The article examines the cross-cultural transferability of widely accepted cross-cultural assessment tool using research conducted in Ukraine - the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS), insights from the American and Ukrainian researchers who translated and adapted the instrument in Ukraine. Within the qualitative focus group study researchers look at the peculiarities of CQS perceptions by the Ukrainian audience sample and identify barriers of these perceptions, peculiarities of perceptions of citizens of Ukraine regarding cross-cultural interaction.
Legal definitions are vital for effective legal communication. This paper outlines main conventions of formulating definitions in statutes and contracts. Legal definitions are analyzed here from cross-cultural perspective against (legislative) drafting guidelines and theory of law. Their formulation may depend, inter alia, on legal system, branch of law, legal genre, position within the document, and type of legal definition. An attempt is then made to examine how formal aspects of formulating legal definitions may affect the interpretation and thus translation of law terms. This interdisciplinary cross-cultural examination provides a theoretical basis for sketching main approaches to English-Polish (Polish-English) translation of the definition section in ratified international instruments published in Polish Journal of Laws. The translation practice trends towards legal definitions seem to be more and more informed by the globalization and ‘Europeanisation’ processes now constituting a still broader context of legal communication rather than confined to the text of a legal instrument itself.
North Cameroon displays nearly sixty local languages for an estimated 3,500,000 people. Such a multilingualism is offset by the use of a major trade language, Fulfulde or Fula (spoken by Fulɓe or Fulani), which allows basic exchanges to take place in many settings. Owing to increased rates of school attendance, French has been taking on a greater but still limited role in interethnic communication. The question of language comes immediately to the fore in any medical consultation, yet there are also prior cultural factors in play which have a strong impact on the procedure.
Legal definitions are vital for effective legal communication. This paper outlines main conventions of formulating definitions in statutes and contracts. Legal definitions are analyzed here from cross-cultural perspective against (legislative) drafting guidelines and theory of law. Their formulation may depend, inter alia, on legal system, branch of law, legal genre, position within the document, and type of legal definition.An attempt is then made to examine how formal aspects of formulating legal definitions may affect the interpretation and thus translation of law terms. This interdisciplinary cross-cultural examination provides a theoretical basis for sketching main approaches to English-Polish (Polish-English) translation of the definition section in ratified international instruments published in Polish Journal of Laws.The translation practice trends towards legal definitions seem to be more and more informed by the globalization and ‘Europeanisation’ processes now constituting a still broader context of legal communication rather than confined to the text of a legal instrument itself.
The internationalization of Polish universities is low compared with other countries of the European Union. The change of this disadvantage requires the identification and the elimination of barriers in respect of the development of internationalization. One of them is the cultural differences between Poles and foreigners contacting in the area of learning and higher education. Many foreigners descend from cultures which significantly differ from Polish values, behaviours, customs and attitudes. The ignorance of these conditions is hindering the cross-cultural adaptation, triggering in extreme cases a cultural shock. Symptoms are discomfort connected with residing in an unfamiliar environment, a low sense of security and disturbed communication. In order to eliminate barriers of internationalization resulting from cultural differences, the university staff meeting with foreigners both in Poland and abroad should possess the adequate knowledge and skills. This requires system solutions initiated not only by Polish universities, but also government institutions to which they are reporting.
PL
Umiędzynarodowienie polskich uczelni jest niskie w porównaniu z innymi krajami Unii Europejskiej. Zmiana tej niekorzystnej sytuacji wymaga identyfikacji oraz eliminacji barier rozwoju umiędzynarodowienia. Jedną z nich są różnice kulturowe między Polakami a cudzoziemcami kontaktującymi się ze sobą w obszarach nauki i edukacji wyższej. Wielu cudzoziemców wywodzi się z kultur, które znacznie różnią się od polskich wartości, zachowań, zwyczajów i postaw. Nieznajomość tych uwarunkowań utrudnia adaptację międzykulturową, wywołując w skrajnych przypadkach szok kulturowy. Ich przejawem jest dyskomfort przebywania w obcym środowisku, niskie poczucie bezpieczeństwa, zaburzenia w komunikacji. Aby wyeliminować bariery umiędzynarodowienia, wynikające z różnic kulturowych, pracownicy uczelni stykający się z cudzoziemcami zarówno w Polce, jak również za granicą powinni posiadać odpowiednią wiedzę i umiejętności z tego zakresu. Wymaga to systemowych rozwiązań inicjowanych nie tylko przez polskie uczelnie, lecz również instytucje rządowe, którym one podlegają.
