War and Peace of Languages and Cultures?
Intercultural Communication Studies XVII: 2 2008
War and Peace of Languages and Cultures?
Svetlana Ter-Minasova, Moscow State University
Ter-Minasova
The future of mankind depends largely on its ability to communicate. Technical progress provides mankind with an ever-increasing variety of more and more powerful devices and forms of communication: tele-conferences, multi-media bridges, His or Her Majesty – the Internet! However, “the human factor” presents a number of problems hampering the idea of international communication. Generally speaking it is a basic inherent contradiction of equality versus diversity
(individuality). People are created equal, they want to enjoy equal rights but they also want to keep their individuality.
The most formidable obstacles on the way to intercultural communication are: language and culture closely intertwined in constant interaction. The paradox is that language as well as culture, stored in it, reflected and formed by it, are at the same time a barrier, a fence, separating peoples, and a shield protecting their national identity. Consequently, every language and every culture guard their subjects against all the “aliens” trying to intrude their domains. The paper deals with linguacultural issues hampering intercultural communication viewed as forms of “weapons” used in these wars.
The fantastic achievements of science and technology have got fantastic results in making people’s communication quick and easy. Technical progress has provided us with an ever-increasing variety of devices and forms of communication.
The better, quicker and easier international communication is becoming technically, the more irritating are the obstacles, namely, linguistic and cultural barriers, undermining the possibilities of communication among nations.
The language barrier has been known since the time of the Tower of Babel when people were punished by the loss of possibility to communicate. It
War and Peace of Languages and Cultures?
Svetlana Ter-Minasova, Moscow State University
Ter-Minasova
The future of mankind depends largely on its ability to communicate. Technical progress provides mankind with an ever-increasing variety of more and more powerful devices and forms of communication: tele-conferences, multi-media bridges, His or Her Majesty – the Internet! However, “the human factor” presents a number of problems hampering the idea of international communication. Generally speaking it is a basic inherent contradiction of equality versus diversity
(individuality). People are created equal, they want to enjoy equal rights but they also want to keep their individuality.
The most formidable obstacles on the way to intercultural communication are: language and culture closely intertwined in constant interaction. The paradox is that language as well as culture, stored in it, reflected and formed by it, are at the same time a barrier, a fence, separating peoples, and a shield protecting their national identity. Consequently, every language and every culture guard their subjects against all the “aliens” trying to intrude their domains. The paper deals with linguacultural issues hampering intercultural communication viewed as forms of “weapons” used in these wars.
The fantastic achievements of science and technology have got fantastic results in making people’s communication quick and easy. Technical progress has provided us with an ever-increasing variety of devices and forms of communication.
The better, quicker and easier international communication is becoming technically, the more irritating are the obstacles, namely, linguistic and cultural barriers, undermining the possibilities of communication among nations.
The language barrier has been known since the time of the Tower of Babel when people were punished by the loss of possibility to communicate. It
References: Benson, E., Benson, M., & Ilson, R. (1986). The BBI combinatory dictionary. Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamin’s Publishing Company. Daglish, R. S., & Taube, A. M. (2001). Russian-English contemporary dictionary. Moskva: Drofa. 60