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We are hated for having different shades of skin colour, following different faiths, being of different ethnicities, or having different cultural backgrounds. Due to this, every single one of us is to deal with difficulties on a daily basis. Dignity for the inherent worth of every human being is indispensable. Concerns about the effects of cultural ignorance and intolerance have permeated contemporary socio-scientific discourse. It is essential to be cautious and conscious of our mindset and tendency to make mistakes in a world that is constantly advancing and becoming more integrated, interconnected, and interdependent than ever before owing to globalisation. This piece examines several persisting global challenges wherein common civilians are attacked, persecuted, and ostracised. The study is relevant since it examines, explores, and analyses the inappropriate socio-political, psychological, and cultural factors leading to almost complete misunderstanding and breakdown among people from different ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds. As such, the article's main argument is that every nation has the challenging and significant obligation to figure out how its citizens from diverse cultural backgrounds may live side by side peacefully without inciting large-scale violent conflict or causing the disintegration of the nation as a whole. In the interest of restoring humanity, peace, and serenity worldwide, the study also proposes some culturally appropriate alternatives and/or possibilities to those unjust global phenomena. Finally, the findings indicate that some sort of learning strategy, enculturation, and interethnic and intercultural interactions and rapport has the potential to eradicate or at least mitigate such concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that Hispanic voters tend to be more politically engaged when Hispanic candidates are on the ballot. This study contributes to intercultural and political communication scholarship by considering how perceived candidate ethnicity, beliefs about candidates' commitment to Hispanic voters, and communication shape political engagement. Survey data (N = 424) from the 2018 Texas Senate election featuring Democrat Beto O'Rourke and Republican Ted Cruz, indicates that voter perceptions of candidate ethnicity and commitment to the Hispanic community likely shape political engagement, although this varies across candidates. Political talk enhances engagement and moderates the relationship between perceived candidate identity and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that tahakkum [ التَّحَكُّمِ ], an indigenous intercultural communication concept, impedes the functioning of the public sphere and underlines the failure (or unwillingness) of the authoritarian state and political actors to set conditions for plural deliberation and good governance. Using the critical cases of the sliding back of Islamist influence and the hirak (movement) against water privatization in an oasis town in southeast Morocco, the article theorizes tahakkum and proposes "other-interculturality" as an-other epistemological and ethical framework to articulate an intercultural communication model that interrogates embedded layers of power and domination, champions collective solidarity, and celebrates diversity without occluding difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the relationship between philosophy, art, and culture, focusing on the development of animation thinking from a philosophical perspective. It explores Chinese philosophical concepts such as the unity of heaven and man, the rectification of names, and Xiang thinking, emphasizing the influence of traditional Chinese thought on modern animation creation. The text highlights the importance of expressing spirit through form in Chinese aesthetics and how this concept can be applied to animation to promote cross-cultural communication and innovation. [Extracted from the article]

The current research draws on the pragmatic approach to ELF initiated by Kecskes (2019), who proposes that temporary norms and routines are created during intercultural encounters and interactions. Based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of collocate tokens that are strongly associated with the verb phrases of see, look, hear, listen, watch, and feel, retrieved from Asian and European ELF corpora, this study demonstrates the tendency to use similar lexical associative patterns among ELF interlocutors despite their distinct linguacultural backgrounds. An analysis of the lexical associations of the verb phrases in ELF and English Native Language (ENL) corpora further confirms that ELF speakers do not conform to ENL conventions; instead, they start to develop their own norms that are characterized by specific lexical associations and formulaic expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every day, officers working at international airports investigate potential risks to state safety and security. But how do they decide who they can trust, and also ensure that the broader public trusts them to conduct this work? This article explores these questions through an examination of the reality television show Border Security: Australia's Front Line. Through critical discourse analysis of a collection of 108 televised airport encounters, we explore the aspects of communication, behaviour, and identity made salient in officers’ evaluations of passengers’ credibility and critically examine the assumptions underlying them. Further, we consider how power and role divisions are implicated in the construction of passenger and officer credibility, both within border encounters and in discourses about them. Our analysis makes a novel contribution to the literature on credibility assessments in intercultural communication, demonstrating how an institutional and social ‘culture of disbelief’ is constructed vis‐à‐vis certain groups through seemingly banal border work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalisation has increased cultural diversity in Chinese higher education, highlighting needs for intercultural competence development. However, suitable China-centric resources are lacking. This study evaluates intercultural learning materials developed by the RICH-Ed project, an intercultural communication textbook grounded in critical social constructionism and non-essentialist principles. The study employed a two-phase qualitative design, collecting data through questionnaires and interviews to understand students’ and instructors’ perceptions of the materials. The results indicate the RICH-Ed intercultural learning materials expanded students’ intercultural understanding. The interactive experiential learning activities enabled transformational self-reflection, challenging previous assumptions and developing appreciation for diverse perspectives. Similarly, the materials shaped instructors’ beliefs about intercultural communication. Instructors also experienced significant pedagogical shifts from essentialist to contemporary critical constructionist approaches. The collaborative lesson planning, observation, and reflection cycles built instructors’ confidence and competence in student-centred, dialogue-based