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Exploring languages and cultures
Exploring languages and cultures

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1.4 Interview with Professor Byram

You will now listen to an interview with Professor Mike Byram, who has been very influential in the area of intercultural communicative competence in Europe. Working in collaboration with other scholars, as part of a project funded by the Council of Europe, he developed the concept of intercultural encounters.

Described image
Figure 2 Professor Mike Byram

Activity 7

Listen to ‘Interview with Mike Byram’. As you listen, think about the following question and write your answer in the box:

How does Mike Byram define an intercultural encounter?

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Interview with Mike Byram
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Answer

Byram defines an intercultural encounter as a situation in which someone interacts with a person from another social group and where group identity plays a prominent role. This means that different behavioural norms and different sets of values and beliefs are apparent and may be the source of some unease.

Activity 8

a. 

Someone from the north-east of England has a meeting with someone from the south.


b. 

Two people of different professions interact with each other.


c. 

An Argentinian footballer is sent off by an English referee.


d. 

A Protestant teacher educator visits trainees in a Catholic school.


e. 

An exchange student from China visits the nightclubs of Newcastle upon Tyne.


f. 

A British academic visits the USA.


g. 

A singer from the USA is interviewed by a reporter from the north of England.


h. 

A Romanian visitor spends the night as a guest of the Queen at Buckingham Palace.


The correct answers are a, b, d and f.

Activity 9

In the interview Mike Byram gives four examples of intercultural encounters, each of them illustrating a particular type of difference. The first one he mentions is a British academic visiting the USA. In this case, his example illustrates national differences. What other kinds of differences do the remaining examples illustrate? Use one word to describe each.

1 Someone from the north-east of England has a meeting with someone from the south.

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Answer

Regional

2 Two people of different professions interact with each other.

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Answer

Professional

3 A Protestant teacher educator visits trainees in a Catholic school.

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Answer

Religious