, myths as a method of informal communication can serve as a means of intercultural dialogue, since it is mythology that contains invaluable information about the culture of a particular ethnic group and helps to build a certain picture of its existence.

Literature

1. Absalyamov M.B. Myths of Ancient Siberia / Krasnoyarsk. state agrarian univ. - Krasnoyarsk, 2004. - 304 p.

2. Bibler V.S. On the edges of the logic of culture. Book of selected essays. - M.: Russian Phenomenological Society, 1997. - 440 p.

3. Grinenko G.V. Sacred texts and sacred communication. - M., 2000. - 445 p.

4. Dmitriev A.V., Makarova I.V. Informal communication: Essays on theory and practice. - M.: Modern Humanitarian Academy, 2003. - 167 p.

5. Ryazanov A.V. Structural changes in ethnic communicative spaces: dynamics and direction // Philosophy and Society. - 2006. - No. 4. - pp. 87-102.

6. Sokolov A.V. General theory of social communication. - St. Petersburg, 2002. - 461 p.

---------♦"----------

UDC 316.77 T.A. Skakunova

PROBLEMS OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN NATIONAL AND WORLD SCIENCE

The article is devoted modern problems intercultural communication in domestic and world science. Intercultural communication is considered as a complex phenomenon, the study of which is carried out by many branches of humanities. In addition, the article shows the history of the formation of intercultural communication into a separate research area.

Key words: culture, communication, intercultural communication, conflict, problem.

T.A. Skakunova ISSUES OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN RUSSIAN AND WORLD SCIENCE

The article is devoted to the modern issues of intercultural communication in Russian and world science. Intercultural communication is considered as a complex phenomenon studied by many branches of humanitarian knowledge. In addition, the history of intercultural communication formation as an independent research area is shown.

Key words: culture, communication, intercultural communication, conflict, problem.

The modern world is developing along the path of expanding interconnection and interdependence of different countries, peoples and their cultures. This process covered various spheres of economic, socio-political, social and cultural life of all countries of the world. Today it is impossible to find ethnic communities that have not been influenced both by the cultures of other peoples and by the broader social environment existing in individual regions and in the world as a whole. This was expressed in the rapid growth of cultural exchanges and direct contacts between government institutions, social groups, social movements and individuals of different countries and cultures.

When becoming participants in any type of intercultural contact, people interact with representatives of other cultures, often significantly different from each other, which makes these contacts difficult and sometimes even impossible. The main reason for their failures lies in differences in attitude, i.e. a different attitude towards the world and other people. The main obstacle to successfully solving this problem is that people perceive other cultures through the lens of their own culture. With great difficulty, representatives of different nations understand the meaning of words, deeds, actions,

which are not typical for themselves. We can conclude that effective intercultural communication cannot arise on its own; it needs to be purposefully learned.

It is common knowledge that intercultural contacts go back to time immemorial. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar, Christopher Columbus and others are considered the pioneers of intercultural communication. Problems of interaction and mutual influence of cultures, the relationship between culture and language, as well as the search for optimal forms of intercultural communication have always attracted the attention of researchers. Long before intercultural communication formed into a separate research area, many questions that later became fundamental for it were developed by scientists such as Aristotle, G.V. Leibniz, I. Kant, I.G. Herder, W. von Humboldt, L. Spitzer and others.

The problem of intercultural communication first became acute during the Second World War, when representatives of various countries had to jointly solve problems of global importance. Americans, who had until then followed an isolationist policy, were faced with the need to engage in intercultural communication. It was then that linguists, anthropologists, communication specialists - Margaret Mead, Ruth Benedict, Jeffrey Gorer, Weston La Barre and others - were first convened at the state level in the United States in order to explain intercultural differences and the “strange” behavior of their allies (Russia and China) and enemies (Germany and Japan).