methods aimed at intercultural learning goals. However, academic reading difficulties and the need for supplementary teacher training were issues identified. Recommendations include scaffolding comprehension through glossaries, discussions, and levelled reading; tailoring examples and roleplays for Chinese contexts; adding interactive multimedia; and expanding lesson studies. This utilisation-focused evaluation provides insights to strengthen emergent intercultural resources and training programmes in Chinese higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous knowledge is generally recognised as an inferior social experience in spaces of knowledge production. The educational issue that results from this process imposes barriers to the integration of these epistemologies in the school environment. This study presents a systematic review about the integration of indigenous knowledge in primary schools in developing and/or emerging countries and the results of these interventions. Through a search carried out in the electronic database b-on, from the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Porto in Portugal, 14 studies were selected. This review identified factors that influence the representation of the indigenous culture in the school environment, allowing the construction of a framework in which indigenous knowledge is often neglected in the formal education system with obstacles to its introduction into the school environment. It also revealed that the understanding of the local context is essential in proposing interventions to open a possible intercultural dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical discourses in intercultural communication (IC) scholarship continue to foreground the postcolonial malaise of Southern spaces. Intercultural communication education (ICE) may encounter some pedagogical challenges in its endeavour to reflect the complexity and depth of the discipline and its recent critical turn. This paper seeks to unravel the transformations and the emerging discourses accompanying the 'critical turn' in ICE. The rationale is (a) to engage more deeply with the realisations of this critical turn against a background of unequal power relations and its implications and contextualisations within the Global South and (b) to clarify the possibilities of ICE in disrupting ideological polarities and promoting social justice. The aims are, therefore, (a) to probe into the interrogating and resisting potentials of ICE in the periphery and (b) to discuss the complexities associated with teaching IC from a critical perspective in contexts situated within the lower spectrum of power asymmetries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the inherently meaningful nature of Chinese names, Chinese international students often adopt an English name, particularly when they pursue education in English-speaking countries. Most empirical research on name anglicisation has examined the psychological impact of name change among ethnolinguistic minorities, as well as their experiences with heritage name mispronunciations. Very few studies have looked into the reasons and purposes of adopting an English name. The present study utilises a mixed-methods survey to inquire into the functions and use of English names by Chinese international students in Canada (n = 180), with the goal of providing insight into their name choices, as well as the associated implications for their cross-cultural adaptation. The quantitative and qualitative results suggest that, aside from avoiding name-based discrimination, English names play several adaptive roles, such as facilitating the students' intercultural communication, host connectedness, and integration. Further, English names also provide a route for Chinese international students to stay connected with their heritage culture in a foreign language environment. The findings underscore the importance of respecting language minorities' name choices, whether in their native or the majority language, and call for societal efforts in building a welcoming environment that accepts diverse personal names originating from many different languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern Shaanxi folk songs are an integral part of China's folk-art heritage, renowned for their simplicity and the deep emotional expression they convey. As a vital component of traditional Chinese culture, the translation of these folk songs necessitates meticulous attention. However, in recent years, there has been a paucity of innovation in the study of northern Shaanxi folk songs, both in terms of research methods and study perspectives. This article aims to address this gap by applying Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to the translation practice of northern Shaanxi folk songs. This article first provides an overview of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), a linguistic framework developed by Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday (M.A.K. Halliday). It then utilizes SFL 'Context' theory to explore various translation techniques, drawing on appropriate examples from Wang Hongyin's Voices from China's Northwest. The objective of this research is to facilitate the external dissemination of northern Shaanxi folk songs by applying Systemic Functional Linguistics to their translation. This approach is intended to foster cross-cultural communication and understanding. In conclusion, the author's endeavours and research have yielded novel insights into the practice of translating northern Shaanxi folk songs and have advanced the English translation of folk songs to a modest extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of New Perspectives in Translation Studies is the property of New Perspectives in Translation Studies Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As American universities become increasingly diverse, students often encounter cross-cultural challenges. Chinese students represent a substantial international U.S. student community, with distinctive pragmatic norms and values. This study investigates Chinese international and American graduate students' intercultural pragmatic strategies towards a face-threatening critical incident: expressing disagreement to a professor. Our mixed-methods design revealed quantitative and qualitative differences in participants' strategies and judgments of alternatives, demonstrating distinctive underlying norms and values. Many American participants preferred to express different opinions in class, while Chinese students privileged more indirect options, though each group included participants with alternate preferences. Implications for cross-cultural communication and pedagogy are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study was undertaken in a London-based business school and explores the cross-cultural challenges faced by students who have relocated from India to the UK for one-year postgraduate (PG) business master's courses. Primary data were collected in two stages: semi-structured interviews, followed by a survey. The paper draws on the literature related to socio-cultural theory. It then reviews the findings of the research as to the cultural challenges the students have faced in