ERIC Number: ED272005
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1985-May
Pages: 27
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Establishing a Cross-Cultural Analysis Component in Business Foreign Language Courses.
Paulsell, Patricia R.
Introduction of materials designed to heighten the cultural awareness of students intending to work in international business is a more difficult task than introducing cultural material to language students, due to lack of appropriate texts and methods and the limited international awareness of students. The importance of cultural understanding to the success of international business requires that every thematic unit covered in the business German classroom reflect a highly sophisticated cross-cultural analysis component. Discussion of stereotypes is an effective way of impressing on students the effect of imposing their cultural values on others. The anthropologist Edward T. Hall's theory of the integration of technical, formal, and informal levels of culture is well adapted to the business context and useful for the kind of cross-cultural analysis needed. Themes such as territoriality, authority, privacy, sex discrimination, and aspects of language use can be studied in the framework of Hall's theory to illustrate the levels and impact of culture in the German business and economic environment. Practical suggestions for incorporating cross-cultural themes into business German thematic units are included, and Hall's diagram representing the interactions of the various facets of culture is appended. (MSE)
Publication Type: Opinion Papers; Guides - Classroom - Teacher; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: In: Proceedings of the Eastern Michigan University Conference on Languages for Business and the Professions (4th, Dearborn, MI, May 2-4, 1985); see FL 015 835.