Intercultural competence as an aspect of the communicative ...
Intercultural competence as an aspect of the communicative ...
Intercultural competence as an aspect of the communicative ...
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oom for <strong>the</strong> interviewer to probe deeper certain issues, to clarify <strong>an</strong>y misunderst<strong>an</strong>ding,<br />
‘enable <strong>the</strong> interviewer to test <strong>the</strong> limits <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> respondent’s knowledge’ (Cohen et al.<br />
2008: 357) <strong>an</strong>d give <strong>an</strong> opportunity to <strong>the</strong> interviewer to testify to <strong>the</strong> particip<strong>an</strong>t’s beliefs<br />
<strong>an</strong>d attitudes.<br />
The interviews were all conducted in Serbi<strong>an</strong>, for several re<strong>as</strong>ons. As some studies<br />
have shown (Penbek et al. 2009), <strong>the</strong> insistence on <strong>the</strong> English l<strong>an</strong>guage might have been<br />
a deterrent for students to take part in interviews or might have resulted in <strong>the</strong> data that<br />
are not rich enough for a serious <strong>an</strong>alysis. Also, <strong>the</strong> researcher w<strong>as</strong> not familiar with <strong>the</strong><br />
students’ pr<strong>of</strong>iciency in English, <strong>an</strong>d <strong>the</strong> exact phr<strong>as</strong>ing or wording in English w<strong>as</strong> not <strong>the</strong><br />
focus <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> research, ra<strong>the</strong>r it w<strong>as</strong> how students understood particular situations.<br />
The aim <strong>of</strong> conducting interviews w<strong>as</strong> to ga<strong>the</strong>r information about interviewees’<br />
l<strong>an</strong>guage learning histories, <strong>the</strong>ir current usage <strong>of</strong> English l<strong>an</strong>guage <strong>an</strong>d, finally, <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
underst<strong>an</strong>ding <strong>of</strong> particular intercultural incidents. Also, some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> questions in <strong>the</strong><br />
interviews were closely related to <strong>the</strong> questionnaire, <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong>y <strong>of</strong>fered <strong>an</strong> opportunity to <strong>the</strong><br />
researcher to more closely explore <strong>the</strong> responses <strong>an</strong>d see if <strong>an</strong>d how <strong>the</strong>y related to <strong>the</strong><br />
overall ‘picture’ that <strong>the</strong> questionnaire <strong>of</strong>fered.<br />
The <strong>an</strong>swers obtained through <strong>the</strong> interview shed light on <strong>the</strong> attitudes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
particip<strong>an</strong>ts, <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir feelings <strong>an</strong>d knowledge about <strong>an</strong>d skills in intercultural<br />
<strong>competence</strong>. Therefore, <strong>the</strong> questions <strong>as</strong>ked were feeling, knowledge, background <strong>an</strong>d<br />
distinguishing questions, thus ‘genera[ting] data which give <strong>an</strong> au<strong>the</strong>ntic 30 insight into<br />
people’s experiences’ (Silverm<strong>an</strong> 2006:118).<br />
Interviews were audio recorded <strong>an</strong>d subsequently tr<strong>an</strong>scribed. The <strong>an</strong>swers were<br />
coded in order to identify <strong>the</strong> patterns, values <strong>an</strong>d attitudes that contribute to ICC. Also,<br />
<strong>the</strong> interviews were followed by <strong>the</strong> researcher’s noting down immediate impressions <strong>an</strong>d<br />
possible ch<strong>an</strong>ges to be included in later interviews.<br />
3.5.3. Culture <strong>as</strong>similator<br />
A separate part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> interview consisted <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> critical incidents from <strong>the</strong> culture<br />
<strong>as</strong>similator, where <strong>the</strong> particip<strong>an</strong>ts had to provide <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>an</strong>swers <strong>an</strong>d expl<strong>an</strong>ations for <strong>the</strong><br />
given episodes. Their <strong>an</strong>swers were used to fur<strong>the</strong>r <strong>an</strong>alyse <strong>the</strong> IC sensitivity, <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> to<br />
fur<strong>the</strong>r fine-tune <strong>the</strong> <strong>as</strong>similator. The episodes were written down <strong>an</strong>d given one by one to<br />
<strong>the</strong> interviewees, mostly in <strong>the</strong> same order. However, <strong>as</strong> with <strong>the</strong> semi-structured format<br />
30 The authors here believe that ‘au<strong>the</strong>ntic’ implies that <strong>the</strong> interviewee’s point <strong>of</strong> view c<strong>an</strong> be gr<strong>an</strong>ted ‘<strong>the</strong><br />
culturally honored status <strong>of</strong> “reality”’ (Miller <strong>an</strong>d Gl<strong>as</strong>sner 2010:133).<br />
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