the UK, whether in their studies, or their wider social lives. Finally, it integrates these findings into the extant literature and proposes a set of recommendations for consideration by the business school. Some of these may also have relevance for other Higher Education (HE) institutions working with Indian students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing global interconnectivity, effective cross-cultural interaction has become crucial for global citizens. However, learners in non-English speaking countries often lack practical English communicative skills and opportunities for authentic language practice. This study explores the effectiveness of a virtual exchange programme in enhancing English proficiency and intercultural communication among learners in non-English speaking countries. Through a mixed-methods approach, the research evaluated pre-and post-engagement competencies of participants over an eight-week period. Results indicated significant improvements in intercultural communication and English language skills, despite challenges such as technological limitations and time zone differences. In summary, the study highlights the potential of virtual exchange programmes for fostering cultural understanding and language development in tertiary education, advocating for further exploration in diverse intercultural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Courses: Introduction to Communication (within a unit on culture), Intercultural Communication, Race and Communication, Gender and Communication, Media and Diversity, Dance Appreciation, and Introduction to Dance Studies (within a unit on culture). Objectives: This activity merges dance and communication to invite intercultural learning. Through dance, students will unpack the history, beliefs, customs, and values of the cultural groups that make up our societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese as a Second Language Research is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Traditional sending countries of international students in East Asia have emerged as increasingly desirable higher education destinations. Yet little is known about the experiences of international students in East Asia as most research focuses on those in the Anglophone West. In this study, we explored the trajectory and interactions between intercultural communication, acculturation strategies, and adaptation outcomes of international students in Hong Kong. We conducted in-depth interviews with international students from other Asian countries (n = 14) and Western countries (n = 10). Our research reveals a paradox where international students’ eagerness to engage with diverse peers is overshadowed by limited interaction with local students. Cultural and language differences were perceived to create a wall separating them from the local students, inhibiting a cosmopolitan learning environment. Additionally, international students often gravitate towards familiar national or cultural groups, which can hinder broader integration. Sociocultural challenges and outsider feelings were also reported, potentially leading to psychological issues. We propose an interactive framework that connects intercultural communication, acculturation strategies, and adaptation outcomes. The paper offers theoretical and practical insights for policymakers, administrators, educators, and students, aiming to foster effective communication and successful acculturation in a multilingual and multicultural educational setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Australia hosts over 680,000 international students, contributing $47.8 billion to the Australian economy in 2023, and Chinese students rank first among all nationalities. However, despite their considerable numbers, research focusing on their access to healthcare services is scant. This study aimed to explore barriers and supports regarding the utilisation of healthcare services among Chinese international students studying in Australia. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Chinese between October and December 2023 with 25 Chinese international students (age range, 19–30; female/male, n = 18/7; undergraduate/postgraduate/doctoral, n = 1/18/6) enrolled in three Australian universities to understand the healthcare challenges they encountered and the coping strategies they recommended. These interviews were recorded, and thematic analysis was applied to the interview data. An adapted social-ecological model was used to identify barriers and pragmatic strategies to deal with the challenges at different levels. Results: Chinese international students in Australia faced healthcare barriers at different levels. Individual barriers included language and cultural disparities, lack of knowledge about the healthcare system, and reluctance to seek help. Institutional barriers involved high costs, difficulties regarding appointments, and procedures related to the referral system. Policy barriers included insurance coverage and reimbursement issues. The students interviewed for this study proposed individual-level strategies, such as trying various methods to reduce language barriers, seeking information online, and using online resources and consultations. A central appointment platform and multilingual medical service were recommended from students to medical institutions, while medical service guidance and psychological support were suggested to education institutions. Higher-level strategies were also reported, which were mainly pertaining to insurance terms and coverage for overseas students and improving the accessibility of medical information. Conclusions: Our study identifies barriers to healthcare access for Chinese international students in Australia, including culture-specific challenges. To mitigate these issues, we recommend self-directed health promotion, targeted support by education institutions, enhanced cross-cultural communication and expanded telemedicine by hospitals, and attention to insurance coverage. Future research should explore optimising these approaches to improve support systems and policy frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of accelerating globalization, intercultural communication competence has become a crucial element for the success of individuals and organizations. The frequent international interactions have underscored the importance of enhancing methods for improving intercultural communication skills within the educational sector. The rapid advancement of mobile technology offers unprecedented opportunities for educational innovation. Its convenience and widespread use have made mobile device-based learning models highly attractive. Particularly, advancements in real-time speech processing technologies have provided new tools and methods for intercultural communication education. By leveraging mobile real-time speech detection and synthesis technologies, a more interactive and personalized learning experience can be achieved, thereby enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of language learning. This study aims to explore a mobile technology-based model for intercultural communication education and is divided into three main parts: firstly, the investigation of mobile real-time speech