Training the Students for Intercultural Communication: A Challenge for the FL Teacher
Training the Students for Intercultural Communication: A Challenge for the FL Teacher

Summary/Abstract: During the past decades the study of intercultural communication has received much more interest and attention than ever before, although it is as old as civilization; the ease of travel, the development of international trade as well as of multinational organizations – in other words globalization – have made people aware of the fact that they must communicate and cooperate with other people different from themselves in order to succeed and, sometimes, even to survive. Effective communication in a different context is felt as being important especially in business, because of the competition existing among companies all over the world; at the same time, intercultural communication is very complex, because of the existence of intermingling distinguishing characteristics. That is why well trained professionals, able to function correctly in different environments are required in practically every field of activity; having to face international competition no company can concentrate only on domestic activities /markets. In business of any kind, cultural incompetence can jeopardize lots of money through wasted negotiations, lost purchases/ sales or contracts and poor customer relations. It is said that "cultural risk is just as real as political risk in international business arena". Nowadays, even if a person does not leave his/ her own home country to work abroad, it is almost sure that he/ she will meet or work with men/ women coming from other countries; even the students may share classes with colleagues from different nations and some intercultural training, as well as the experience they will get learning to communicate internationally will be beneficial to them.

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