After the end of World War II, the sphere of influence of American politics, economics and culture began to actively expand. Government officials and businessmen working abroad often found themselves helpless and unable to resolve situations of misunderstanding that arose when working with representatives of other cultures. This often led to conflicts, mutual hostility, and resentment. Even perfect knowledge of the relevant languages ​​could not prepare them for the complex problems of working abroad. Gradually, an awareness arose of the need to study not only languages, but also the cultures of other peoples, their customs, traditions, and norms of behavior.

At the same time, the United States developed an assistance program for developing countries. As part of individual projects of this program, a large number of Peace Corps experts and activists visited various countries. Often they encountered misunderstandings and conflicts there, which ultimately led to the failure of their mission. Management personnel and rank-and-file employees found themselves ill-equipped to deal with practical issues with members of other cultures. It became clear that the preparation they had undergone before leaving was insufficient. The numerous failures of Peace Corps activists raised the question of special training, in which the main focus should have been on developing practical skills and intercultural communication skills, rather than simply informing about the cultural characteristics of a particular country.

In response to this situation, the US government passed the Overseas Service Act in 1946 and created the Overseas Service Institute, headed by linguist Edward Hall. Scientists of various specialties were attracted to work at the institute: anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, linguists, etc. However, all their attempts to understand and explain the behavior of representatives of other cultures were then based more on intuition than on knowledge and experience. Therefore, at first the efficiency of their work was low. The main conclusion that was made by the institute’s specialists was that each culture forms a unique system of values, priorities, and behavior patterns, and therefore its description, interpretation and evaluation should be carried out from the standpoint of cultural relativism.

In the course of their work, the institute staff were surprised to discover that government officials showed no interest in studying theoretical issues of culture and communication, but expressed a desire to receive specific advice, recommendations and guidance on practical behavior in another country. Since Hall invited people from different languages ​​and cultures to work at the institute, this circumstance allowed him to observe and study cultural differences in practice. For example, he noticed that Italians often stand close to each other when talking, or that Greeks gesticulate a lot when communicating. Conversely, the Chinese use few gestures when communicating. Hall confirmed his observations through consultations with representatives of various cultural groups and gradually included them in the educational programs of the institute. To this day, most American textbooks on intercultural communication focus on practical guidelines and recommendations for communicating with representatives of other cultures.

The term “intercultural communication” first appeared in 1954, when the book by E. Hall and D. Trager “Cultureas Communication” (“Culture as Communication”) was published. In their work, the authors argued that intercultural communication is a special area of ​​human relations. Later, the main provisions and ideas of intercultural communication were more thoroughly developed in

E. Hall’s famous work “The Silent Language” (“Silent Language”, 1959), where the author showed the close connection between culture and communication and the possibility of comparing cultures based on foundations common to all cultures. Drawing an analogy with the study of foreign languages ​​using universal grammatical categories, Hall concluded that it is possible to master other cultures in a similar way and the need to teach them in the modern world (“if a culture is studied, this means that it can be taught”). Thus, Hall was the first to propose making the problem of intercultural communication not only a subject of scientific research, but also an independent academic discipline. And the very concept of E. Hall about the unity of culture and communication, about the cultural conditioning of the communicative behavior of individuals belonging to different cultural groups, has received wide recognition, both in the USA and abroad.

Since the early 1970s, E. Hall's intercultural ideas have been picked up by US communication sciences. As part of the theory of communication, intercultural communication received significant theoretical justification from psychological research, especially cross-cultural psychology. Thus, by the end of the 70s, a new interdisciplinary field of scientific and practical knowledge of the problems of intercultural interaction with its own subject of research and corresponding methods was formed in the United States.

Interest in the study of intercultural situations also appeared in European countries, but much later. The creation of the European Union opened borders for the free movement of people, capital and goods. European capitals and large cities began to intensively change their appearance due to the appearance of representatives of different cultures and their active inclusion in the life of these cities. The problem of mutual communication between speakers of different cultures has arisen. Against this background, the interest of scientists in the problems of intercultural communication gradually developed. Following the example of the USA in some Western European universities at the turn of the 70-80s last century departments of intercultural communication were opened (universities of Munich and Jena). In 1989, a new specialization was opened at the University of Munich - “intercultural communications”. Based on the American experience of teaching intercultural communication, they developed their own educational programs based on materials from folklore, ethnology and linguistics.

