Byrams

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(1997) Model of Intercultural Communicative competence -Learning !"ectives to develop ICC
Knowledge: of social groups and their products and practices in ones own and ones interlocutors country, and the general processes of societal and
individual interaction
Objective (knowledge of/about) Explanation
(a) #istorical and contemporary
relations#ips !et$een ones o$n and ones
interlocutor
%#e intercultural spea&er (I') &no$s a!out events( significant individuals and diverse interpretations of events
$#ic# #ave involved !ot# countries and t#e traces left in t#e national memory) and a!out political and economic
factors in t#e contemporary alliances of eac# country*
(c)
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types of causes of misunderstanding
!et$een interlocutors of different cultural
origins
%#e I' &no$s a!out conventions of communication and interaction in t#eir o$n and t#e foreign cultures( a!out
t#e unconscious effects of paralinguistic and nonver!al p#enomena( a!out t#e alternative interpretations of s#ared
concepts( gestures( customs and rituals*
(d) national memory of ones o$n country
and #o$ its events are related to and seen
from t#e perspective of ot#er countries
%#e I' &no$s t#e events and t#eir em!lems (myt#s( cultural products( sites of significance to t#e collective
memory) $#ic# are mar&ers of national identity in ones o$n country as t#ey are portrayed in pu!lic institutions
and transmitted t#oug# processes of sociali,ation( particularly t#ose e-perienced in sc#ools) and is a$are of ot#er
perspectives on t#ose events*
(e) national memory of ones interlocutors
country and t#e perspective on t#em from
ones o$n country
%#e I' &no$s a!out t#e national memory of t#e ot#er in t#e same $ay as #is.#er o$n (see a!ove)*
(f) t#e national definitions of geograp#ical
space in ones o$n country( and #o$ t#ese
are perceived from #e perspective of ot#er
countries
%#e I' &no$s a!out perceptions of regions and regional identities( of language varieties (particularly regional
dialects and languages)( of landmar&s of significance( of mar&ers of internal and e-ternal !orders and frontiers
and #o$ t#ese are perceived !y ot#ers*
(g) t#e national definitions of geograp#ical
space in ones interlocutors country and
t#e perspective on t#em from o$ns
country
%#e I' spea&er &no$s a!out perceptions of space in t#e ot#er country and t#eir o$n (see a!ove)*
(#) t#e processes and institutions of
sociali,ation in ones o$n and t#e
interlocutors country
%#e I' &no$s a!out education systems( religious institutions( and similar locations $#ere individuals ac/uire a
national identity) are introduced to t#e dominant culture in t#eir society) pass troug# specific rites mar&ing stages
in t#e life-cycle( in !ot# t#eir o$n and t#e ot#er country*
(i) social distinctions and t#eir principal
mar&ers( in ones o$n country and in t#e
interlocutors
%#e I' &no$s a!out t#e social distinction dominant in t#e t$o countries-e*g* t#ose of social class( et#nicity(
gender( profession( religion-and #o$ t#ese are mar&ed !y visi!le p#enomena suc# as clot#ing or food( and
invisi!le p#enomena suc# as language variety-or nonver!al !e#avior( or modes of sociali,ation and rites of
passage*
(&) t#e processes of social interaction in t#e
interlocutors county
%#e I' &no$s a!out levels of formality in t#e language and non ver!al !e#avior of interaction( a!out conventions
of !e#avior and !eliefs and ta!oos in routine situations suc# as meals( different forms of pu!lic and private
meetings( pu!lic !e#avior
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'ee Byram( M* (1997)* Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Clevedon( 0ngland1 Multilingual Matters*
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(!) o!"ective does not apply to t#e 2L class !ut to situations a!road*
Skills of interpreting and relating: ability to interpret a docuent or event fro another culture, to explain to it and relate it to docuents or
events fro ones own!