Motivated by the Speech Act theory, gender-specific use of language, and cross-cultural communication, this study intended to address quantitatively how cultural differences and gender patterns affect the way Persian and English native-speaking spouses apologize and utilize apology strategies in their conversational routines. To triangulate data, both a questionnaire (Chopman, 2012) and a focus-group semi-structured open-ended interview were used to collect data on sixty participants’ linguistic behavior and their apology exchange. The Chi-square results for inter-cultural/gender comparisons indicated a higher rate of apologies among the English spouses and a variety in the rate and kind of apology strategies use. However, intra-cultural ones demonstrated twice more apology use by Persian females than males and no significant difference between the English spouses. The findings may have great appeal for both EFL learners and teachers to attend more to the nature of the apology speech act and its exchange among various groups and in different cultures and provide Persian EFL learners with information that may help them improve their pragmatic competence in English. The study also contributes to the pragmatics teaching curriculum and EFL research.
National identity and conflicts in Polish-Russian marriages Conflicts concerning the shared Polish-Russian historical background and attitude towards it with the politics involved in it are a frequent issue in Polish-Russian marriages. These are the reasons these conflicts can frequently lapse into family quarrels. The conflicts are closely examined in their progress and analyzed from different perspectives, referring both to national identity and the historical memory agendas. In this paper we also present some examples of the most typical misunderstandings that may take place. The main factor is the difference in identity models, and as a consequence, the failure to understand the logic of one’s opponent’s arguments. Information asymmetry as well as the well-known habitual ways of historical conceptualization of events and figures interfere in the successful cognition and enclose the spouses in a rigid frame of their own native models. In this context the biggest problems appear at the level of interpretation and categorization of the object of the discussion. Both Poles and Russians refer to different fundamentals while talking about independence, war and homeland, and this can lead to complete misunderstandings. Each couple has their own way of lessening the ideological conflicts. The first strategy the spouses will consider is to avoid talking about conflicting subjects up to an absolute taboo on the subject. The other strategy is related to auto-education, self-reflection, conscientious reappraisal of judgments and, eventually, open-mindedness. The effort put into this leads to the creation of a new, mutual way of looking at the above mentioned difficult themes.Tożsamość narodowa a konflikty w małżeństwach polsko-rosyjskich Konflikty, których zarzewiem są rozmowy o historii i polityce w aspekcie stosunków polsko-rosyjskich, to bardzo częsty problem małżeństw polsko-rosyjskich. W artykule omówione zostały przyczyny i przebieg takich dyskusji (nierzadko przeistaczających się w awantury) z perspektywy problematyki tożsamości narodowo-kulturowej oraz pamięci historycznej. Przytoczone zostały również przykłady najbardziej typowych nieporozumień. Kluczowym czynnikiem jest odmienność wzorców konstruowania tożsamości. Konsekwencją tych różnic jest niezdolność do głębszego rozumienia argumentacji rozmówcy. Asymetria wiedzy na poziomie znajomości faktów oraz przywiązanie do rodzimych wzorców oceny wydarzeń i postaci historycznych zaburza proces przyswajania nowych informacji i zamyka w sztywnych ramach nabytych schematów myślenia. Najpoważniejsze problemy we wzajemnym rozumieniu swoich racji powstają na poziomie interpretacji i kategoryzacji zjawisk. Snując rozważania o swojej przynależności do ojczyzny, Polacy i Rosjanie odwołują się do zupełnie innych kategorii wartościujących. Każda para opracowuje własną strategię radzenia sobie z konfliktami ideologicznymi. Rozwiązaniem stosowanym najczęściej jest unikanie jakichkolwiek rozmów na drażliwy temat, aż do jego całkowitej tabuizacji. Druga strategia zakłada samoedukację, autorefleksję, przewartościowanie własnych poglądów i otwartość na tezy głoszone przez małżonka. Włożony w te działania świadomy wysiłek prowadzi do wypracowania nowego, wspólnego spojrzenia na trudne tematy.
Conflicts concerning the shared Polish-Russian historical background and attitude towards it with the politics involved in it are a frequent issue in Polish-Russian marriages. These are the reasons these conflicts can frequently lapse into family quarrels. The conflicts are closely examined in their progress and analyzed from different perspectives, referring both to national identity and the historical memory agendas. In this paper we also present some examples of the most typical misunderstandings that may take place. The main factor is the difference in identity models, and as a consequence, the failure to understand the logic of one’s opponent’s arguments. Information asymmetry as well as the well-known habitual ways of historical conceptualization of events and figures interfere in the successful cognition and enclose the spouses in a rigid frame of their own native models. In this context the biggest problems appear at the level of interpretation and categorization of the object of the discussion. Both Poles and Russians refer to different fundamentals while talking about independence, war and homeland, and this can lead to complete misunderstandings. Each couple has their own way of lessening the ideological conflicts. The first strategy the spouses will consider is to avoid talking about conflicting subjects up to an absolute taboo on the subject. The other strategy is related to auto-education, self-reflection, conscientious reappraisal of judgments and, eventually, open-mindedness. The effort put into this leads to the creation of a new, mutual way of looking at the above mentioned difficult themes.