In domestic science, one of the first problems of intercultural communication began to be dealt with at the Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​of the Moscow State University. state university them. M.V. Lomonosov. It was foreign language teachers who were the first to realize that for effective communication with representatives of other cultures, knowledge of a foreign language is not enough. The practice of communicating with foreigners has proven that even deep knowledge foreign language do not exclude misunderstandings and conflicts with native speakers of this language. Consequently, successful and effective contacts with representatives of other cultures are impossible without practical skills in intercultural communication.

Today, more and more Russian scientists are turning to the theory and practice of intercultural communication, since it has become clear that in order to resolve the problems of intercultural communication it is necessary to combine the efforts of representatives of different sciences. However, the current state of intercultural communication in Russia is characterized by the absence of common methodological foundations for research, unified conceptual approaches, there is no clearly defined theoretical basis, unity of terminology, and starting premises that would allow representatives of different scientific fields and directions to achieve constructive mutual understanding.

In Russian science, the following areas of research can be distinguished, based on the idea of ​​the relationship between language and culture, which are of undoubted interest from the standpoint of intercultural communication:

1. Linguistic and regional studies, which are mostly of an applied nature and are a valuable source of information reflecting the interaction of language and culture.

2. Ethnolinguistics is a branch of linguistics that studies language in the aspect of its relationship with ethnicity and is closely related to sociolinguistics. For ethnolinguistics, according to N.I. Tolstoy, “it is important to consider not only and not so much the reflection of folk culture, psychology and mythological ideas in the language<...>, how much constructive role of language and its impact on the formation and functioning of folk culture, folk psychology and folk art» .

3. Linguoculturology is a science that deals with the problems of the relationship between language and culture, the formation of a linguistic picture of the world. V.N. Telia defines linguoculturology as a part of ethnolinguistics devoted to the study and description of the correspondence of language and culture in their synchronous interaction. “The object of linguoculturology is studied at the “crossroads” of two fundamental sciences: linguistics and culture.

turology". V.A. Maslova believes that linguoculturology, in its broadest sense, studies “manifestations of the culture of a people that are reflected and entrenched in the language.”

All of the above areas of linguistics are aimed at studying the nationally specific features of one particular linguistic culture. These data are invaluable for cross-cultural studies designed to benchmarking two or more linguistic cultures. No less important for intercultural communication is the consideration of the relationship between language and culture through the prism of psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics, as well as such interdisciplinary fields as ethnopsycholinguistics and linguosociopsychology.

In addition, it should be noted that Russian science has developed a number of concepts that are of undoubted importance for the theory of intercultural communication, but are practically unknown to Western researchers. These are concepts such as linguistic personality, concept and concept sphere. At the same time, there is also a negative trend - the erosion of the term and the science of communication in general and intercultural communication in particular.

B.S. Erasov identifies two main scientific approaches to the problem of intercultural communication: instrumental and understanding. The first approach is aimed at achieving a practical result: the successful adaptation of individuals in a foreign environment and the creation of a methodology for teaching effective intercultural communication in a specific context. The second approach makes it possible to consider changes in culture and personality that occur as a result of encounters with the “other,” and prospects for the development of human ability for intercultural communication. The basis of this approach is the idea of ​​the need to preserve identity and at the same time the interaction of cultures. The vision of the dynamics of intercultural communication from these positions provides for the continuous development and improvement of the quality of communication, the formation of a positive attitude towards differences in order to increase mutual understanding of cultures in different areas and on different levels. Most likely, this approach to the problems of intercultural communication is the most promising.

