The role of culture in teaching communication to language university students

Аннотация

This article intends to clarify why the ability of adequate verbal communication requires, along with lexical and grammatical correctness, stylistic correctness. It is precisely this aspect of speech communication that is completely ignored in our language teaching conditions , which very often significantly complicates 61 the process of verbal communication, or makes it completely impossible. Knowledge of a language presupposes knowledge of the conventions (norms) accepted in the society of natural speakers of a given language the language of people, including the rules governing their verbal behavior. Key words: Adequate speech communication; culture; communicative competence. Speaking about the rules of speech behavior in any society, it is impossible not to touch upon the topic of “culture,” including the culture of speech behavior. What is defined by the term “culture”? Ethnographers use the word “culture” when talking about feelings and thoughts that are characteristic of people living in the same social conditions. The word “culture” can be defined as the “programmatic meaning of the mind” ( Hofstede , 1991), a set of mental rules that regulate everyday behavior . This is a much looser definition than that used in most Western countries. Many people prefer to use the word “culture” to describe masters and artists who created works of historical value and contributed to the development of refined taste over the centuries. This point of view is not widespread enough. The ethnographic interpretation is more common and seems much more appropriate for a language teaching situation. Culture covers three areas of human behavior and Philip Riley defines them as follows, arguing that the concept of “culture” includes: knowledge of what individuals believe, their political, religious values, etc.:, their theories of learning, history, geography, etc. – knowledge that has a relatively stable basis; knowledge about current events and problems: about what is happening in society - knowledge that has a relatively short-term basis; knowledge as skills and abilities: how to act, how to behave in accordance with the rules (how to use the phone, etc.), how to talk (thank, greet, tell, address elders), i.e. communicative competence. Thus, understanding culture as knowledge is a certain collective information, the sum of information, beliefs, values and skills necessary to live and communicate in a given society and act in various situations in which language learners may find themselves. This is what you need to know in order to enter into meaningful communication and complete it in the same way as other people living in a given society do. 1 Culture must be assimilated and studied. It is not something that can be inherited. “The process of growing up also implies the assimilation of the rules of behavior accepted in a given society. We usually accept conventions because of our membership in a particular group, often without knowing or especially thinking about the fact that people belonging to other cultures may not share these values. If our culture values precision and hard work, we strive to be so. We tend to admire, distance ourselves from that culture, and continue to perceive these values as unquestionable” ( Hilgard / et /al.- p.399). 2 The human mind is structured in such a way that part of it requires a reasonable explanation of natural phenomena, while the other part recognizes the existence of external factors that regulate its behavior at decisive moments. This conflict between rational and irrational impulse, between instinctive and reasoned action, is usually seen as the result of developmental history. Historically, man has always been in search of logical explanations of various phenomena. This has played a role in shaping culture in various parts of the world. 62 As you know, there are three factors that are essential when it comes to a person. The first is the most important thing inherent in a person - this is language. Under the influence of behaviorist theories, attempts were made to prove that language is not an instinctive behavior, but something learned, which N. Chomsky spoke out against in his review of “ Verbal” Behavior " Skinner. 3 Since then, evidence has accumulated to support the existence of a genetic code, a kind of universal mental grammar that gives all children the ability to learn any language ( Jackendoff , 1993, Pinker , 1994). Secondly, man is a social phenomenon, i.e. belongs to a group of people and behaves in accordance with the code adopted by the members of that group. Members of a particular society have a sense of belonging and have a certain code. Those who are not members of a given society do not belong to it. Members of a society must strictly abide by the code of that society; those who do not follow it or are in conflict with it are condemned by other members of that society or are expelled from it. The code of conduct, or culture, on the one hand, differs from hum