PL
Konflikty, których zarzewiem są rozmowy o historii i polityce w aspekcie stosunków polsko-rosyjskich, to bardzo częsty problem małżeństw polsko-rosyjskich. W artykule omówione zostały przyczyny i przebieg takich dyskusji (nierzadko przeistaczających się w awantury) z perspektywy problematyki tożsamości narodowo-kulturowej oraz pamięci historycznej. Przytoczone zostały również przykłady najbardziej typowych nieporozumień. Kluczowym czynnikiem jest odmienność wzorców konstruowania tożsamości. Konsekwencją tych różnic jest niezdolność do głębszego rozumienia argumentacji rozmówcy. Asymetria wiedzy na poziomie znajomości faktów oraz przywiązanie do rodzimych wzorców oceny wydarzeń i postaci historycznych zaburza proces przyswajania nowych informacji i zamyka w sztywnych ramach nabytych schematów myślenia. Najpoważniejsze problemy we wzajemnym rozumieniu swoich racji powstają na poziomie interpretacji i kategoryzacji zjawisk. Snując rozważania o swojej przynależności do ojczyzny, Polacy i Rosjanie odwołują się do zupełnie innych kategorii wartościujących. Każda para opracowuje własną strategię radzenia sobie z konfliktami ideologicznymi. Rozwiązaniem stosowanym najczęściej jest unikanie jakichkolwiek rozmów na drażliwy temat, aż do jego całkowitej tabuizacji. Druga strategia zakłada samoedukację, autorefleksję, przewartościowanie własnych poglądów i otwartość na tezy głoszone przez małżonka. Włożony w te działania świadomy wysiłek prowadzi do wypracowania nowego, wspólnego spojrzenia na trudne tematy.
The study of dynamic codes in various social and legal conditions and the problems of agnonymy in intercultural communication allow us to automatically assert that collective memory and a common past are the basis of socialism, language, as a true chronicler, records everything in its linguistic picture of the world. The informative value of a communicative unit is determined not only by its correlations with a specific denotate, but also by the specific emotional-aesthetic attitude of native speakers towards it, which are uniform manifestations in a given linguistic and cultural community. The scientific and technological revolution accelerates the processes leading to agnonymy (dynamics of vocabulary and connotative meanings, dynamics of printed forms, urban palimpsests, text modifications, etc.).
The article reviews specific features of the Georgian linguistic world image shaped during the long period of its existence. The analysis covers the cultural concepts and language markers that reflect the national characteristics. Being a special kind of cross-cultural communication, translation is a process of overcoming the linguistic and cultural barriers, and includes transcoding of language code as well as the cultural one. On the one hand, it uncovers the discrepancies between the key concepts in different cultures, and on the other hand, it demonstrates existence of the similar language markers of the ‘global cultural space’ that is being formed.
The aim of the paper is to explore cross-cultural communication through the lens of translingual writers. In order to do so, we will present a short overview of the key theories concerning cross-cultural communication. Next, we will add some testimonies of the translingual writers into the equation by describing their personal perspectives related to writing in a foreign language. Adopting the translingual writers’ point of view while reflecting on the concept of cross-cultural communication is of crucial importance as it might shed some light on the complex interplay of the differentfactors that pertainto successful communication in different cultural contexts.
Communication is an indispensable part of international cooperation and it requires managing different cultures. Being prepared to see and understand different values, trying to understand contrasting views in a consortium, can decrease the potential of misperception which otherwise may act as a real barrier to cooperation. This is why international cooperation necessitates negotiation across cultures. In the case of collaboration, parties come together for a joint work which itself may create common values/understanding, besides the set goals. This is because collaboration requires strong we-feeling and commitment. The purpose of this paper is to focus on cross-cultural communication and collaboration in the area of Open and Distance Learning (ODL), concentrating on the communication processes in project management. Cross-cultural studies point to different communicative behaviours of individuals in multinational work environments e.g. the cultural characteristics affect the preferences towards the use of the media. For the purposes of this paper, the authors make a phenomenological-oriented case study of project management based on interviews with partners of a multilateral Grundtvig (adult learning) project, affiliated with distance education institutions in eight different countries. The authors test their assumptions for constructive and cooperative communication in e-Learning projects; delineating the effects of different cultures as regards the expectations from (1) international projects and (2) communication media.