In general, it should be noted that modern researchers working in line with the theory of intercultural communication indicate that many more issues and problems of intercultural communication have so far practically not become the subject of scientific interest among representatives of various humanities. Consequently, the theory of intercultural communication has yet to develop into a clear system of knowledge about the problems of intercultural communication.

Literature

1. Grushevitskaya T.G., Popkov V.D., Sadokhin A.P. Fundamentals of intercultural communication: textbook. for universities / ed. A.P. Sadokhina. - M.: UNITY-DANA, 2002. - 352 p.

2. Erasov B.S. Social cultural studies. - M.: Aspect Press, 1997. - 591 p.

3. Kulikova L.V. Communicative style in the intercultural paradigm: monograph. / Krasnoyarsk state ped. University named after V.P. Astafieva. - Krasnoyarsk, 2006. - 392 p.

4. Kulikova L.V. Intercultural communication: theoretical and applied aspects. Based on the material of Russian and German linguistic cultures: monograph. / Krasnoyarsk state ped. University named after V.P. Astafieva. - Krasnoyarsk, 2004. - 196 p.

5. Leontovich O.A. Russians and Americans: paradoxes of intercultural communication. - M.: Gnosis, 2005. - 352 p.

6. Leontovich O.A. Theory of intercultural communication in Russia: state and prospects // http://www.rec.vsu.ru/vestnik/program/view

7. Maslova V.A. Linguoculturology: textbook. aid for students higher textbook establishments. - M.: Publishing center "Academy", 2004. - 208 p.

8. Telia V.N. Russian phraseology. Semantic, pragmatic and linguocultural aspects. - M.: Languages ​​of Russian Culture, 1996. - 288 p.

9. Tolstoy N.I. Ethnolinguistics in the circle of humanities // Russian literature: Anthology. -M.: Academia, 1997. - pp. 306-316.

A. V. Puzakov

Misunderstandings in intercultural communication are a potential problem based on cultural differences. You should understand the problems that can arise during intercultural communication and consciously try to overcome them, carefully monitor the reaction of your interlocutor and, having noticed an inadequate reaction, from our point of view, try to understand what caused it, adjust your behavior and your speech.

The processes of integration into the world community in one form or another have affected the majority of Russian citizens. Knowledge of a foreign language, especially English, is gradually ceasing to be something extraordinary. There is also a gradual realization that knowledge of only the lexical and grammatical structure of a foreign language is not enough for successful intercultural communication, which in practice is personalized in nature. And any person is not only a native speaker of the language, but also of his native culture, which has certain traditions, not to mention the fact that any personality is unique, it is characterized by such characteristics as gender, age, education, etc.

It is important that people understand the potential problems of intercultural communication and consciously try to overcome them. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that they cannot always be avoided, no matter how hard we try. Therefore, you need to be prepared for various kinds of communication complications caused by an incomplete understanding of the specifics and some of the nuances of the culture with which the communication is taking place. Excessive confidence in your knowledge in this case can lead to negative results.

You should always assume that cultural differences cause problems in communication, misunderstandings, and can cause a negative reaction from the interlocutor. Therefore, we must carefully monitor the reaction of the interlocutor and, having noticed an inadequate, from our point of view, reaction, try to understand what caused it, and adjust our behavior and speech. Perhaps you should even politely ask if you accidentally committed inappropriateness towards your interlocutor, apologize in advance for possible error. Otherwise, the attitude towards you and the atmosphere of communication may change for the worse, even to the point of hostility, even open aggression. Let us emphasize once again: in intercultural communication you cannot and should not be absolutely sure that you understand everything that is being discussed and what your interlocutor means.

At the same time, it is also important to realize that the better you know the language of a representative of another culture, the stricter he will be in his assessment of your behavior: what looks excusable for a foreigner who knows a hundred or two words of a foreign language can be regarded as an insult from a person more or less fluent in that language. This is a feature of human psychology: what often seems to us repulsive, terrible (and sometimes, on the contrary, funny) is not what is absolutely unlike us, but the combination of unconditional similarity with obvious differences (deviations).