detection technologies aimed at intercultural communication education to provide instant feedback and improvement suggestions; secondly, the exploration of mobile real-time speech synthesis technologies to generate high-quality speech samples for learners to practice against; and thirdly, the integration of the aforementioned technologies to develop a flexible, efficient, and highly interactive learning system based on mobile technology. This study is expected to not only improve the effectiveness of intercultural communication education but also provide significant references for the innovative application of educational technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether Albanian native thinking influences the work of Albanian interpreters in intercultural professional settings, particularly when interpreting in English. It explores how cultural awareness impacts the interpreting process and whether linguistic proficiency alone is sufficient for interpreters. The study specifically addresses the extent to which Albanian interpreters must be familiar with the cultural backgrounds and native thinking of the speakers they interpret for, in order to avoid cultural misunderstandings and clashes. This research employs an empirical approach using a case study method, conducted on a sample of approximately 40 Albanian interpreters working with various languages. Through interviews and real-life interpreting scenarios, the study gathered data on how native thinking and cultural attitudes affect the quality and accuracy of interpretation, particularly in simultaneous and consecutive interpreting contexts. The results reveal that Albanian native thinking significantly impacts the interpretation process. Interpreters who solely focus on linguistic proficiency, without considering cultural nuances, are more likely to encounter misunderstandings and cultural biases in their work. The findings emphasize the importance of minimizing native thinking and adopting a global mindset to achieve culturally sensitive interpretations. The conclusions drawn from the study suggest that successful interpretation requires interpreters to transcend their native linguistic and cultural frameworks. To deliver accurate and effective interpretations, especially in international settings, interpreters must be deeply aware of both the language and cultural contexts of the speakers they interpret for. Based on the results, the recommendations suggest that interpreter training programs should include a focus on cultural competence and global perspectives, beyond linguistic mastery, to prepare interpreters for the challenges of intercultural communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the narrative rationality and repeated expansion of the meta-narrative of the ‘Five Events of Da Yu’ resulted from the legend of ‘Da Yu Taming the Flood’. Guided by Fisher’s narrative paradigm, a hermeneutic analysis of the selected historical documents, archaeological discoveries, and commemorative items has found: on the one hand, coherence and fidelity have been observed abundantly with their respective criteria and standards materialized in the said meta-narrative. On the other hand, following a chronological expansion, the meta-narrative conveys the consistent themes of seeking concerted efforts in taming floods for the common good of all, while getting various tribes united and the first dynasty of China established. As a result, the analysis of the meta-narrative not only facilitates the development of an inner dialogue with ancient myths but also helps to bring together people across cultures in a universal world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercultural communication research has highlighted the significance of intercultural communication apprehension/anxiety measurement and instrument development in diverse sociocultural contexts. This study embarked on developing and validating a scale, the Perceived Intercultural Communication Anxiety/Apprehension Scale (PICAS) in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context. By drawing upon the review of the literature and expert judgment, a Likert scale with 52 items was developed for assessing the construct of intercultural communication anxiety/apprehension, which was subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 760 Iranian EFL learners. The ultimate results of exploratory factor analysis evidenced 17 items with a stable five‐factor solution, comprising L2 proficiency, prejudice and stereotypes, significant others' attitudes, status, and context familiarity factors. The subsequent CFA confirmed the five‐factor model. The five‐factor PICAS was found to be psychometrically reliable and valid. Potential applications, future directions, and limitations are finally addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attitude toward time is seen as a cultural norm that is essential for the harmonization of intercultural communications. A philosophical-anthropological study of the perception of time is provided here. Different types of time are considered. The constructs of time perspective and cultural intelligence are introduced. It is being discussed whether "slow" is a Bulgarian cultural norm, i.e., whether "Despacito" is the national anthem of Bulgaria, according to the Siri app - the errors propagated by the computer programs going around the world should be refuted. As a way to achieve this, in the article, a systematic philosophical and analytical review of the concepts of relation to time is presented. Specifics related to the concepts of mental models, cultural intelligence, and cultural clusters are proposed. They can be helpful in understanding cultural differences and communicating more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to seek an answer to the following question: Do religion teachers have the opportunity to learn and develop skills in the areas necessary to support refugees from Ukraine? If so, how should this be done? To address the issue, the problem of intercultural relations was first presented in a synthetic manner, based on the perspective of the socio-political conditions that underpinned educational initiatives for the development of intercultural competence by teachers of religion. An attempt was then made to define basic concepts such as multiculturalism, interculturalism, intercultural competence and intercultural competence, as directly related to teachers of religion. The next stage of the research directly referenced practice by defining the necessary forms and specific actions in developing the intercultural competence of teachers of religion. A descriptive method, one of the qualitative methods, was applied to answer the questions posed. This method was used to assess the state of intercultural competence of religion teachers in a Polish school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the representation and reception of Chinese opera, particularly in Western contexts, highlighting its unique performance modes and cultural significance. Topics discussed include the challenges of presenting Chinese opera to unfamiliar audiences, the impact of "tactical Orientalism" in its promotion, and the importance of international recognition for its cultural prestige.

