Cultural differences in the context of international business in a foreign language

Enfoque

This communication focuses on the importance of addressing cultural content with students who are learning a foreign language oriented toward business, in this case, Spanish, with the aim of enabling them to apply effective strategies when engaging in such commercial activities. In this way, they will develop not only linguistic competence in this specific-purpose language but also sociocultural and intercultural competence. When negotiating in a country that is not their own, these professionals come into contact with different beliefs and ways of acting that must be taught to avoid inconveniences throughout the process.

Doing business involves the exchange of information and commitments in which the parties, who have common and divergent interests, try to reach an agreement. This process takes place in environments or frameworks that condition and influence its success or failure, and a learner of this specialty language must be aware of these, as we know that sociocultural and intercultural competences are fundamental to achieving complete communicative competence.

The environments that need to be considered when conducting international business are addressed, as well as the cultural clashes and types of misunderstandings that may arise, and what aspects must be considered when implementing a negotiating strategy from an intercultural perspective. Models of negotiation that take cultural values into account are also presented, and suggestions are made on how to apply this content, which provides notions that learners can transfer outside the classroom, that is, to real interactions, making it clear that language and culture are inseparable.

On the other hand, ignorance of the cultural values of the society in which one wants to engage in international business can lead to certain inconveniences, such as misunderstandings or misinterpretations of certain responses, not due to a lack of competence in the foreign language, but because of the absence of sociocultural and intercultural competence. Thus, to avoid these errors and inconveniences, an appropriate strategy must be designed that takes cultural values into account; therefore, activities are suggested that demonstrate how these contents can be applied so that students achieve greater linguistic and sociocultural knowledge, appreciating the need for intercultural understanding and the relevance of culture in developing and implementing a successful business strategy.