Linguistic and Cognitive Analysis of Inter-Cultural Business Discourse from the Perspective of “Dialogue of Cultures” in the Formation of Inter-Cultural Communicative Competence

The article discusses the creation of a qualitatively new educational system in intercultural business communication, capable of providing real interaction between specialists in the global cultural space. Under the current conditions of expanding international cooperation, the humanities specialist must speak a foreign language at a fundamentally new level as an instrument of professional intercultural communicative competence. The aforesaid determines the existence of contradictions between the provisions developed in linguistics and linguistic didactics concerning the theory of intercultural communication and methods of teaching foreign students the Business Russian Language and the lack of their integration and extrapolation in the training of foreign students for interaction in the business sphere of communication. The question of interest is what happens to a linguistic personality when it enters a "foreign" environment undergoing the processes of cognitive consciousness transformation. Based on the studies of the cultural synergy model in the formation of intercultural communicative competence of foreign citizens in business communication, it is concluded that the possession of a foreign-language code that allows a successful intercultural professional interaction requires knowledge of a “foreign” culture and determines the specifics of the social and business behavior of the speakers of this culture. In the “native" culture, a linguistic personality assimilates language through reality, and in a "foreign” culture, the reality is assimilated through language. In this case, the interaction process of communication participants is considered as a complex synergetic system, in which the traditions accepted in the native culture are neutralized and the traditions accepted in the culture of business partners are updated. Keywords—Intercultural communication, intercultural business communication, discourse, mentality, dialogue of cultures, linguistic personality, model of cultural synergy, intercultural communicative competence iJET ‒ Vol. 15, No. 9, 2020 173 Paper—Linguistic and Cognitive Analysis of Inter-Cultural Business Discourse from the Perspective...


Introduction
The topicality of this work stems from the fact that in the subjects of intercultural business discourse, the terms "native" and "foreign" should be logically ordered. The process of regulating the "native" as an extra-systemic element and the "foreign" as an object of assimilation always takes place in a situation of business communication between representatives of different cultures. Entering into communication, native speakers of the Russian language are guided by the "foreign" system of national stereotypes that they have formed, which is native for their partners (Vezhbitskaya, 1996;De Vito, 1994).
The purpose of the work is to theoretically substantiate and develop a technology model of cultural synergy in the formation of intercultural communicative competence, or a synergetic model of business discourse for foreigners of level B1 (CEFR), who simultaneously master the Russian language and the specifics of business communication in intercultural communication; to describe this complex process, which is contingent upon synergetic system, neutralizes the "native," and actualizes from the perspective of the expediency of following the "foreign." In this situation, the "foreign" becomes an extra-systemic element that organizes all the steps of interaction between partners. Moreover, the meaning of intercultural dialogue depends on the concept that underlies the context of interaction between partners.
The role of language in the cognitive, intellectual activity of a person, the interaction and mutual influence of language and culture were described by Humboldt (1984), Jacobson (1985), Telia (1999), Hrolenko (2004). A huge contribution to the development of general theoretical and methodological aspects of the "language and culture" problem was made by research linguists Vereshchagin and Kostomarov (1983), Zinchenko, Zusman and Kirnose (2007). The specifics of intercultural communication, intercultural business communication, corporate culture and communicative behavior of representatives of different cultures in different years were studied by Russian and foreign researchers Jacobson (1985), Astafurova (1997), Larina (2009), Sternin (2007), Gudicunst (1992aGudicunst ( , 1992b, Leech (1989), Hall (1981), , Stewart (1978), Krasnykh, V.V. (2002). Arutyunova (2000), Karasik (2000), Makarov (2003) devoted their works to the study of discourse from the perspective of cognitive discourse and communicative discourse as well as from a sociolinguistic perspective.
In the context of globalization, cross-cultural competence plays a significant role in professional development. However, students are not always ready to develop crosscultural competence using formal solutions (Pudikova et al, 2019). Traditional teaching methods and means cannot satisfy the requirements of students for real language communication environment and language output (Bingzhuan, 2018;Wen and Wu, 2017).
At the same time, conversations with teachers specializing in Russian philology and observation of the pedagogical process of teaching Business Russian demonstrate a lack of willingness of foreign students to act as full-fledged participants in the process of intercultural business communication.
