Individuals enter the culture through the process of enculturation in which they adopt the rules of the specific culture. Culture influences the behavior and communication of an individual, therefore has a crucial impact on the individual's behavior and his communication. In communication we exchange symbols through symbolic systems, such as verbal and nonverbal languages, while symbols can be recognized only by the members of a particular culture. Intercultural communication is important and appreciated in the modern world. We can meet people from different cultures everywhere, consequently intercultural communication competences are becoming necessity. The program Erasmus + offers opportunities for young Europeans to learn intercultural communication through intercultural contacts and recognize cultural differences as an opportunity to exchange ideas and different cultural perspectives. Through our research in which we did semi-structed interviews with nine young participants in Erasmus + mobility, we found out that they through this kind of international experience became more tolerant to different cultures. They perceive intercultural differences positively and see them as a learning opportunity. They recognize cultural differences as a benefit for their personal development and for the development of intercultural competencies. The European Commission on the other hand could get more out of the Program Erasmus + in the context of integration. With more intercultural activities within the program, cultural differences could be transformed into intercultural learning, in that way cultural differences would be easier to overcome.
|
