Keywords
business language
non-verbal communication
foreign languages teaching
How to Cite
Abstract
This article attempts to characterize three textbooks for learning the language of business and economics in terms of the presence of elements developing intercultural competences. Two textbooks for learning Italian and one for learning English were analyzed: (1) Italiano per economisti, (2) L'italiano in azienda, (3) Market Leader. Intermediate business English. The above-mentioned titles were published in the years 2002-2003, which allowed to eliminate possible differences resulting from the changing over time approach to the phenomenon of intercultural language education.
The aim of the study is to identify the elements developing intercultural competences, their qualitative and quantitative characteristics, to discuss the differences in the approach in Italian and English-language texts and to indicate the possibility of using selected solutions in the new teaching materials. This is important as research shows that contacts with foreign cultures alone do not naturally lead to the development of intercultural competence (Sobkowiak, 2015: 64, Budzanowska-Drzewiecka and Motyl-Adamczyk, 2016: 56).
The analysis covered non-verbal communication (gestures), stereotypes, proverbs and sayings, rules of linguistic politeness. From the glottodidactic point of view, the proposed types of exercises and the connection of (inter)cultural competences with other communicative competences will be analyzed.
The main hypothesis verified during the analyzes assumes that the concept of intercultural language education, although it does not appear as a notion on the pages of textbooks, is an important component of the didactic process in materials for learning the business language, and the approach to interculturality may differ depending on the target culture and status of the foreign language taught (Italian vs English, modern lingua franca).
References
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