The research hypothesis is based on the assumption that the preparation of future B1 level linguistics (CEFR) for participation in intercultural business communication will be more effective if: 1. The specifics of business communication in the intercultural context of its implementation is disclosed; 2. The synergistic nature of intercultural business communication as a complex system of interaction between languages and cultures is revealed; 3. Substantive parameters of the methodological system of teaching foreign students to intercultural business communication is established; 4. In the course of experimental work, a methodology is developed and tested for teaching the Russian language as a means of intercultural business communication to foreign citizens of level B1 (CEFR), future Bachelors of linguistics.
Scientific novelty consists in clarifying the significance of the specific characteristics of intercultural business discourse as an important component of intercultural interaction.
In this work, the term "intercultural business discourse" is understood as direct or indirect communication between representatives of different cultures, as well as the ability of participants to understand each other's cultural differences within communication.
In intercultural communication, understanding is a complicated interpretation process that depends on a complex of verbal and non-verbal signs. K. Sitaram and R. Cogdell define non-verbal signs as "a system of symbols, signs and gestures that contain certain messages with a high degree of accuracy, which is used and developed for the purposes of communication by members of a given culture" (Sitaram and Cogdell, 1976). Speech without non-verbal components of communication does not represent full communication.
Non-verbal examples include such symbol artifacts as the single color used in the company logo, employee clothing and the interior of the office, a trademark or an abbreviationsomething easily recognizable and associated with this company. Each country can be described using four scales: individualismcollectivism; power distance; avoidance of uncertainty; femininitymuscularity Zaliznyak, Levontina and Shmelev, 2005). These scales determine the behavior typology of representatives of different cultures, which in turn determines the nonverbal components of communication.
Representatives of Southeast Asia are characterized by non-linear thinking, that is, the "circular path" of decision-making after careful weighing. An example of a nonlinear model of communication is the philosophy of dialogic work (Bakhtin, 1997). The dialogical approach to Bakhtin's speech had a huge impact on the study of speech interaction, at the center of which, there is a linguistic personality who evaluates its partner by the discourse taking place in a certain social space, taking into account intercultural differences.
The social problem of values over a wide range can be associated with nonlinearity. Corporate cultural values or social symbolism are manifested as "a reflection of the semiotic function in the minds of people, wherein the semiotic function is acquired by a certain action, fact, event, act, this or that element of the objective world in a particular culture" (Sternin, 2007).
Values are codes that we use to keep the system on some line of development that has been worked out by history.
The human mind is a product of an acquired culture (Hall, 1981). A set of systems, values, norms, knowledge and symbols govern the life of a certain social community, while the intercultural communication and business (organizational) culture consist of "traditional ways of people thinking, etiquette, economic activity, which are transmitted from generation to generation and reflected in the language as national realities" (Hatch, 1993).
The cultural model of synergy (Adler, 1980) (interactions) recognizes the similarities and differences between national cultures represented in an international organization, creating a new international organizational culture that bases on the national cultures of the organization's creators, its employees and clients, a combination of the best from different cultures to achieve the highest collaboration results.
The formation of a linguistic personality goes through the stages of connecting students "to the conceptual picture of the world, which is understood as the "mental level or mental (psychic) organization where the totality of all concepts given to the human mind, their ordered system, is concentrated. At the same time, a concept is a multilevel phenomenon, which at the same time belongs to the intuitive, conscious and unconscious spheres, therefore, a different amount of information can be involved in creating concepts. This term has a "diffuse, somewhat blurred content, and it can be attributed to the so-called dissipative The linguistic personality goes through the stages of "connecting students" to the conceptual picture of the world. The sphere of concepts defines the conceptual world, and the mentality explains and interprets this conceptual world view (Prokhorov and Sternin, 2007).
The sphere of concepts, which is formed in the cognitive activity of the nation, is carried out through communication, communicative activity ( Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Linguistic and cultural space of a linguistic personality
As a result of such interpretations, the elements of conceptual consciousness are transformed into language pressures that are formed into ideal artifacts specific for each national culture -"language images, symbols, signs that embody the results of the heuristic activity of the entire ethnocultural society" (Alefirenko, 2010). The figure shows that in conditions of intercultural interaction, its participants, using their linguistic and cultural experience and their national-cultural traditions and habits, at the same time, try to take into account a different language code, other customs and traditions, other forms of social behavior, while realizing the fact that the latter are foreign ones.
To study the theoretical and practical aspects of the intercultural communicative competence formation among students of a linguistic university, the following research methods were chosen: review and analysis of methodological, linguistic, psycholinguistic and psychological and pedagogical literature on the research issue; analysis of regulatory documents, monitoring the educational process regarding the Language of Business Communication subject; questioning and interviewing students studying in the second year of the Linguistics study program at the International Institute of Economics and Linguistics of Irkutsk State University.
