STUDENTS’ CULTURAL COMPETENCE THROUGH A CROSS-

CULTURAL COMMUNICATION SUBJECT IN INDONESIA

By

A HAMZAH FANSURY

POST GRADUATE PROGRAM

STATE UNIVERSITY OF MAKASSAR

2017
 Students’ Cultural Competence through a Cross-Cultural Communication

Subject in Indonesia

Einführung

It is already known that English has been taught either as a foreign or second language in

many countries throughout the world. It is also acknowledged that language cannot be taught

without culture and that culture is a necessary context of language use (Singhal, 1998). In other

words, learning a foreign language includes learning the culture of that language. Furthermore

Brown (1994, p.25) says that language and culture are intricately intertwined. Anytime you

successfully learn a language you will also learn something regarding the culture of the speakers

of that language. To have a better understanding when communicating with another, someone

should know about the culture of the person with whom he/she communicates.

English in Indonesia has a status as the first foreign language taught from elementary

school until university. Indonesia is a multicultural country composed of hundreds of various

cultural tribes, races and languages. Thus, we come up with the motto, “Unity in diversity”

which means that even though we come from various different cultural backgrounds we are one

as a nation.

Indonesian students usually have cross-cultural experiences every day when they study

and socialize with the students from different ethnic groups. They encounter different accents

and mannerisms, different lifestyles and backgrounds, and likes or dislikes, and lifestyles among

Indonesian ethnic groups. Thus, they need to learn from and appreciate one another, respect and

enjoy differences, and negotiate and work through cultural (mis)understandings. They have

already encountered cross-cultural experiences that may help them become more flexible in
encountering cultural differences. Even though cultural differences may cause cultural barriers,

those barriers can help them to be more cognizant of the need for understanding other cultures.

In most Indonesian classrooms, the student has been exposed to the nuances of English

culture as it pertains to English language. For example, in greeting, English native speakers

address someone with surname like Mr. Smith and simply greet someone first whenever they

meet. This leads to a need for English teachers and also English teachers candidates to develop

their competence in all aspects of language competence, particularly cultural competence. To

fulfill the need to help English learners understand the cultures of English-speaking countries, a

Cross-Cultural Comunication subject has been developed. It is expected that by implementing

this subject, the students will develop their cultural competence gradually, since this course

focuses on improving the students’ cultural awareness, knowledge and cultural skills.

Lirerature Review

Culture

The term culture encompasses a large number of definitions which show its richness,

dynamics and breadth. Robinson (1988) points to the three categories of culture as follows: ideas

(belief, values, institution) behaviors (language, gesture, custom/habit, foods) and products

(literature, folklore, art, music, artifacts). The categories of behaviors and products reflect a

notion of culture as an observable phenomena. On the other hand, the category of ideas reflects a

notion of culture that is not observable but rather something which is internal yet can also be

explicitly described.

The underlying concepts used to define culture, are firstly, the system of cultural pattern.

Each society has its own cultural pattern that can be learned and shared with its members
(Hiebert, 1983; Luzbetak, 1967; Levine & Alderman, 1993; Spradley, 1975). The second

concept is the way of life of a society. It is the context within which we exist, think, feel, and

relate to others (Luzbetak, 1967). Thirdly, it is the categories of behavior and ideas that reflect

observable and unobservable behaviors including customs, beliefs, attitudes, values in which a

society lives (Robinson, 1988; Spradley, 175; Levine & Alderman, 1993).

Cultural Differences and Communication

Culture is different from society to society or from one ethnic group to another. Cultural

differences exist because people who live in different places see the world, time and space in

different ways. They eat different foods, build different kinds of houses, speak different

languages or dialects, and greet each other in different ways (Hiebert, 1983). Cultural differences

can lead to misunderstanding, as people move from one culture to another, particularly when the

same behavior has a different meaning in the new setting (Hiebert, 1983). In other words,

cultural differences can cause conflict when two cultures come into contact. Conflict is often

caused by a clash of values. Furthermore, cultural differences can be barriers to communication

(Nida, 1976).

