The presence of and approach to culture: Intercultural competence and humour in SFL handbooks in Japan

Abstract

© 2018 Instituto Teologico de Caceres, Universidad de Extremadura. All rights reserved. This work analyses five SFL handbooks used in Japan in order to assess (a) how cultural contents are included in these handbooks, (b) the type of cultural content that receives more attention (following the classification of Miquel and Sans, 1992), (c) the development of intercultural competence, and, finally, (d) the presence of a sociocultural element that varies greatly across cultures: humour. The results will identify some common patterns as for the way these handbooks include cultural contents, but they will also reveal differences in the typology of the contents handled and the promotion of the critical spirit associated with intercultural competence. Finally, considering the extensive presence of humour in colloquial Spanish and its role as the cause of many misunderstandings in social interactions, it is noteworthy that no attention has been paid to this element so far.