Примењена лингвистика у част Ранку Бугарском - Језик у

JEZIK U UPOTREBI / LANGUAGE IN USE
Another study relevant for our investigation, reported by Colvin-Burque
and colleagues (2007), aimed to investigate the outcomes of implementing the
Self and Other Awareness Model (SOAP) in a course in intercultural communication
at a public university in southeastern USA. The model was ‘developed to
simultaneously promote students’ acquisition of knowledge regarding specific
cultural groups, while increasing their self-awareness and cultural sensitivity’
(Colvin-Burque et al. 2007: 224). It was based on active learning (Colvin-Burque
et al. 2007: 225) and aimed at increasing self-awareness through self-examination,
‘encouraging students to recognize their own worldviews while respecting
the worldviews of others’ (Colvin-Burque et al. 2007: 225). The authors report a
statistically significant change in the participants’ racial attitudes after the course,
measured by the Color blind Racial Attitude Scale (CoBRAS). Although the fact
that the pre- and post-tests were self-administered direct questionnaires could
be regarded as a weakness of this study, the authors point out that the tests were
seen as part of the course, based on self-analysis and self-reflection, rather than as
an assessment tool. This was in accordance with the authors’ view that ‘cultural
competence is a self-driven, life-long journey’ (Colvin-Burque et al. 2007: 231).
3. Present study
The aim of our study was to analyse the written reports – weekly journals and
final essays – of 3 rd year students of the English Department, Faculty of Philosophy,
Niš University, produced during a one-semester course that aimed to
increase their intercultural sensitivity.
3.1. Background: The ICC course
The course was an elective realized through 18 contact hours (two 45-minute
sessions a week over 12 weeks) in the autumn semester of the academic year
2008/2009. It set off from the English language and the British and American cultures
specifically, but aimed to increase the students’ understanding of intercultural
communication in general, and to open further possibilities for developing
their intercultural competence through raising their awareness of the linguistic
and non-linguistic devices used in communication that can have socio-culturally
loaded meanings.
The course was based on the view of intercultural competence described
above, as comprising the cognitive component (the knowledge of specific facts
about English-speaking cultures), the action or behaviour component (sociocultural
and pragmatic aspects of communication skills, skills to manage communication
and overcome communication barriers), and the affective component,
i.e. positive attitudes towards different cultures, appreciation of cultural diver-
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