INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO CROSS-LANGUAGE AND CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION STUDIES

Abstract

The present paper touches upon topical issues connected with the necessity of using interdisciplinary approach to cross-language and cross-cultural communication studies. Modern world is based on communication which presupposes the process of sharing meaning through verbal and non-verbal behaviour. It’s a matter that requires very serious and complex handling especially in the time of globalization. Explanation of the terms denoting language, culture, cross-language and cross-cultural communication, their interrelations and peculiarities of usage in all spheres of human activities is given in the paper. Special attention is paid to the communication types and their peculiarities. Our cultural understanding of the world and everything in it ultimately affects our communication style, and nowadays we face hybrid, changing and conflicting cultures, where we are expected to become pluricultural individuals. Effective communication with people of different cultures and languages is especially challenging. If people recognize and understand differing world views, they will certainly adopt a positive and open-minded attitude towards cross-cultural differences. By accepting people, their differences and acknowledging that we do not know everything will make us open up to people and their differences resulting in using contextual information for better understanding. Seeking feedback and taking risks to open up channels of communication and being responsible for our feelings as well as actions, will go a long way in ensuring that miscommunication is mitigated. Therefore, to avoid miscommunication, much effort and willingness on the part of people representing different cultural and educational background is needed. Understanding of these aspects of cultures will help better coexist and cooperate despite all difficulties, conflict situations as well as negative attitudes. In this respect of primary importance is to apply interdisciplinary approach to crosslanguage and cross-cultural communication studies in order to work out effective communicative strategies to be put into practice.