DEVELOPING ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS' SKILLS IN OVERCOMING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE MISUNDERSTANDINGS: EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SITUATIONAL EXERCISES

Abstract

In contemporary English language education, communicative competence cannot be limited to grammatical accuracy and lexical knowledge. Students majoring in English are increasingly expected to communicate effectively with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, where misunderstandings may arise from differences in communicative norms, pragmatic conventions, non-verbal behavior, values, and interpretations of culturally specific expressions. This article examines the methodological potential of situational exercises for developing English major students' skills in identifying, managing, and overcoming intercultural communicative misunderstandings. The study employs a qualitative and pedagogical approach based on the analysis of theoretical literature on intercultural communicative competence, communication strategies, pragmatic competence, and experiential language teaching. Particular attention is given to role-plays, problem-solving scenarios, information-gap activities, critical incidents, and intercultural simulations. The proposed framework consists of five stages: awareness-raising, guided analysis, controlled situational practice, communicative simulation, and reflection.