Communication is an element of culture. It derived from the Latin word “communicare”,

meaning to share with or to make common, as in giving to another part or sharing your thoughts,

hopes, and knowledge (Jandt, 1998). Intercultural or cross-cultural communication are often used

interchangeably, which is an interdisciplinary field of research that studies how people

understand each other across group boundaries of various sorts: national, geographical, ethnic,

occupational, class or gender.

Intercultural communication can be defined as face-to-face interaction or communication

between members of different cultures (Samovar, 1980; Jandt, 1998). While cross-cultural
communication is defined as communication (verbal and non-verbal) between people from

different cultures and is influenced by cultural values, attitudes and behavior, and the influence

of culture on people’s reaction and responses to each other (Levine & Adelman, 1993:xvii-xviii).

Cultural Competence

Cultural competence refers to a set of congruent attitudes, practices, policies, and

structures that come together in a system or agency to enable professionals to work effectively

with members of culturally distinct groups in a manner that values and respects the culture and

worldview of those groups (Hanley, 1999). The attainment of cultural competence is an

important prerequisite for effective teaching. One approach to promote cultural competence is

through training and education. Hanley (1999) defined cultural competency as the ability to work

effectively across cultures in a way that acknowledges and respects the culture of the person or

organization being served (p. 10).

The cultural competence discussed is based on and adapted from Pedersen’s Conceptual

Framework for Developing Cultural and Cross Cultural Competence (1994) and Cross Cultural

Competence Model (1989). This model is called a Tripartite Developmental Model (Pedersen,

1994) to promote cultural and multicultural understanding among practitioners. These

competencies include the domains of: awareness, knowledge and skills. In addition, Cross (1989)

emphasized three critical elements in the model of cultural competence: 1) self-awareness; 2)

culture-specific knowledge; and 3) skills promoting socio-cultural interactions by individuals.

Each domain builds successfully on the previous one; mastery of an earlier domain is necessary

before proceeding to subsequent domain.

The awareness domain competency involves recognition of one’s own biases as well as

awareness of the socio-political issues that confront culturally different youngsters.

different cultural groups. Finally, competencies in the skills domain involve integrating

competencies in the previous awareness and knowledge domains in an effort to positively impact

culturally distinct children.

Discussion

Cross-Cultural Communication can be defined simply as a comprehensive way to

examine similarities and differences between L1 culture and the target culture. It is a basic skill

that the students need for developing an intellectual and emotional appreciation of cultures other

than their own. This subject is designed to introduce and help the students understand some basic

concepts dealing with their own culture and the culture of the target language. Since the students

mostly have communication with the people from these countries, the popular cultures discussed

in Cross-Cultural Communication are those from England, United States and Australia. Many

books used in Indonesia are categorically oriented towards these countries.

Kramsch (in Singhal, 1998) states that in order for learners to understand a foreign

culture it has to be compared with their own culture. Interactions they have with native speakers,

or texts for that matter, will require them to construct their own meanings. Rather than having

teachers simply transfer information about people and their culture, non-native speakers should

have opportunities to make their own meanings and reflect both the target culture and their own.

The students’ understanding of culture and cross-cultural communication subject were

based on the theories that culture embraces a large number of definitions which shows its

richness, dynamics and breadth as a concept. Robinson (1988) points to three categories of

culture as follows: ideas (belief, values, institution) behaviors (language, gesture, custom/ habit,

foods) and products (literature, folklore, art, music, artifacts). The categories of behaviors and
products reflect a notion of culture as an observable phenomena. On the other hand, the category

of ideas reflects a notion of culture that is not observable; something which is internal but can

also be explicitly described.

Since Indonesians are multicultural people, learning other cultures and comparing them

with their own culture has helped the students understand the target language culture (Kramsch

in Singhal, 1998). Moreover, the interactions with the Australian native English speaker helped

them construct their own meanings. This has been a good opportunity for the students to make

their own meanings and reflect both the target culture and their own.

Fazit

Cross Cultural Communication can develop student’s cultural competencies as they

experience lifelong learning. For specific cases, they can practice in stimulated exercises in order

to develop their cultural competencies by bringing cultural exposure into the classroom for the

specific purpose of teaching the target language culture. Since cultural competence enhancement

is not static, the students’ interaction in multicultural life, their roles as English teacher

candidates, and their life learning experiences will help them become more mature and will lead

them to the level of cultural competence proficiency.

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