The methodology of teaching Intercultural Business Communication in the Russian language to foreign students, future Bachelors of Linguistics, was tested during the experimental training, which was carried out during the 2018/2019 academic year in two groups of the second year of studies under the Linguistics Bachelor's degree study program at the International Institute of Economics and Linguistics of Irkutsk State University. The experiment involved 21 students.
The experimental work consisted of several stages (Table1). According to the data of Table 1, each of the pilot testing stages had its own organizational and substantive specifics.
The purpose of the pilot testing was to verify the effectiveness of the developed study guide on "Intercultural Business Communication in the Russian Language." The goal determined the formulation of the following tasks necessary to be solved during the pilot testing: 1. To check the effectiveness of the developed study guide on "Intercultural Business Communication in Russian Language" for foreign students to acquire knowledge about the specifics of business communication, taking into account the characteristics of two linguistic and cultural communities; 2. To establish the effectiveness of the developed study guide on "Intercultural Business Communication in Russian Language" for the formation in foreign students of the skills necessary for the implementation of high-quality intercultural communication.
As a hypothesis, it is suggested that the results of the pilot testing will be reliable under the following conditions: 1. If a sufficient number of respondents takes part in it 2. If the statistical indistinguishability of the control and experimental groups is reliably proven 3. If the results of the experiment stages are regularly recorded (monitoring is carried out) 4. If the correct statistical method for processing the received data is selected.
At the preparation stage, the composition of the control and experimental groups was determined. The experimental group included 13 students and the control group included 8 students in accordance with their membership in two academic groups.

Results
The diagnostic stage aimed at determining the initial state of foreign student readiness for intercultural business communication. This condition was diagnosed by the following parameters: 1. The presence/absence of business communication knowledge in foreign students in the context of two (native and foreign) linguistic cultures; 2. The presence/absence of business communication skills in the Russian language in foreign students; 3. The presence/absence of a positive attitude (stable motivation) in foreign students in the process of business interaction corresponding to the characteristics of intercultural communication.
The results of the stating assessment and intercultural training confirmed the hypothesis that, having speech skills in the Russian language, foreigners (native speakers of Chinese culture), who have not developed intercultural competence, do not fit into the framework of culturally appropriate behavior. They do not act as mediators of cultures capable of explaining the specifics of their own behavior to the speakers of Chinese culture and, on this basis, forming the common meaning of what is happening for all communication participants.
The aforesaid made it possible to conclude that it is urgent to introduce into the educational process the methods of teaching intercultural business communication in the Russian language presented in the study guide.
The results obtained at the diagnostic stage were processed by methods of mathematical statistics. For this purpose, a mathematical model was built in the MS Excel table processor. First, it was necessary to establish the probability distribution law for test scores. After calculating the numerical characteristics of the samples position, the values given in Table 2 were obtained. Since the values of the indicators Мx, Моx and Меx are close to each other, it can be assumed that the distribution is normal. To check this hypothesis, the agreement criterion χ2 is used, which is calculated by the following formula:

(
) . The average values of the test results in the control and experimental groups have discrepancies (see Table 2), which gives reason to doubt the statistical indistinguishability of students from the experimental and control groups. It should be checked whether the discrepancy can be considered random or significant. It is hypothesized that the discrepancy is random, i.e. the true averages coincide. To test this hypothesis, the z-test is used: ), which is 2.58, is determined from the tables. The calculated values for each type of control Z1 = 0.15, Z2 = 0.051, Z3 = 0.175, Z4 = 0.022 do not lie in the critical region, i.e. the inequality |Zn| < z holds for all Z. Based on this, it can be argued that the proposed hypothesis does not contradict the observational material with the probability of error  = 0.01.
Thus, it was found out that the initial values satisfy the normal distribution in both groups of students (the control and the experimental groups) and the samples belong to the same population (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Diagnostic stage results
The results of the diagnostic stage presented in Fig. 2 clearly show a small discernibility of the results obtained in the experimental and control groups. Having established the normal distribution of the initial values in two groups of students (the control and the experimental groups), the next stage of the pilot testing was initiated.
The purpose of the formative experiment was to test the original study guide on Intercultural Business Communication in the Russian Language created on the basis of an intercultural approach.
