CROSS CULTURAL UNDERTANDING

About the course COURSE COMPETENCE: To make the students familiar with the concept of culture in general, in particular, the culture of foreign people whose language he/ she is learning. COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course is designed for the students able to understand cross cultural understanding and its relationship with the language and cultural values of target language. The course is prerequisite for the students of English study program, because by understanding the culture of the foreign people can help to build the spirit of international understanding and friendliness.

REFERENCE: Pauline Tomasouw (1986) Cross Cultural Understanding, Jakarta: Penerbit Karunika. Cathie Draine & Barbara Hall (1997) Culture Shock, Singapore: Times edition Pte Ltd. Hanoum Laila Hasyim (1986) Cross Cultural Understanding: Jakarta: Penerbit Karunika. Pandiya (2007) the Importance of Cross- Culture Understanding For Polytechnic Students, in Ragam, Vol 7 No. 1, April 2007: 1 – 8.

INTRODUCTION Cross Cultural Understanding means understanding the culture of the target people so that we can reconstruct our attitudes and world views; consequently, we become more tolerate and more generous toward strange ways that may be shown by the target language people. Also, the importance of understanding other culture will avoid misunderstanding and make inappropriate value judgements. Therefore, at the end we are not considered that our culture is better than other cultures.

Culture refers to all aspect of life in a community. It involves... ways of doing things ways of expressing themselves ways of looking at thing what things they should value what is expected from and what they may expect from others.

Tomasouw (1986) distinguish culture and civilization. Civilization refers to areas such as geography, history, artistic, and literacy achievement. While culture is something to do with everyday life style of ordinary citizens and the values belief and prejudice they share with their fellow within their linguistic and social groups with due attention to intra- group differences (of social class for example).

Larson & Immaley in Tomasouw (1986) define culture as a ‘blue print’, which guides the behaviour of people in community and then is developed in family life. Chaer and Agustine (1995) suggest that culture consists of standards for deciding what is, standards for deciding what can be, standards for deciding how one feels about it, standards for deciding what to do about it, and standards for deciding how to go doing it.

Goodenough in Wardhaugh (1986) believe that culture consists of whatever it is one has to know or believe in order to operate in a manner acceptable to its members, and to do so in any role that they accept for any one of themselves.

Why studying ccu? Although some students of English program show their linguistic competence a lot, e.g. their talking is grammatically correct, their conversation may sound improper even strange. Lacking of cultural knowledge contributes to improper use of the language. One’s cultural factors may cause someone seem intolerant and less generous to other cultures. The need for interpreting behaviour, attitudes and communication style of people from different cultures correctly.

Case examples Dog represents something good in western culture. Western culture highly value of time - punctuality, e.g. ‘Time is money’, while it is not a case in Indonesia.

Some people use their subjective mood when in contact with foreigners, e.g. using metaphors when talking to foreigners which easily can lead to misunderstanding. In Indonesia, the words said can mean the opposite/ negative since the people also communicate with their body languages or gestures. (Saying ‘Mari makan’ means ‘let me eat my food’, it does not mean asking other people to share my food).

In this country, the common subjects used when talking with foreigners are about family, jobs or careers, purposes of coming to Indonesia, and so on. This may sound interfere other people’s privacy in other cultures.

In this country, people think it is okay to touch foreign child’s head to show concern. This may consider impolite to other cultures. While it shows a impropriate behaviour to touch an adult’s head in this country (offending), while it is a very common to do so in Western cultures.

In this country, the people will not open present until they get guest leave; while it shows disliking of the gifts to foreigners. Standing too close to foreigners is considered improper behaviour in Indonesia. When greeting people, the Indonesian people will answer “Would you like some coffee?” with “Thank you”.

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