Intercultural competence in teaching languages for specific purposes

Abstract

The paper analyses the concept of intercultural competence and its presence within teaching foreign languages for specific purposes in Serbia. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of the presence of intercultural competence within teaching foreign languages for specific purposes at non-philological faculties as well as the existence/nonexistence of awareness about this competence and attitudes towards the importance of intercultural competence. In addition to the theoretical analysis of the research problem, this paper presents the results of a survey conducted among lecturers of foreign languages for specific purposes at non-philological faculties of the University of Belgrade as well as the results of a survey carried out among students of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade. The survey results indicate that there is a developed awareness and a positive attitude towards intercultural competence. The results show that the importance of intercultural competence is recognised by both lecturers and students. It can therefore be concluded that the development of intercultural competence should occupy an important place in the curriculum of foreign languages for specific purposes at non-philological faculties.

Rad analizira koncept interkulturne kompetencije i njenu zastupljenost u nastavi stranog jezika struke u Srbiji. Cilj istraživanja bio je da se ispita stepen zastupljenosti interkulturne kompetencije u nastavi stranog jezika struke na nefilološkim fakultetima, kao i da li i u kojoj meri postoji svest o interkulturnoj kompetenciji i stav prema važnosti iste. Pored teorijske analize problema istraživanja, rad sadrži i rezultate istraživanja sprovedenog među predavačima stranih jezika struke na nefilološkim fakultetima Univerziteta u Beogradu, kao i rezultate istraživanja sprovedenog među studentima Poljoprivrednog fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu. Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju na činjenicu da postoji prilično razvijena svest i pozitivan stav prema interkulturnoj kompetenciji. Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da je značaj interkulturalne kompetencije prepoznat kako kod predavača, tako i kod studenata. Stoga se može zaključiti da bi razvijanje interkulturne kompetencije trebalo da zauzima važno mesto u kurikulumu stranih jezika struke na nefilološkim fakultetima.