This research is driven by the Sendai Framework, which serves as a guide for mitigating global disaster risk. Within the ASEAN context, this framework is encapsulated in the form of a collective agreement among ten countries. AADMER serves as the foundation for ASEAN member states to establish and enhance coordination and collaboration in the field of disaster management. This research examines how the AHA Centre effectively communicates and disseminates the regional disaster management mechanisms to National Disaster Management Organisations in the Philippines and Malaysia through the One ASEAN One Response Roadshow programme, and how one country's approaches are different from another by considering certain local contexts. This study explores the critical factors contributing to the success of these communication efforts and highlights the importance of intercultural communication in enhancing understanding and collaboration among stakeholders in each country. The findings reveal that effective communication strategies are vital for fostering mutual understanding and cooperation, thereby strengthening regional disaster management capacities. This research contributes to both academic and practical domains by offering insights into successful strategies for disseminating disaster management information in a multi-cultural and multi-sectoral regional context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines interpreters' dilemmas and choices in the case of home-based aged care assessments of elderly migrants in Australia. Based on one-on-one interviews with professional interpreters, it specifically explores tensions between power, norms and interpreters' own positionings on intercultural communication problems. Data analysis identifies two overarching themes. First, the institutional regulations on engaging in 'small chats' with clients are reported to upset many elderly migrants, who are socially isolated due to limited English proficiency and are keen to talk to interpreters in their mother tongue. Interpreters' professionalism tends to be seen as a form of rejection by lonely elderly migrants, which in turn affects mutual rapport-building and communication success. Second, the combined effects of vulnerability and culturally-embedded fears of nursing homes are found to impact the level of honesty among older people during assessments. The problem tends to be exacerbated by the reported monocultural milieu of aged care assessments, posing dilemmas for interpreters, who are expected to remain neutral. The article concludes by highlighting interpreter-mediated encounters as three-way exchanges, and calls for a rethinking of the boundaries of interpreting and interpreters with specific attention to power differentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How is cross-cultural communication around music in the British Asian diaspora shaped by the Partition of 1947? This article will discuss this question through a case study of the writings and relationships of four key South Asian music enthusiasts: one female patron of music, and three male scholar-researchers of music who befriended each other, and in the process redefined rāgadārī (classical) music publics in Britain, beginning in the 1970s and 80s. Through a discussion of their life-stories and narratives I reveal the importance of (i) storytelling and memory in the creation of diasporic homemaking, (ii) a gendered politics of musical commemoration, (iii) the anecdote as 'musical gift' (qua Sykes), and (iv) postcolonial cultural custodianship, in producing a unique rāgadārī musical public in London, across the Indo-Pak national border. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burgeoning internet celebrity industry in China has encouraged the emergence of foreign wanghong (洋网红) as active content producers on the Chinese internet. Achieving online fame and constructing a resonant personal brand while staying within Chinese state's permissible boundaries is a challenge for all internet influencers in China. Foreign wanghong, for their part, also have to deal with Chinese publics' ambivalence and fluctuating perspectives on engaging foreign culture, expectations around "being foreign" and cultural nationalism fed by the currents of geopolitics. This study focuses on the performance and personas of foreign wanghong and investigates how these creators navigate the complexities of the Chinese internet to achieve substantial followings. Going beyond treating foreign participants in Chinese digital media spaces as co-opted instruments of propaganda, we take seriously foreign creators' articulations, constructions and self-presentations of foreignness and acculturation in their efforts to earn social, cultural and economic capital in the competitive Chinese internet celebrity sphere. A mixed-method content analytical study of several hundred Douyin videos generated by 33 foreign wanghong reveals the adoption of calculated self-presentation and cross-cultural communication skills alongside a constant negotiation of an individual's own foreignness and local constructs of the "typical foreigner". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studii de Ştiintă şi Cultură is the property of Studii de Stiinta si Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The mainstream narrative of intercultural communication (IC) as a field remains Euro/U.S.-centric despite efforts to (re)imagine it from the margins. To shift this, in this exploratory essay we challenge the disciplinary contours of IC by using a pluriversal framework. We ask, how to pluriversalize Euro/U.S.