外語教育的前瞻：以跨文化溝通能力建構國際行動能力的外語教育

Abstract

本論文討論國際化時代裡外語教育的任務及實踐問題。論文先敘述時代對公民具備「國際行動能力」的要求及「國際行動能力」在情意、認知、技能各層面的具體內容。在此前導脈絡下，論文指出外語教育「不以語言形式學習而以人際間、組織間、國家間互動能力養成」為最上位目標，教學因此必須擴延到：1.「國際行動能力」、2.非語言語、3.言語行為模式、4.人際互動和組織互動模式、5.「文化後設」、6.學生接觸的各學科及政治、社會、工商時事中跨文化國際常識、7.跨文化互動的心態和實務技術等議題。外語教學還該：1.安排課堂內外的跨文化／跨國接觸情境、2.引導學生就跨國／跨文化經驗開發對跨國／跨文化議題的覺察能力、3.鍛鍊學生對自己的跨國經驗反思及實務轉化的能力。論文指出：作為今日lingua franca 的英語的教學必須以多元中心的英語教學內容取代一元或二元中心的英語觀的內容，還必須結合第二外語教學成「一個多變化的英語對應許多不同文化」的教學；而英語與第二外語相互支援的教學可把英語國家、第二外語國家、學生所屬國家三者間的言語和非語言行為、人際及組織互動模式、價值觀、歷史、生活情境、文化想像的比照和反思變成培養「國際行動能力」的各外語科的教育共用的教學資源。

The tasks and practices of foreign language education are discussed in this paper. This paper suggests that the ultimate goal of foreign language teaching should be extended to achieving successful interpersonal, inter-organizational and international interaction, in addition to the mastery of the target foreign language. Foreign language education should thus cover: 1) the concept of international competence, 2) non-verbal languages, 3) the patterns of language behavior, 4) the patterns of interpersonal and interorganizational interactions, 5) metaculture, 6) intercultural and international topics in other social sciences and news, 7) attitudes and techniques in cross-cultural communication. It should also 1) arrange cross-cultural/international connections, 2) develop students’ sensitivity towards cross-cultural and international topics, and 3) cultivate the students’ ability to employ their own international experiences to smooth future cross-cultural interactions. As proposed in this study, English teaching in the 21st century has become multi-dimentional and should comprehensively integrate other foreign language teaching so as to accommodate various cultures in language teaching. More specifically, our job as language teachers no longer focuses solely on the use of a language but also on the appropriate reaction to various cross-cultural situations. Knowledge about verbal and nonverbal languages, interpersonal and interorganizational interactions, values, history, and life situations taught in all foreign language courses should be shared in order to develop cross-cultural and international competence.