The experimental study was of mixed vertical-horizontal nature. The effectiveness of the developed methodology was determined on the basis of studying the dynamics of the studied processes within the experimental and control groups by comparing data from a series of control assessments. Then, the learning outcomes in the experimental group were compared to the data obtained in the control group.
According to the rules, it was necessary to formulate the invariable (mandatory for both groups) and the variable (manifesting themselves variously) conditions for conducting the formative stage of the experiment. The invariable conditions included a conversation aimed at motivating students to work on identifying the features of business communication in the context of two linguistic cultures, on their analysis and interpretation in an intercultural perspective.
The variable conditions provided for didactic impact on students foreigners of different groups, different in nature and content. In the control group, training was carried out according to the traditional methodology on the basis of the Russian Language for Business People textbook (Havronina, Mikhalkina and Klobukova, 1993), while the original study guide on Intercultural Business Communication in the Russian Language was used in the experimental group.
To track the dynamics of the phenomena under consideration, the knowledge, skills and competences necessary for intercultural business communication in Russian, in addition to a preliminary assessment, a final assessment was developed and conducted. The results of the (a) preliminary (see above) and the (b) final assessments were compared. These results testified to changes in the knowledge, skills and competences necessary for the implementation of intercultural business communication in Russian by foreign students.
The test did not provoke foreign students to a positive or negative characteristic of a particular fact of Russian culture. Students should know all the relevant data of this culture and reflect this knowledge in the test. If they know them, then, respectively, in a situation of intercultural communication within their native country (China) environment, they will behave appropriately, providing comfortable conditions for cooperation partners. The satisfactory performance of the test illustrates the orientation in the specifics of Russian people behavior. If the first and second blocks are not fulfilled in the test, then these graduates may not be appropriate in assessing the behavior of Russians. This is due to the fact that the first two blocks of the test control the knowledge of the Russian mentality and the sphere of concepts, which is important for the situation of intercultural communication and is evidence of the degree of the intercultural competence formation in a linguistic personality. In this regard, the initial testing of students should include a sufficient amount of information about the native Russian language speaker and culture bearer.
The data obtained were subjected to computer and mathematical processing and summarized in tables, charts and graphs. The most indicative of them with the proper textual explication are given below.
Thus, in the first block of the final assessment -National Cultural Spacethe knowledge of the phenomena of Russian culture, the specifics of cultural constants are tested, the content of cross-cultural baggage is checked. Students were asked to name the components of culture in their understanding and to divide them between obvious groups: food, clothing, architecture, behavior in transport, popular music, etc.
In the second block -Mentalitygeneral knowledge of the Russian sphere of concepts, which determines the behavior of Russians, is tested. Then it was supposed to arrange all the components listed by the participants in a certain sequence from completely obvious to less obvious and most fundamental. During the discussion, an agreement was reached on which components of culture can be represented in absolutely all culturesuniversal cultural values, and a list of them was compiled.
The third block of the test establishes the appropriateness of perception by a native bearer of Chinese culture the language of verbal/non-verbal behavior of Russians in negotiations during the presentation of the company.
In the fourth block, it is proposed to illustrate the knowledge of grocery priorities of Russians in the informal sphere.
The purpose of the next part of the final assessment was to study the development degree of directed observation, during which one of the group members leaves the audience. The rest of the players think of a person who is well known to all the members of the group. During the game, the group members name the details of the clothes, the appearance of the person they thought of, for example: he is tall, he is brunette, he has blue eyes, etc. During the experiment, it turned out that students paid attention to one details and neglected the other ones. They remembered the color of the eyes, but did not remember the characteristic non-verbal gestures of their comrade. Only after several repetitions of the course of actions by the leading and the supervisory students who joined it, the others managed to copy this order without missing the main point.
The next step was to discuss the orientation of the activity on the process or result. Students were divided into two groups. One group insisted on a Russian orientation on the process and cited university practice as evidence, during which teachers often evaluate not so much the product produced by a student (work, project, etc.) as his or her efforts to achieve the goal. A common evaluative mentioning was cited as a confirmation: "He tried very hard", "You have worked better this semester", etc. The second group objected and argued in favor of the product of any activity. As a result, more than 80% of students came to the conclusion that in the process of work, the praise of the teacher is very necessary.
During the next stage of the final assessment -Wrong Way to Start a Speechit was necessary to exclude phrases that should not be used to start a speech from the groups of phrases.
An analysis of the final assessment results showed that after using the original study guide on Intercultural Business Communication, more than 90% of foreign students completed the task, which indicates its effectiveness.
