Teaching students of technical specialties intercultural communication in English classes

Abstract

Intercultural communication is a complex phenomenon, its learning requires specific skills and knowledge. Since modern students are increasingly involved in world political, economic and professional organizations, participate in international meetings and conferences, work in multinational companies, they need to learn not only the appropriate language, but also cultural differences, norms of foreign culture, rules of communication, peculiarities of national history and psychology of another country. It is important to understand the mechanism of communication itself in order to anticipate and, if possible, avoid misunderstandings with partners. This article is devoted to the study of differences in verbal and non-verbal communication in different cultures. The article is aimed at considering the forms and methods that can be used when teaching students intercultural communication. The main objective of the article is to create a number of practical tips and suggestions for taking into account the most important differences between verbal and non-verbal communication to facilitate the process of integration of students into a new multinational team. Currently, many teams work remotely with team members who come from many different cultures. These factors can complicate intercultural communication. Therefore, it is important to listen carefully to the interlocutor, use simple language, avoid slang words and idioms, remember cultural stereotypes, be open-minded, learn more about other cultures, carefully use humor. It should be recognized that cultural differences between people from different countries can influence the way they resolve conflicts, take risks, adopt an organizational structure and work in the same team. Generational, educational, and religious differences can also influence the way people interact. Learning cultural norms will not only enrich students, but also help them understand new colleagues.