When understanding does not equal acceptance : cross cultural communication as experienced by danish students of Arabic

Abstract EN

This piper is bated upt>n /ijftTrwns ?ivf//a group of Danish students of Arabic alvut their cross cultural experiences in an Arabic-sfvaking country.

The students' experiences were analyzed according to the context in which the students interacted, how this related to their own social background, the use of stereotypes, etc.

The ftaper argues that in the field of cross cultural communication, it is inifwrtant to distinguish betuven “understanding" and "acceptance." because the distinction has explanatory penver for the way that students react when they interact with people in a foreign culture.

The paper finds that most of the students dewloped an instrumental attitude touvird Arabs and Arab culture, and it is argued tlMt this can be explained within the context of the distinction between understanding and acceptance by the students.

The paper also discusses implications for the way that cross cultural communication should Iv taught in the foreign language classroom.