『経営学論集』第25巻第1号，65‐104頁，2014年7月 KYUSHU SANGYO UNIVERSITY, KEIEIGAKU RONSHU（BUSINESS REVIEW） Vol.25，No. 1，65‐104，2014 〔Articles（論説）〕 The Importance of Self-Identity and Ego Permeability in Foreign Culture Adaptation and Foreign Language Acquisition Timothy Dean Keeley Abstract This paper focuses on the role that self-identity and ego permeability playin determining an individual’s ability to function effectively in foreign cultures and gain fluency in foreign languages. In a quantitative study, I examined the relationship between cultural adaptation and foreign language acquisition in terms of the psychological traits that are deemed to influence success/failure in both these endeavors (Keeley, 2013). The study was carried out with 86 Chinese students studying in Japanese (as the language of instruction) at Kyushu Sangyo University in Fukuoka, Japan. The main quantitative instrument used to measure psychological traits that facilitate cultural adaptation was Kozai Group’s Global Competency Inventory (GCI). Some additional psychometric scales focusing more on foreign language acquisition were also employed. The 16 items of the GCI as well as the additional psychometric scales served as independent variables while the students’ relative rankings in Japanese oral/aural performance served as the dependent variable. Among the 16 competencies that comprise the GCI, Self-Identity proved to have one of the strongest associations with the Chinese students’ oral/aural ability in Japanese. Likewise, Language Ego Permeability (a non-GCI scale) was also strongly associated with their oral/aural ability in Japanese. The aim of this paper is to provide an in-depth look at Self-Identity and Language Ego Permeability in relation to cultural adaptation and foreign language acquisition. Introduction When it comes to foreign languages and foreign cultures people react in astoundingly different ways. You may have wondered why some people are frustrated in trying to learn even the basics of a foreign language while others speak multiple foreign languages fluently; or why some people seem to flourish in almost any culture while others quickly become overwhelmed and flounder. I have always noted that assimilation of a foreign culture in terms of acceptance (notfeelingawkwardorestrangedwhenfunctioningintheforeignculture) takes the study of the corresponding foreign language beyond meta-linguistic knowledge (understanding of semantics, grammatical rules, syntax, phonology, etc.) to a level of acquisition that enables a high level of performance in the target 65 Timothy Dean Keeley language. In other words, in such a state it does not feel unnatural to participate in the culture and speak the language. There is no feeling of being a traitor to your identity associated with your mother tongue and the culture of your upbringing. Thus, I hypothesized that the psychological traits, affective factors, and attitudes of individuals who demonstrate successful cultural adaptation (living, working or studying, and functioning in a foreign culture) may also facilitate acquiring a foreign language in the terms of high-level performance defined as approximating that of a native speaker in oral communication. I specify oral communication because that requires interaction with others, usually native speakers of the target language. In such interaction the foreigner usuallyalsohas to deal with cultural differences. Furthermore, our emotions are engaged to a much greater extent in a conversation compared to using the language in another form that does not involve direct on-the-spot communication such as reading and writing. Schumann’s Acculturation Model (1978) is one of the most well known early attempts to explore the relationship between cultural adaptation and Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Communicative competence in the target language facilitates cultural adjustment and vice versa. Schumann’s (1986) acculturation model predicts that learners will acquire the target language to the degreethey acculturate to the target language group. Schumann (1986) argued that two groups of variables - social factors and affective factors - cluster together into a single variable that is a major causal variable in SLA. Schumann called this variable acculturation - the social and psychological integration of the learner with the target language group. Schumann (1986) stated: I also propose that any learner can be placed on a continuum that ranges from social and psychological distance to social psychological proximity with speakers of the target language, and that the learner will acquire the second language only to the degree that he acculturates (p. 379). Larsen-Freeman & Long (1991) argue that Schumann did not specify the combinations and/or levels of social and psychological factors to predict language outcome and that Schumann did not explain how these factors affect the rate of attainment. This remark shows the excessive demands of strict empiricism, expecting definitiveness where it may not be available. My quantitative study (Keeley, 2013) partially addresses this concern, however, it must be understood that there is no one single recipe for success in becoming highly fluent in a foreign language. Kozai Group’s Global Competency Inventory (GCI) is a psychometric 66 The Importance of Self-Identity and Ego Permeability in Foreign Culture Adaptation and Foreign Language Acquisition instrument that focuses on the psychological traits associated with success in cultural adaptation. It was employed to test the hypothesis that these psychological traits are also related to success in foreign language acquisition. This paper presents the results for the GCI competency Self-Identity and an additional non-GCI psychometric scale termed - Language Ego Permeability. Thereafter, there is a detailed discussion of the important role Self-Identity and Language Ego Permeability play in cultural adaptation and foreign language acquisition. Kozai Group’s Global Competencies Inventory The Kozai Group is the product of over 20 years of collaboration in the area of international human resource management by its partners (Allan Bird, Mark Mendenhall, Gary Oddou, Joyce Osland, Michael Stevens, and Norihito Furuya). Together they bring over a century of combined research and consulting experience with major U.S. and international business clients. Their mission is to assist companies with global operations to develop effective human resource strategies to support their business objectives. The Kozai Group, Inc. offers two intercultural assessments - GCI and the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES). GCI and IES assessments are based on comprehensive research of the core competencies required for global leadership and effective intercultural engagement. The GCI is more comprehensive than the IES. These survey assessments are used with very good results by educational faculty, human resource managers, consultants, and researchers. The GCI is designed to assess your personal qualities associated with effectiveness in environments where there are cultural norms and behaviors different from your own. The GCI measures leadership competencies of corporate managers and global leaders in areas critical to interacting and working effectively with people from different cultures. In developing the GCI, the Kozai group began with the question: What characteristics do people have who adapt to foreign cultures better than others, but are not part of the domain of operational and technical competencies? This question is similar to the questions often asked concerning the characteristics of successful learners and users of foreign languages. This observation was one of the key reasons I chose to use the GCI in my research. The Kozai Group’s GCI served as a validated instrument for measuring psychological traits affecting cultural adaptation (associated with effective 67 Timothy Dean Keeley behavior in a cross-cultural environment). Rankings were obtained for the Chinese students in the 16 competencies that comprised the GCI. Essentially, I wanted to explore if relatively higher scores on these competencies corresponded with higher oral/aural performance in a foreign language (in this case the oral/ aural performance in Japanese of Chinese students). The GCI Competency Self-Identity This competency considers a leader’s ability to maintain personal values and beliefs regardless of the situation. A strong self-identity means one has strong personal values and maintains a high sense of personal integrity while at the same time being openly accepting of those who are different, without feeling personally threatened. 5-point Likert scale anchored with 1 = “Strongly Disagree” and 5 = “Strongly Agree” Overall Scale Reliability = 0.73 - Cronbach’s Alpha Sample Questions: Even if you have strong beliefs, you can still get along with those who differ. People should adjust their values to fit their circumstances. I have a personal philosophy that guides my behavior. (Note that some questions are reversed-coded in calculating the dimensionscore.) Kozai Group’s Description of the Self-Identity (SI) Competency Self-Identity refers to the extent to which people maintain personal values independent of situational factors and have a strong sense of personal identity. People with high self-identity can adapt culturally, but will doitina way that maintains a strong framework of personal values, thus allowing them to maintain a sense of their personal integrity. This allows them to integrate their new cultural knowledge into