This review covers two new books on Chinese humour: Wendy Gan Comic China: Representing Common Ground, 1890-1945; and King-fai Tam and Sharon Wesoky Not Just a Laughing Matter: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Political Humour in China. Gan argues that humour can moderate extreme views through sympathetic understanding of the other. Tam and Wesoky cover several aspects of mainland Chinese and Hong Kong humour usage through edited papers from a recent conference.
This paper focuses on the highest frequency lexical resources within the area of online legal counselling. The research corpus included the content of discussions held around specific problems of legal and judicial character and the attempts to find practical solutions to those problems, found on the Internet forums. The texts in question were classified here as utterances of a legal commentary character and stemming from the legal and judicial language, in opposition to strictly legal communication, which is normative and depersonalized in its nature. This paper takes a closer look at the act of counselling as a linguistic action in both Polish and German linguistics, as well as the characteristics of a specific-content Internet discussion forum as a separate, well-defined genre of text functioning within the world-wide-web and oriented towards the exchange of views and gathering information on a specific topic. Besides their knowledge-broadening functions, these forums are nowadays more frequently becoming the sites for initiating social contacts and interactions. The paper is cultural-contrastive in its character, as the analysed material comes from two parallel sources: Polish and German texts. It aims at identifying discrepancies as well as regularities in online legal advice, including specific lexical items. The conclusions are likely to serve as the basis for defining a specific “linguistic realm” of the Internet forum users in both languages in question, as well as contribute to identifying some current trends in cross-cultural communication based on modern tools and social media.
Aim. The goal of this study was to show the opinions of nursing students concerning the most frequent difficulties in establishing effective communication with patients from other cultures. Material and Methods. This cross-sectional study involved 354 first-year nursing students from five schools in Turkey, Poland and Hungary. It was based on a questionnaire developed by one of the authors. Results. The respondents considered the familiarity with the language, overcoming the fear of cultural otherness and speaking slowly and clearly without the knowledge of medical jargon as the most crucial elements of effective communication with patients. Conclusion. Although the students are open to establishing relationships based on communication with patients representing different cultures and faiths and understand the importance of the process, they need to be adequately prepared for cross-cultural interactions.
PL
Cel. Celem badania było ukazanie opinii studentów pielęgniarstwa na temat najczęściej występujących trudności w nawiązaniu skutecznej komunikacji oraz wskazanie postaw, umiejętności i wiedzy niezbędnych w interakcjach z pacjentem odmiennym kulturowo. Materiał i metoda. W badaniu wzięło udział 354 studentów pierwszego roku z pięciu szkół w Turcji, Polsce i na Węgrzech. Przekrojowe badanie zostało oparte na kwestionariuszu opracowanym przez jedną z autorek. Wyniki. W nawiązaniu skutecznej komunikacji podkreślano znajomość języka i mówienie wolno, bez żargonu medycznego. Czynnikiem najważniejszym w podejściu do pacjenta odmiennego kulturowo są przezwyciężanie postawy etnocentrycznej, uprzedzeń, stereotypów oraz postawa poszanowania siebie i drugiego człowieka, wśród umiejętności ważne są otwartość w stosunku do innych kultur. Stwierdzono różnice pomiędzy poszczególnymi krajami. Wnioski. Mimo iż studenci zwracają uwagę na wagę komunikacji w relacji z pacjentem odmiennym kulturowo i wykazują do niej gotowość, wymagają przygotowania do wejścia w interakcje międzykulturowe
Zasadniczym celem niniejszego opracowania jest zwrócenie uwagi na niedoceniany i po-mijany aspekt związany z wielokulturowością i komunikacją międzykulturową w procesie przygotowania kontyngentów misji pokojowych. Konflikty lokalne bardzo często poprzedzone są antagonizmem stron i narastającą sprzecznością interesów, co nieuchronnie prowadzi do wybuchu walk między kulturami o terytorium, rywalizację polityczną, zasoby ekonomiczne – sformułowane przez znawców tej tematyki wnioski wskazują jednoznacznie, że ich odmienność nie zmierza do rywalizacji i konfrontacji, a tylko do uzasadnienia przyczyn konfliktów, które to autor zobrazował na przykładzie Kosowa.
EN
The main purpose of this article is to focus on multiculturalism and cross-cultural communication in the preparation of military contingents for peace support operations, aspects which are often omitted and underestimated in this process. Local conflicts, preceded by antagonisms and increasing conflicts of interests, which inevitably leads to fighting, are fought between cultures over territory, political rivalry or economic resources. The conclusions formulated by the experts of this subject matter explicitly show that their otherness does not aim at rivalry and confrontation, but only at the justification of the reasons for conflicts, which the author would like to illustrate using the example of Kosovo.
