Developing Intercultural Communicative Competence in Local ELT

This book presents the results of an empirical investigation based on theoretical insights into and empirical verification of the concepts referring to intercultural communicative competence in the Slovak educational system, focusing on culture and its relation to language. Their intertwinedness was proved through thorough analyses of the national curricula for languages, based on the CEFR descriptors and language course books and attitudes of teachers and undergraduate students towards developing ICC in local English language teaching. Language professionals should be aware of how cultural context affects the way language is used to construct, interpret and communicate meanings.

Jana Bérešová teaches linguistic and ELT courses at Trnava University in Trnava, Slovakia. Her ideas referring to ELT are significantly influenced by the concepts and philosophies that are behind the CEFR. As a teacher trainer, she trains student teachers as well as primary/secondary-school teachers to develop their learners’ communicative competence, emphasising a number of them, intercultural communicative competence including. She has written a number of books and articles on methodology regarding both teaching and testing foreign languages, using authentic materials in target language class, supporting naturalness, appropriacy and accuracy in language learning. Her present interests include the intertwinedness between language and culture. All her current thoughts focus on language learners and their needs in the local context.