Practice and theory in the acquisition of intercultural competence in a french for specific purposes course

Abstract

Learning, according to psychologist Marie-Luce Gibello-Verdier, is an intimate adventure which is lived through the dynamics of a triple interaction: in the middle of the act of learning there is the idea that we create about ourselves, then the relationship which, on the one hand, we build with the new objects of knowledge and, on the other hand, the one that we experience with those who are giving us the information. This article is mainly focused on the third component, which is closely linked to the intercultural competence. This refers to the ability of individuals to observe and analyze all aspects of their foreign interlocutors, thus developing an awareness of all the aspects in order to adjust their own behavior. French with specific objectives (FOS) cannot be learned strictly limited to the linguistic aspects without taking into consideration the cultural dimension of that field. These cultural information indispensable to the effectiveness of the professional exchanges are less accessible than the discursive aspects: the teacher may select written and oral text to analyze and interpret the communicative competencies, but approaching information solely of cultural character represents a true challenge. The language aspects are explicit, while cultural data are implicit. This article suggests a few reference points in approaching this subject, which are to promote the development of some collaborative and sociocultural strategies.