Abstract:

These days the different conditions of the global world dictate us the need to preserve specific national and ethnic features of linguistic variety. However, the problem of understanding throughout cross-cultural communication between nations is quite complex and disputable due to the existence of ethno-cultural barriers. The English language, with the birthplace in Great Britain, has already conquered almost the whole world changing and forming new dialects and its versions in new territories as it has happened in New Zealand. Consequently, residents of two different English-speaking countries are able to understand each other though it is becoming increasingly hard for them considering different pronunciation of words, intonations, selection of words and expressions, grammatical rules, etc.

The New Zealand version of English was perceived as a language variant, mostly reminiscent of Australian English, but closer to the British version of the English language. Unlike Australia, New Zealand has not experienced mass emigration from non-English-speaking countries after the Second World War. Nevertheless, it has received a significant number of immigrants from the Pacific Islands together with the revival of the indigenous Māori culture that has been forming a new linguistic picture on its territory nowadays. The current trends are leading New Zealand version of English in its distinctive way of development taking it further and further away from the British standard.

The present research is devoted to the steadily increasing issue of ethno-cultural barriers in the communication between people of Britain and New Zealand based on the specifics of the multi-ethnic and multilingual environment which reflect nuances of national consciousness, national thinking, national character, and regional values. The role of barriers breaking or at least its reducing is invaluable in our modern society if we take into consideration rapidly expanding and evolving international relations among countries.

To overcome such barriers in interethnic relations is possible with the help of methods which include:
1) Development of tolerance from both sides, using positive language in the discussion of sensitive issues relating to inter-ethnic relations;
2) Study of lingo-cultural phenomena and its consequences in oral and written speech;
3) Familiarization with the cultural and psychological characteristics of the people, traditions, customs, and a set of accepted forms of behavior in this culture, due to the history and modern socio - cultural processes;
4) The principle of solidarity and cooperation of representatives of different ethnic groups, equality of both parties and their opportunities;
5) A special training to improve forms of intercultural interaction and competence to eliminate misunderstanding.

The approach should be regarded with a developed sense of tolerance and personality-oriented ways to find out the solution to the problem of interactions between two nations.

Keywords:

Ethno-cultural barriers, cross-cultural communication, the indigenous Māori culture, multilingual environment.