Innovation in Language Learning

Edition 17

Accepted Abstracts

How Does the Media Contribute to Acquiring Intercultural Competence? A Business English Context

Oana Ursu, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi (Romania)

Abstract

As posited by Barber, “the true tutors of our children are no longer the school teachers and university professors, but the filmmakers, advertising executives and pop culture purveyors” (1995). Thus, we could infer that in order to get the best results in their classes, teachers continuously have to find new ways to stir the interest of students and get them actively involved in activities. Starting from this premise, this paper aims to explore the influential role of the media in acquiring global awareness and in promoting intercultural understanding in a business English context. In so doing, I conducted a research on a sample of 150 business English learners, students in the first and second year at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration from the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi (Romania). Therefore, after having identified the intercultural competencies that have to be developed in students within the present-day global environment, I set out to investigate the students’ level of intercultural understanding through a variety of (new) media-based activities. As such, throughout the duration of the study (one semester), the students were presented a selection of scenes taken from films/ documentaries/ commercials dealing with intercultural topics and asked to complete a number of pre-, while- and post-watching activities aimed at developing their intercultural skills. The qualitative analysis of the student’s productions, as well as of their notes and their reactions to the materials presented in class have shown that students were able to connect the content of the materials to the cultural concepts and theories used in teaching intercultural competence.

 

Keywords

 (new) media, education, business English, intercultural competence/ awareness

 

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