-centric IC scholarship when it already penetrates non-European/U.S. spaces? And what lessons can this offer? To that end, we turn to a comparative review of the state of IC in the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Taiwan. We propose that to pluriversalize a focus on indigeneity and human-nature relationships is needed; and the concept of relational ontologies bind the two cases together and can be extended to other non-Euro/U.S. spaces so that pluriversal alternatives can appear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germany is one of the destination countries for prospective students as a destination to continue to the university level. The researcher conducted this study with the aim of finding out the adaptation of Cirebon students in lecture activities and obstacles in lecture activities in Germany. This study uses a qualitative research method using a descriptive approach. The data collection technique was carried out using in-depth interview techniques, observations, and studies of relevant previous research articles and research-related documents. This research uses the theory of cross-cultural communication which is explained in it about culture shock and the stages of adaptation to new cultures. The results of this study show how the stages of Cirebon students when adapting to a new culture through the honeymoon phase, which is the introduction and enthusiasm for the new culture, then the frustration phase because they experience culture shock facing the new culture. The next stage is to start the reading phase by understanding and starting to learn new cultures in the environment around the residence and campus environment. The last stage is the resolution phase where Cirebon students accept the new culture that exists in Germany. Before the adaptation process occurred, this study showed the obstacles faced during lecture activities in Germany caused by internal or internal factors such as religion, food and weather. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the contextual disparities in the meanings of the Korean Hanja word "행복 [hɛŋbok]" and the Chinese Hanzi word " 幸 福 [ɕiŋ51 fu35]," both conceptualized similarly to "happiness" in English. Utilizing computational linguistics methodologies, we analyzed 192,249 instances of "행복" from the Modu Corpus and 324,585 instances of " 幸 福 " from the CCL Corpus, employing collocation, bi-gram, and tri-gram techniques. Our analysis reveals that these words embody distinct cultural, social, and political dimensions in their respective contexts. Korean usage of "행복" shows a strong association with community well-being, social infrastructure, and educational development. Frequently co-occurring terms include "가족" (family), "교육" (education), and "사회" (society), reflecting deep-rooted Confucian values. Conversely, Chinese usage of " 幸 福 " emphasizes national prosperity, collective harmony, and individual life quality. Common collocates include " 国 家 " (country), " 人 民 " (people), and " 生 活 " (life), influenced by traditional philosophies and modern political ideologies. The research highlights significant differences in how happiness is conceptualized in relation to government policies. Korean contexts focus on specific quality-of-life improvements, evident in phrases like "행복 주택" (happiness housing) and "행복 도시" (happiness city). Chinese contexts stress the link between national development and individual well-being, as seen in expressions like " 人 民 幸 福 " (people's happiness) and " 幸 福 生 活 " (happy life). These findings underscore the complex interplay between personal fulfillment and social responsibility in East Asian cultures. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of computational linguistics in analyzing complex cultural concepts, while also revealing limitations in capturing individual subjective experiences. It contributes to contrastive lexicography between Korean and Chinese, offering insights for cross-cultural communication and policymaking in social well-being initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous improvement of China's participation in globalization, more and more international competitions and events are held in China, which calls for the involvement of Chinese student volunteers with higher intercultural competence. Meanwhile, enhancing Chinese college students' intercultural competence is both an important component and a main goal of foreign language teaching and reform in higher education. This paper aims to deeply explore the current situation of intercultural competence of student volunteers for international events at private colleges. The study reports a survey of the intercultural competence of 140 student volunteers for the sixth China International Import Expo from private colleges in Shanghai, employing the Intercultural Competence Evaluation Scale for Chinese College Students as an instrument. The study shows the current intercultural competence of Chinese students who volunteer for International Events at private colleges is at a satisfactory level, with an overall average score of 3.699. Among the six dimensions of intercultural competence, Attitude gets the highest score (M=4.167), and Knowledge of Foreign Culture gets the lowest (M=2.987). Meanwhile, it reveals some differences between the students volunteers with different backgrounds and the dimensions of intercultural competence. Students with contact with people from different cultures, with intercultural events and experiences, and with the intention of studying abroad scored significantly higher than those without. Therefore, this study provides an important theoretical basis for deepening the reform of international talent cultivation and for effectively improving the intercultural competence of Chinese students volunteers and provides practical suggestions for improving the intercultural competence of college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of uncertainty tolerance in enhancing intercultural communication competence among high school students in Morocco, drawing on W. Gudykunst's anxiety/uncertainty management theory. Although previous studies have confirmed the theory's core principles through correlational analysis, there remains a lack of empirical research on how uncertainty tolerance impacts the perceived effectiveness of intercultural communication, particularly within the context of Moroccan educational settings. The study employed a quantitative approach with a sample of 104 English as a foreign language (EFL) high school students learning. The sample included 60 female and 44 male students. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the overall level of uncertainty tolerance, while differences between these two categories of students were examined using an independent samples t-test. Additionally, to explore the relationship between uncertainty tolerance and intercultural communication competence, Pearson's correlation analysis was performed. The results indicate that the students exhibit a moderate level of uncertainty tolerance. This was reflected in the mean score of 48.2. Whereas, the t-test revealed no significant difference between male and female students in terms of uncertainty tolerance (p-value = 0.20). However, the study found a positive correlation between uncertainty tolerance and intercultural communication competence (r = 0.35), suggesting that students with higher uncertainty tolerance tend to have better intercultural communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bylye Gody is the property of Cherkas Global University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

