The Method of Forming Sociocultural Competence: Hieroglyph As the Culture’S Cognitive Memory
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Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 7 (2012 5) 935-943 ~ ~ ~ УДК 37.014.15 The Method of Forming Sociocultural Competence: Hieroglyph as the Culture’s Cognitive Memory Nadezhda I. Sosnovskaya* Siberian Federal University 82а Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk, 660041 Russia 1 Received 30.12.2011, received in revised form 11.01.2012, accepted 20.02.2012 Chinese writing, ideographic and pictographic, is a part of the linguistic picture of the world and con- cepts conveyed in it on the grammatological level may participate in the formation of social competence as one of the components of intercultural communicative competence. The implication of sociocultural analysis of Chinese hieroglyphics on the basis of the grammatological approach not only will allow lan- guage learners to acquire knowledge about the Chinese hieroglyphic concept sphere, cultural identity, cultural realia both in historical and contemporary perspective, but will also teach them to properly use this cognitive basis in further independent language learning process; such an approach can be viewed as an effective mechanism for memorizing which can promote to activate the mastering of hi- eroglyphic signs due to a relatively easy opportunity for reconstructing the image that is underlying the sociocultural analysis, as well as a method to contribute to the formation of a sustainable motivational component of learning. Keywords: sociocultural competence, intercultural communicative competence, ideogram, phonetic ideogram, grapheme, concept, cognitive approach, grammatological approach, Chinese hieroglyphic picture of the world, concept sphere. Introduction studying foreign languages by the majority Teaching foreign languages has recently of the population. The ability to speak two or become of special national significance in our more foreign languages during the formation of country since a foreign language is not only a the European Union was not only “good form”, means of communication, but also the possibility but rather a good opportunity to quickly find a for personal cultural enrichment of the students, prestigious well-paid job which explains the their professional self-actualization, furthermore fairly active migration of skilled workers in the a successful intercultural communication and early years of EU formation. communication between individual members Methodical science of teaching foreign of society both contribute to the social and languages has also been given a new impetus economic development and political stability of to development under existing conditions, there both individual states and interstate unions. An has been an appeal towards the cross-cultural example is the creation of the European Union paradigm in the study of teaching process and which was preceded by the tendency towards the process of learning foreign languages and * Corresponding author E-mail address: [email protected] 1 © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved – 935 – Nadezhda I. Sosnovskaya. The Method of Forming Sociocultural Competence: Hieroglyph as the Culture’s… cultures, competence approach and learner- V. A. Bryleva, J. A. Pugacheva, A. N. Annenkov, centered approach to teaching and learning E. S. Dikova). that have finally resulted in a large-scale In modern studies of the formation of reconsideration of a conceptual and categorical intercultural communication competence there apparatus of the methodical science, the nature has been established the definition of this concept of modern means, methods and techniques of which is the ability and willingness of specialists language teaching and the functional load of a to recognize, understand and interpret the native foreign-language teacher. world picture and another picture of the world as they interact with each other and then to build on Intercultural Communicative this basis foreign-language communication with Competence in the Context representatives of a given society (Annenkova, of Language Education 2010). This ability is acquired by language- Defining intercultural communication learners in the process of assigning them a picture competence as the ultimate goal of linguists’ of the world in its close interaction with the native preparation has acquired axiomatic value view on the surrounding world. As a result of this substantiated by a large number of investigators interaction complex cross-cultural knowledge by the moment (E. G. Tareva, G. V. Elizarova, is formed in the minds of language-learners N. D. Galskova, B. P. Furmanov, N. Gez, I. L (specific cognitive structure) which is actualized Pluzhnik, S. G. Ter-Minasova), this phenomenon in the process of intercultural communication in is also widely studied by foreign scientists order to achieve mutual understanding. It is the (M. Byram, A. E Fantini, Y. Kim, J. Koester, very competence that inheres in the ‘secondary J. Stier, R. L. Wiseman). This competence was linguistic identity’ (I. I. Khaleeva), which is the established on the basis of foreign language main focus of the learning process in a language communicative competence proposed by Jan Ate institute of higher education. In recent studies van Ek who in turn singled out in its structure in the structure of intercultural communicative the following sub-components: linguistic, competence viewed herein as an integration of sociolinguistic, discoursal competence, foreign language communicative competence strategic, socio-cultural and social. In the study and intercultural competence the following by G. V. Yelizarova the need for introducing competencies have been marked out: the term ‘intercultural competence’ is being linguistic – willingness and ability substantiated, intercultural aspect within each to produce and interpret meaningful sub-competence as a part of intercultural utterances of the studied language with competence is being educed thus modifying regard to the knowledge about ways to the content of the latter and adding to them an express value orientations in relation to intercultural dimension (Yelizarova, 2005). On the the mother tongue; grounds of the studies mentioned above, in recent sociolinguistic – awareness of the years there has appeared and has been subjected selection and use of linguistic resources, to intensive in-depth research the intercultural taking into account the relevance of the communicative competence, represented as an social context of communication in a integration of the two competencies such as foreign language; foreign language communicative competence strategic – ability and willingness to and intercultural competence (T. Larin, overcome linguistic and psychological – 936 – Nadezhda I. Sosnovskaya. The Method of Forming Sociocultural Competence: Hieroglyph as the Culture’s… difficulties with verbal and nonverbal The ability to distinguish cultural values communication strategies in the process by monitoring the bearers of other languages of intercultural communication; and cultures and interacting with them without social – the ability and willingness to referring to them with direct questions (as in interact with native language users of most cases they are simply unable to give an a studied foreign language, to manage adequate response due to the unconscious nature social situations in order to achieve of the commitment to the values of their native common communicative goals; culture) is also one part of language-learners’ discoursive – the ability to choose and social competence, the formation of which would to use suitable strategies for making make it possible to avoid such an interference and interpreting texts in the process of (Yelizarova, 2005). intercultural communication; Relying on the analysis of different sociocultural – knowledge about interpretations of the sociocultural competence universal and culture-specific values of (SCC), the following of its components may be the target language culture, forms and evolved: ways of translating them into verbal and knowledge of the system of universal nonverbal picture of the world. cultural values; The components of intercultural knowledge of the value system of a native communicative competence have a mutual culture, forms and methods of their display i n fluence upon each ot her: d iscou rsive competence in public institutions, linguistic picture viewed as a competence responsible for building of the world, models of human behavior, up speech acts is inseparable from the linguistic, verbal and nonverbal communication social and other competencies that are all within etc.; a relationship of mutual penetration. Intercultural knowledge of the principles of interaction competence is also a component that operates on all between cultural beliefs, norms and levels or units of the communicative competence. stereotypes in different manifestations of Over time some linguistic phenomena can receive culture clash; additional cultural connotations. A bright example knowledge of the cultural values of a may be the appearance of a car model known as studied language, forms and methods ‘’ё-Mobile’’ on the automotive market in Russia of their display in public institutions, when the creators of the brands, apparently, linguistic picture of the world, models of wanted to give an answer to the entire world human behavior, verbal and non-verbal market by selecting one letter from the Russian communication etc.; alphabet which is not found in other languages and recognition of the fact that different has quite a bright connotative meaning. However, cultural models