How and to what extent is intercultural communication ‘teachable’? Suggestions arising from the SPICES Project

Abstract

The term ‘teachability’ stems from the field of Second Language Acquisition and is based on situations that teachers of second languages often encounter. In this paper I apply this notion of ‘teachability’ to intercultural communication and I also examine which features of the pedagogy of modern foreign languages can be applied to it. One of the macro-objectives of the SPICES Project is to provide tools and skills for individuals involved in institutional-bureaucratic settings. These tools and skills are necessary to overcome problems related to intercultural communication and cultural differences. However, in order to use them effectively one is to undergo a learning process based on a specific pedagogy. These considerations also lead to a number of queries which must be duly acknowledged: first of all, in order to make intercultural communication ‘teachable’ specific physical resources must be present. These include classrooms with a limited number of participants and technological equipment in order to make audio and video recordings. Trainers must also be adequately prepared in order to strive constantly to renew their practice and update it. Furthermore, one must consider issues related to language use: one of the major problems faced in institutional-bureaucratic settings is when interactants do not know the same language/s. Consequently, during interactions between people of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds there will inevitably be instances of communication breakdown and a taught course on intercultural communication ought to include methods and techniques in order to impart skills to deal with such situations.