Objectives (ability to) Explanation
a) identify et#nocentric perspectives in a
document or event and e-plain t#eir origin
%#e I' can 3read a document or event( analy,ing its origins.sources-e*g* in t#e media( in
political speec# or #istorical $riting-and t#e meanings and value $#ic# arise from a national or
ot#er et#nocentric perspective (stereotypes( #istorical connotation in te-ts) and $#ic# are
presupposed and implicit( leading to conclusions $#ic# can !e c#allenged from a different
perspective
(!) identify areas of misunderstanding and
dysfunction in an interaction and e-plain t#em
in terms of eac# of t#e cultural systems present
%#e I' can identify uses of misunderstanding (e*g* use of concepts apparently similar !ut $it#
different meanings or connotations use of genre in inappropriate situations) introduction of
topics inappropriate to a conte-t( etc) and dysfunctions (e*g* unconscious response to
unfamiliar non-ver!al !e#avior( pro-emics and paralanguage p#enomena) over-generali,ation
from e-amples) mista&en assumptions a!out representativeness of vie$s e-pressed)) and can
e-plain t#e errors and t#eir causes !y reference to &no$ledge of eac# culture involved*
c) mediate !et$een conflicting interpretations
of p#enomena
%#e I' can use t#eir e-planations of sources of misunderstanding and dysfunction to #elp
interlocutors overcome conflicting perspectives) can e-plain t#e perspective of eac# and t#e
origins of t#ose perspectives in terms accessi!le to t#e ot#er) can #elp interlocutors to identify
common ground and unresolva!le differences
Skills of discovery and interaction: ability to ac"uire new knowledge of a culture and cultural practices and the ability to operate knowledge,
attitudes and skills under the constraints of real#tie counication and interaction!
Objectives (ability to) Explanation
(a) elicit from an interlocutor t#e concepts and
values of documents or events and develop an
e-planatory system suscepti!le of application
to ot#er p#enomena
%#e I' can use a range of /uestioning tec#ni/ues to elicit from informants t#e allusions(
connotations and presuppositions of a document or event and t#eir origins( sources( and can
develop and test generali,ations a!out t#eir s#ared meanings and values (!y using t#em to
interpret anot#er document) !y /uestioning anot#er informant) !y consulting appropriate
literature) and esta!lis# lin&s and relations#ips of #ierarc#y( of cause and effect( of conditions
and conse/uence( etc*)
(!) identify significant references $it#in and %#e I' can 3read a document or event for t#e implicit references to s#ared meanings and
across cultures and elicit t#eir significance and
connotations
values (of national memory( of concepts of space( of social distinction( etc*) in particular to t#e
culture of #is.#er interlocutor( or of international currency (arising for e-ample from t#e
dominance of $estern satellite television)* In t#e latter case t#e I' can identify or elicit
different interpretations and connotations and esta!lis# relations#ips of similarity and
difference !et$een t#em*
(c) identify similar and dissimilar processes of
interaction( ver!al and non-ver!al( and
negotiate an appropriate use of t#em in
specific circumstances
%#e I' can use #is.#er &no$ledge of conventions of ver!al and non-ver!al interaction (of
conversational structures) of formal communication suc# as presentations) of $ritten
correspondence) of !usiness meetings) of informal gat#erings( etc) to esta!lis# agreed
procedures on specific occasions( $#ic# may !e a com!ination of conventions from t#e
different cultural systems present in t#e interaction*
(d) use in real time an appropriate com!ination
of &no$ledge( s&ills and attitudes to interact
$it# interlocutors from a different country and
culture( ta&ing into consideration t#e degree of
ones e-isting familiarity $it# t#e country(
culture and language and t#e e-tent of
difference !et$een ones o$n and t#e ot#er*
%#e I' is a!le to estimate #is.#er degree of pro-imity to t#e language and culture of #is.#er
interlocutor (closely related cultures) cultures $it# little or no contact or little or no s#ared
e-perience of international p#enomena) cultures s#aring t#e 3same language) cultures $it#
unrelated languages) and to dra$ accordingly on s&ills of interpreting( discovering( relating
different assumptions and presuppositions or connotations in order to ensure understanding and
avoid dysfunction*
(e) identify contemporary and past
relations#ips !et$een ones o$n and t#e ot#er
culture and society
%#e I' can use sources (e*g* reference !oo&s( ne$spaper( #istories( e-perts( lay informants) to
understand !ot# contemporary and #istorical political economic and social relations#ips
!et$een cultures and societies and analy,e t#e different interpretations involved*
(g)
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use( in real time( &no$ledge( s&ills and
attitudes for mediation !et$een interlocutors of
ones o$n and a foreign culture
%#e I' can identify and estimate t#e significance of misunderstandings and dysfunctions in a
particular situation and is a!le to decide on and carry out appropriate intervention( $it#out
disrupting interaction and t#e mutual satisfaction of t#e interlocutors*
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(f) o!"ective does not apply to t#e 2L class as it refers to situations a!road*
$ttitudes: curiosity and openness, readiness to suspend disbelief about other cultures and belief about ones own!