In the experimental group, as compared to the control group, an interactive working methodology was used, which was focused on the inclusion of the national component in the traditional lexical and grammatical material of the business Russian language. In total, 80% of students from the experimental group were able to fully illustrate the quality of their knowledge, skills and competences.
In the control group, the training of which was traditionally organized according to the Russian Language for Business People textbook, students could not perform the proposed tests. During the test, they focused on the knowledge randomly acquired beyond the educational process. The test result illustrates the non-systemic knowledge of the national specifics of the Russian partner.
20% -30% of knowledge in the control group and 80% of knowledge in the experimental group are an objective proof of the chosen methodological concept effectiveness aimed at teaching intercultural business communication in the Russian language.
According to the results of the control test, in the experimental group and the control group, the following results were obtained (Table3). Table 3. The increment of knowledge, skills and competences at the final stage in the control and experimental groups (in %) guage, Table 3 clearly demonstrates the significant differences that were observed among students of the experimental and control groups. As seen, in the control and experimental groups, there is a steady and statistically significant positive dynamics of the studied phenomena. Meanwhile, the growth of indicators is mostly demonstrated in the experimental group (values increased by 62.4%, while in the control grouponly by 17.9%), Fig. 3.

Fig. 3. Indicators of the formation of knowledge, skills, competences
The results of processing the experimental material by the methods of descriptive statistics required verification of the reliability of findings in order to avoid the likelihood of an erroneous conclusion. The reliability of the results was checked by inductive statistics methods. In relation to the premise of a normal distribution of samples, Student's t-test or t-criterion is most suitable.
The calculations were made according to the formula: In this case,  = 21. The values of the Student's criterion for each type of control, respectively: t1 = 4.63, t2 = 5.73, t3 = 6.71, t4 = 9.59. The table value for  = 0.01 and  = 21 turned out to be t = 2.74, all calculated |t| > t. Therefore, with a probability of error  = 0.01, it can be argued that the methodology developed contributes to the formation of knowledge, skills and competences necessary for the implementation of intercultural business communication in the Russian language.
The illustrated results make it possible to identify the following positive trends in relation to students from the experimental group. For all performance indicators, the significant statistically reliable changes were noted, which were significantly more indicative when compared to the data of the control group. Consequently, the productivity and effectiveness of the substantive and procedural components underlying the methodology, the correctness of the sequence of stages and the choice of methods and techniques for teaching intercultural business communication in the Russian language can be stated.
Thus, the conducted experiment made it possible to: 1. Prove the urgent need for targeted instruction of intercultural business communication in the Russian language to foreign students based on a dialogue of cultures from the standpoint of synergetic and cognitive approaches. 2. Establish and experimentally prove that the use of a specially created methodology for teaching intercultural business communication in the Russian language to foreign students determines the success and effectiveness of forming their knowledge, skills and competences.
Thus, the goal set during the formative experiment is achieved, the hypothesis is confirmed. Along with this, the consistency of the theoretical and technological provisions of the study is reliably and statistically substantiated.

Conclusion
The formation of intercultural communicative competence of a linguistic personality should be considered in connection with the development of the ability to participate in the dialogue of cultures on the basis of the principles of mutual respect, tolerance for cultural differences and overcoming of cultural barriers. Personal awareness in the context of another, "foreign" culture implies qualities such as willingness to engage in dialogue, openness, tolerance, empathy, freedom from prejudice and adaptability.

Fig. 4. System factors in the structure of intercultural business communication
An analysis of the final assessment results showed that after using the original study guide on Intercultural Business Communication in the Russian Language, more than 90% of foreign students completed the task, which indicates its effectiveness. The system-forming factors in the structure of intercultural business communication from the perspective of systems interaction are as follows (Fig. 4).
The model of cultural synergy that was examined in detail represents a new international organizational culture that draws on the national cultures of the organization founders, its employees and customers, combining the best of different cultures to achieve the highest results of cooperation. The combination of the facts of the native and foreign culture in the opposition "native" -"foreign" makes it possible to highlight the "significant" components in these cultures: the constants of cultures, stereotypes of behavior (official and unofficial) (Fig. 5).
In the intercultural business discourse, the ability of communication participants to understand each other's cultural differences is developing. This ability consists of mastering the verbal-semantic code of the studied language, i.e. the linguistic picture of the world, mentality, and dialogue of cultures. Each of the communicants is associated with an alignment, opposition of several semantic positions, which makes the intercultural business discourse the most personality-oriented form of communication.