Aim of the article is to provide critical examination of manipulation process as multidimensional phenomenon related to imagination, representation, translation and interpreting of original texts in light of assurance of informational safety that is our research object. Our research corresponds to theory and practice of translation, psychology, comparative religious studies, international relations, public diplomacy and national security. Methods. Research methodology is based on critical analysis of manipulations with texts; the methods have been borrowed from works of Gilbert Durand (1999), Michel Maffesoli (1996) and James Frazer (2012) on social anthropology. Results. Practical value of obtained results consists in proposed algorithm for critical analysis of translated or interpreted texts that allows to evaluate their quality according to context, meaning and semiotics of the source texts. The notion of empire as an archetype that was implemented into contemporary international relations is also revised and extended. That can help in analysis and prevention of different forms and means of outside and inside tactics of deviant influence on societies and to illuminate threats for cultural identity and spiritual diversity of the global community. Conclusions. Phenomenon of marginalization of cultural and spiritual identity (sacral sphere) under the influence of globalization by the means of soft power pressure can be evaluated today as the unspoken impact of influence agents implemented into new societal institutes in the form of alien cultural imperatives that are enforced to different communities as common for all agendas in the frameworks of postmodern stream.
The aim of the paper is to present problems which may occur in translation of phraseological units. On discussed examples the author analyses how the attempt to preserve by the translator an internal figurativeness of idioms influences to the choice of equivalent. To explain decisions and consequences were used cognitive approach.
RU
В статье рассматриваются проблемы, с которыми сталкивается переводчик в процессе перевода фразеологических единиц. Анализируя примеры переводческих соответствий, автор пытается показать, каким образом стремление сохранить внутреннюю форму фразеологизма влияет на выбор соответствия. Для оценки и объяснения переводческих решений используются элементы когнитивного метода.
Współczesny ład społeczny na świecie jest funkcją wielu czynników. Jednym z nich jest historycznie ukształtowana strefa wpływu różnych cywilizacji. To właśnie różnice cywilizacyjne doprowadziły do powstania różnic kulturowych między narodami, których skutki są widoczne w każdym aspekcie życia społecznego. W związku z tym, różnice kulturowe stanowią obecnie pole do badań empirycznych w różnych aspektach, skalach i poziomach życia społecznego. Jedną z nich, gdzie różnice kulturowe dają znać o sobie są wielonarodowe jednostki wojskowe działające w strukturze Wojska Polskiego. Stały się one złożoną dziedziną badań nad kulturowymi aspektami ich funkcjonowania. W artykule przedstawiono zarówno teoretycznych rozważania, jak i analizy empiryczne różnice kulturowe między narodami tworzącymi analizowane struktury wojskowe.
EN
The world’s contemporary social order is a function of numerous factors. One of them is the historically shaped sphere of influence of different civilisations. It is the civilisation differences that have given rise to cultural differences between nations, the effects of which are visible in every aspect of social life. As a result, cultural differences are currently subject to empirical research in various aspects, scales and levels of social life. One of them, where cultural differences exist, includes multinational military units operating within the Polish Armed Forces. These units have become a complex area of research into the cultural aspects of their operation. The article presents both theoretical considerations and empirical analyses of cultural differences between the nations that are making up the military structures under analysis.
Genres of speech may serve different pragmatic functions in various communication environments. In some cases these functions may reveal differences unintelligible for nonnative users of language and culture. This statement is especially valid in cross-cultural communication, on the verge of cultural environments. This paper brings an attempt at a schematic description of differences between the implementation of a speech genre (communication procedure) of apology in Polish and Japanese communication environments. Research postulates have been verified using actual examples of communication activity in a cross-cultural environment.
PL
Gatunki mowy mogą służyć odmiennym funkcjom pragmatycznym w rozmaitych środowiskach komunikacyjnych. Niekiedy funkcje te ujawniają zróżnicowania niezrozumiałe dla nierodzimych użytkowników języka i kultury. Stwierdzenie to pozostaje w szczególny sposób aktualne w komunikacji międzykulturowej, na granicy środowisk kulturowych. Niniejszy artykuł zawiera próbę schematycznej charakterystyki różnic między zastosowaniem gatunku mowy (procedury komunikacyjnej) przeprosin w polskim i japońskim środowisku komunikacyjnym. Postulaty badawcze weryfikowano na konkretnych przykładach aktywności komunikacyjnej w środowisku międzykulturowym.
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