Abstract:

Cross-cultural training nowadays requires approaches aimed at developing a multicultural personality possessing qualities, abilities, and skills integrated into intercultural competence as a soft skill contributing to effective cross-cultural communication given its axiology as well as contextual and situational factors. Assuming intercultural communication as the process of interpersonal interaction at affective, cognitive, and behavioural layers, the authors consider both intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of cross-cultural training vital in developing the required qualities and skills. The paper outlines and compares the main features and competences integrated into an ‘interculturally competent person’ compared to a ‘multicultural personality’ at both intrapersonal and interpersonal levels. The study of ways and processes of perception of a different culture at intra- and interpersonal levels enables to identify the stage of perception of intercultural differences that can be reached during cross-cultural training. The aim of such training is to achieve the stage of "conscious competence" that implies the possibility and willingness to adopt a different culture and ability to efficiently adapt to its peculiarities exposed in behavioural patterns of communicators. The authors, therefore, consider the process of developing intercultural competence in a combination of affective, cognitive, and behavioural clusters, which allows to avoid the schemata of teaching as a succession skills development process. The paper relates the structure of communication, interpersonal interaction, and model of intercultural communication, which enables to design cluster-modular-based approach to developing an interculturally competent multicultural personality. The suggested approach consisting of three clusters (affective, cognitive, and behavioural) and four modules (cultural awareness, perception, (re)consideration; cultural cognition and orienteering; cultural attribution and modeling; cultural simulation) was applied to a cross-cultural training course conducted at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics and appeared to have benefits over linear level-based approach. The paper outlines and analyses the results of the questionnaire conducted among 170 master level students before the start of the course and after its completion that revealed a shift in cross-cultural perceptions and attributions as well as attitudes to cultural diversity from defense and minimization to acceptance and willingness to adapt to cultural differences in a multicultural communication environment. The authors share the experience of the course implementation in terms of its content, division of modules, selection of methods and techniques, tasks and assignments that could best develop the required skills and qualities. The paper defines sets of skills that constitute intercultural competence as well as a range of qualities of a multicultural personality that need to be developed simultaneously at each cluster and module of the course. Special attention is paid to the outline of three-cluster-four-modules approach which, alongside with the relevant assessment materials and resources for self-study contribute to the development of an interculturally competent multicultural personality willing and competent to perceive, accept, interpret, manage, and adjust to various cultural contexts.

Keywords:

Intercultural competence, multicultural personality, intrapersonal level, cultural contexts, cross-cultural training, affective and cognitive levels.