VERBAL AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERCULTURAL CONTACT

Abstract

The article is dedicated to contemporary issues in intercultural communication within both domestic and global academic spheres. The author examines the role of verbal and non-verbal communication means in the process of intercultural interaction and addresses issues related to symbolism. The interdependence of verbal and non-verbal components in the communication process is substantiated. Examples of intercultural deviations in both verbal and non-verbal communication are provided. The author pays special attention to national peculiarities in the use of non-verbal means in intercultural communication. The article discusses specific non-verbal signs inherent to particular nations and ethnic groups. Additionally, it explores verbal and non-verbal communication means in the contemporary intercultural context. The relevant goals of intercultural communication are identified, and the characteristics of language as a multifunctional tool for intercultural interaction are elucidated. The author distinguishes between the concepts of “communication” and “interaction” and justifies their perspectives. The types and functions of non-verbal communication are analyzed in the article. Intercultural communication is viewed as a complex phenomenon studied by various branches of humanitarian knowledge. It is considered a necessary theoretical and applied scientific direction situated at the intersection of linguistics, cultural studies, communication studies, and language teaching. The essence of intercultural communication as a social phenomenon lies in the constructive or destructive interaction among representatives of different national and ethnic cultures or subcultures within a specific spatiotemporal continuum. The article provides an overview of different approaches to studying the peculiarities of intercultural communication to draw researchers’ attention once again to the necessity of using an interdisciplinary, synergistic approach to this field of humanitarian knowledge and teaching this discipline in higher education.