According to Michel Foucault's power/knowledge theory, knowledge is not produced in a vacuum; the construction of any knowledge system implicitly contains power relations. The "knowledge strategies" for Indigenous studies on intercultural communication should evolve and improve in response to shifts in the global power structure. With the development of globalization and the evolution of communication technologies, this study interprets the current global power structure as a "dual structure" in which the international society and the world society coexist and develop together. This structure leads to a complex trend of simultaneous "centralization" and "decentralization", as well as "homogenization" and "hybridization" in the global cultural order. For scholars from non-Western countries, Indigenous studies on intercultural communication need to interpret the new global power structure, expanding their research perspectives and topics to a global dimension. This approach links Indigenous conceptual resources and methodologies with an open and diverse global cultural order. This study proposes "knowledge strategies" for Indigenous studies on intercultural communication in non-Western countries and introduces a third level of significance for intercultural communication beyond daily interaction and cultural interaction: community building. Regarding the research purpose, this study aims to provide a new perspective for the study of intercultural communication theory, promoting an equal dialogue between Western and non-Western knowledge systems of intercultural communication, and enhancing the inclusiveness and humanistic awareness of this discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Compilation & Translation Review is the property of National Academy for Educational Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although a large number of studies have focused on various aspects of politeness, very little is known about how politeness intention is activated cognitively during verbal communication. The present study aims to explore the cognitive mechanism of politeness intention processing, and how it is related to pragmatic failure during cross-cultural communication. Using 30 Chinese EFL university students who were instructed to finish a probe word judgment task with 96 virtual scenarios, the results indicate that within both mono- and cross-cultural contexts, the response time in the experimental scenarios was significantly slower than that of the filler scenarios. This suggests that politeness intention was activated while understanding the surface meaning of the conversation; however, the EFL learners could not completely avoid the negative transfer of their native politeness conventions when they were comprehending the conversational intention of the target language. Furthermore, no significant differences in response time were found between the groups with high and low English pragmatic competence, illustrating that transferring the pragmatic rules and principles into cross-cultural communication skills was more cognitively demanding. Overall, this study adds to the literature on politeness research and provides some implications for foreign language pragmatic instructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The growing popularity of ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) has led to many studies investigating their susceptibility to mistakes and biases. However, most studies have focused on models trained exclusively on English texts. This is one of the first studies that investigates cross-language political biases and inconsistencies in LLMs, specifically GPT models. Using two languages, English and simplified Chinese, we asked GPT the same questions about political issues in the United States (U.S.) and China. We found that the bilingual models’ political knowledge and attitude were significantly more inconsistent regarding political issues in China than those in the U.S. The Chinese model was the least negative toward China’s problems, whereas the English model was the most critical of China. This disparity cannot be explained by GPT model robustness. Instead, it suggests that political factors such as censorship and geopolitical tensions may have influenced LLM performance. Moreover, both the Chinese and English models tended to be less critical of the issues of their “own country,” represented by the language used, than of the issues of “the other country.” This suggests that multilingual GPT models could develop an “in-group bias” based on their training language. We discuss the implications of our findings for information transmission in an increasingly divided world.

Abstract Exploring the optimization of communication strategies for animation films in the context of cross-cultural communication, this research integrates the Internet of Things (IoT) and convolutional networks. The research constructs a collaborative filtering (CF) movie recommendation model based on a graph convolutional neural network (GCN) and investigates its application in cross-cultural communication. The fusion of IoT and convolutional networks in movie communication is also analyzed, and the effectiveness of the proposed GCN-CF model is validated through comparative experiments. The results indicate that, compared to other models, the GCN-CF model achieves the lowest Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) on the MovieLens 100 K and MovieLens 1 M datasets, with values of 0.8762 and 0.8275, respectively. Compared to traditional models, the GCN-CF model exhibits significantly superior performance in terms of RMSE, with reductions ranging from 0.6 to 5.2%, highlighting its heightened detection accuracy and overall performance. Moreover, the performance of the GCN-CF model is enhanced after introducing attention mechanisms and auxiliary information on both datasets, showing an improvement of 0.4% compared to the scenario without these additions. This data demonstrates the effectiveness of attention mechanisms and auxiliary information. Finally, the research presents an animation film communication strategy based on IoT and convolutional networks, offering novel insights for film production and communication, along with positive implications for cultural exchange and the advancement of the global media industry.