If an unwanted conflict with a representative of another culture could not be avoided, and you feel that it was your fault, try to refrain from showing a negative response. Take your time, think about what could be the reason for the conflict that arises - in what you wanted to say and said, or in how you were understood. Often it is misunderstanding that is the source of problems.

As a means of preventing possible misunderstandings, you can use the so-called “active listening”, when you repeat in your own words to your interlocutor what you heard from him, expecting confirmation of the correct understanding of his statement. But even this does not guarantee one hundred percent correspondence between the message and its interpretation if certain extra-linguistic cultural nuances are affected.

Intermediaries who are familiar with the characteristics of both interacting cultures, for example, professional translators who are able to convey not only the essence of the statement, but also what additional shades of meaning were embedded in it, can help in situations related to intercultural communication. If necessary, they can soften inappropriately strong language that is acceptable in one culture but unacceptable in another. Interpreters can also help in matters related to organizing meetings. In some cultures, it is customary to immediately begin discussing the main issue that led to the meeting; in other cultures, the rules of decency require starting a conversation with an abstract topic in order to establish personal contact with the interlocutor. Abrupt transition to main problem without the preliminary part it will be at least inconvenient for representatives of the latter culture. Finding some kind of compromise is the task of the mediator.

However, in some cases the mediator can further complicate the situation if, for example, he is a representative of one of the contacting cultures. This fact itself can be considered as capable of giving some advantage to one of the parties, even if the mediator himself behaves as neutrally as possible. At the same time, an intermediary - a representative of some third culture - will provide even more fertile ground for misunderstanding, since he himself will have to spend more time making sure that he correctly understands the meaning of what was said, and that this meaning was correctly conveyed to him and understood by another side.

Thus, during intercultural communication one should always take into account the high probability of misunderstanding, exercise patience, and be ready to adjust one’s behavior in accordance with the developing situation.

Varna identified six main obstacles, or “stumbling blocks,” that hinder effective intercultural communication.

• 1. Assumption of similarities. One of the reasons for misunderstandings in intercultural communication is that people naively assume that they are all the same, or at least similar enough to communicate with each other easily. Of course, all people have a number of basic similarities in biological and social needs. However, communication is a unique human characteristic that is shaped by specific cultures and societies. Indeed, communication is a product of culture. In addition, people from some cultures make more assumptions about similarities than people from others; those. The extent to which people accept that others are similar to them varies across cultures. Thus, the very assumption of similarities is a cultural variable.
• 2. Language differences. When people try to communicate in a language they do not know perfectly, they often assume that a word, phrase or sentence has one and only one meaning - the one they intend to convey. To make this assumption is to ignore all the other possible sources of signals and messages discussed in the previous two chapters, including nonverbal expression, tone of voice, posture, gestures, and actions. As people cling to single, simple interpretations of what is essentially a complex process, communication problems will arise.
• 3. Erroneous nonverbal interpretations. As we have seen, in any culture nonverbal behavior makes up the majority of communication messages. But it is very difficult to fully understand the nonverbal language of a culture other than your own. Misinterpretation of nonverbal behavior can easily lead to conflicts or confrontations that disrupt the communication process.
• 4. Prejudices and stereotypes. As stated earlier, stereotypes and prejudices about people are natural and inevitable psychological processes that affect all our perceptions and communication contacts. Over-reliance on stereotypes can prevent us from looking objectively at other people and their messages and finding clues that will help us interpret those messages in the way they were intended to be conveyed to us. Stereotypes are maintained by a variety of psychological processes (including selective attention) that can negatively influence communication.
• 5. The desire to evaluate. Cultural values ​​also influence our attributions about other people and the world around us. Different values ​​can cause negative evaluations, which become another stumbling block on the path to effective intercultural communication.
• 6. Increased anxiety or tension. Intercultural communication episodes are often associated with greater anxiety and stress than familiar intracultural communication situations.