Objectives Explanation
(a) $illingness to see& out or ta&e up
opportunities to engage $it# ot#erness in a
relations#ip of e/uality( distinct from
see&ing out t#e e-otic of t#e profita!le*
%#e I' is interested in ot#ers e-perience of daily life in conte-ts not usually presented to outsiders t#roug# t#e
media nor used to develop a commercial relations#ip $it# outsiders) is interested in t#e daily e-periences of a
range of social groups $it#in a society and not only t#ose represented in t#e dominant culture*
(!) interest in discovering ot#er
perspectives or interpretation of familiar
and unfamiliar p#enomena !ot# in ones
o$n and in ot#er cultures and cultural
practices*
%#e I' does not assume t#at familiar p#enomena-cultural practices or product common to t#emselves and t#e
ot#er 5are understood in t#e same $ay( or t#at unfamiliar p#enomena can only !e understood !y assimilating
t#em to t#eir o$n cultural p#enomena) and is a$are t#at t#ey need to discover t#e ot#er persons understanding of
t#ese( and of p#enomena in t#eir o$n culture $#ic# are not familiar to t#e ot#er person*
(c) $illingness to /uestion t#e values and
presuppositions in cultural practices and
products in ones environment
%#e I' actively see&s t#e ot#ers perspective and evaluations of p#enomena in t#e intercultural spea&ers
environment $#ic# are ta&en for granted( and ta&es up t#e ot#ers perspective in order to contrast and compare
$it# t#e dominant evaluations in t#eir o$n society*
(e) readiness to engage $it# t#e
conventions and rites of ver!al and non-
ver!al communication and interaction
%#e I' notes and adopts t#e !e#aviors specific to a social group in a $ay in $#ic# t#ey and t#e mem!ers of t#at
group consider to !e appropriate for an outsider) t#e intercultural spea&er ta&es into consideration t#e e-pectations
t#e ot#ers may #ave a!out appropriate !e#avior from foreigners*
%ritical cultural awareness&political education: an ability to evaluate, critically and on the basis of explicit criteria, perspectives, practices and products in
ones own and other cultures and countries
Objective (ability to) Explanation
(a) identify and interpret e-plicit and
implicit values in documents and events in
ones o$n and ot#er cultures
%#e I' can use a range of analytical approac#es to place a document or event in conte-t (of origin and sources(
time( place( ot#er documents or events) and to demonstrate t#e ideology involved*
(!) ma&e an evaluative analysis of t#e
documents and events $#ic# refer socio-
cultural to an e-plicit perspective and
criteria
%#e I' is a$are of #is.#er o$n ideological perspectives and values (3#uman rig#ts) socialist) li!eral Moslem
C#ristian( etc*) and evaluates documents or events $it# e-plicit reference to t#em
(c) interact and mediate in intercultural
e-c#anges in accordance $it# e-plicit
criteria( negotiating $#ere necessary a
degree of acceptance of t#ose e-c#anges
!y dra$ing upon ones &no$ledge( s&ills
and attitudes
%#e I' is a$are of potential conflict !et$een #is.#er o$n and ot#er ideologies and is a!le to esta!lis# common
criteria of evaluation of documents or events* 6ere t#is is not possi!le !ecause of incompati!ilities in !elief and
value systems( t#e I' is a!le to negotiate agreement on places of conflict and acceptance of differences*