This paper presents a theory of audience-resistance and speaker-denial. The paper commences with the problem of definition, encompassing an analysis of the scope and nature of denial and resistance. The data for this study were primarily obtained from mainstream and social media postings in two languages: English and Arabic. The article primarily draws on discourse and socio-cognitive frameworks. The paper’s principal question is how and why Arab and English speakers may resist or deny a remark. Previous research on resistance to figurative language has focused predominantly on the rhetorical trope of metaphor and on what drives the English political and media elite to reject a metaphoric expression. However, this raises an important question that is rarely asked: how and why do members of the general public resist verbal metaphors, and what about other tropes such as hyperbole and metonymy, other languages such as Arabic, and other modalities such as images and art forms? The paper argues that the existing literature on meaning negotiation and/or human dialogic action and behavior is riddled with fundamental theoretical, methodological, and analytical flaws. The paper aims to fill in this gap and has significant implications both for conceptual metaphor theory and for (non-)deliberate language use.

Abstract Background Australia hosts over 680,000 international students, contributing $47.8 billion to the Australian economy in 2023, and Chinese students rank first among all nationalities. However, despite their considerable numbers, research focusing on their access to healthcare services is scant. This study aimed to explore barriers and supports regarding the utilisation of healthcare services among Chinese international students studying in Australia. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Chinese between October and December 2023 with 25 Chinese international students (age range, 19–30; female/male, n = 18/7; undergraduate/postgraduate/doctoral, n = 1/18/6) enrolled in three Australian universities to understand the healthcare challenges they encountered and the coping strategies they recommended. These interviews were recorded, and thematic analysis was applied to the interview data. An adapted social-ecological model was used to identify barriers and pragmatic strategies to deal with the challenges at different levels. Results Chinese international students in Australia faced healthcare barriers at different levels. Individual barriers included language and cultural disparities, lack of knowledge about the healthcare system, and reluctance to seek help. Institutional barriers involved high costs, difficulties regarding appointments, and procedures related to the referral system. Policy barriers included insurance coverage and reimbursement issues. The students interviewed for this study proposed individual-level strategies, such as trying various methods to reduce language barriers, seeking information online, and using online resources and consultations. A central appointment platform and multilingual medical service were recommended from students to medical institutions, while medical service guidance and psychological support were suggested to education institutions. Higher-level strategies were also reported, which were mainly pertaining to insurance terms and coverage for overseas students and improving the accessibility of medical information. Conclusions Our study identifies barriers to healthcare access for Chinese international students in Australia, including culture-specific challenges. To mitigate these issues, we recommend self-directed health promotion, targeted support by education institutions, enhanced cross-cultural communication and expanded telemedicine by hospitals, and attention to insurance coverage. Future research should explore optimising these approaches to improve support systems and policy frameworks.

This study combined the use of a simulated group project, self-assessments, and reflective essays and investigated their effectiveness in improving the intercultural communicative competence of Master of Business Administration students. The self-assessment data reveal that the knowledge dimension of cultural intelligence, which serves as an indirect measurement of intercultural communicative competence, exhibited greater improvement compared to the skill and metacognitive dimensions. The interviews and reflective essays not only corroborate with the quantitative findings in terms of the improvement in the knowledge dimension, but also suggest students' perceived value of this course in arousing the awareness and interests and strengthening the motivation for intercultural communication. It also reveals that the lack of work experience causes students' difficulty in relating what they learn in class to business practice. Based on these results, we argue that our approach can be effective in arousing students' awareness of intercultural communication and imparting necessary knowledge, and it can be more effective if teachers can guide students to transfer their learning to the real-world business scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the context of globalization, the integration of cultural elements into scientific research, particularly through the incorporation of traditional Chinese cultural motifs in scientific illustrations, represents a novel frontier in enhancing the universality and appeal of scientific discoveries. This paper explores the innovative practice of embedding traditional Chinese cultural elements into scientific paper illustrations, highlighting its significant role in augmenting the global appeal of research findings, promoting diversity and innovation in scientific inquiry, and facilitating cross-cultural understanding. Through a series of case studies, including symbolic representations of ancient myths and the use of traditional themes to elucidate complex scientific phenomena, we demonstrate how this cultural integration not only makes scientific content more accessible and engaging but also fosters a deeper appreciation of Chinese heritage among international audiences. This approach not only bridges the gap between science and culture but also contributes to a more inclusive and interconnected global scientific community, underscoring the importance of cultural diversity in enriching scientific exploration and communication.

This article analyses the state-sponsored efforts of cross-cultural communication between Poland and China in the early 1950s. These exchanges took the form of lavishly sponsored tours of each country’s best folkloristic song-and-dance troupes. These tours were based on a shared vision of a global socialist unity that could overcome the ‘imperialistic’ divisions of race, nation and class. This article demonstrates how in both countries intellectuals and activists engaged in a parallel development of folklore for their political ends, and how the experiences of past suffering and struggle in both countries were used to maximize the emotional and political impact of these contacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]