Fostering Intercultural Competence in Teacher Education: A Tri-National Co construction Dialogue Experience

Sooner or later, countries like Poland will have to welcome immigrants from the Middle East and successfully communicate with the immigrants from different cultural backgrounds. I would like to argue that critical cultural awareness proves to be a cornerstone of the model of Intercultural Communicative Competence (Byram, 1997) and should be considered a prerequisite for developing the rest of the components comprising the model. The main aim of the present research paper is to investigate, analyse and discuss Polish EFL teachers' beliefs on the idea of including critical cultural awareness, a crucial component of intercultural competence, in the EFL lessons, teachers' teaching practices with reference to developing particular elements of intercultural competence in the EFL lessons and the possible discrepancies between their beliefs and practices. A questionnaire administered to 125 Polish EFL teachers and a case study of three practitioners, who were observed, interviewed and confronted in a focus-group discussion, were used to collect the relevant data. The results of my research study suggest that a lot of Polish EFL teachers declare that they consider Byram's intercultural communicative competence model (Byram 1997) relevant to foreign language teaching and learning in the present-day and seem to be willing to implement it in their lessons, yet many of those teachers appear not to prioritize intercultural competence in their teaching practice. This apparent discrepancy between language teachers' beliefs and their practices may stem from teachers' lack of sufficient intercultural training during their professional education. A need for implementing critical cultural awareness into the pre-service teacher trainings was identified. Keywords: intercultural competence, critical cultural awareness, EFL teaching and learning

The study adopts Byram’s Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) model as the theoretical framework, and structured interviews were conducted to explore the impact of street interviews on the participants’ ICC. Analysis results revealed street interviews help students acquire knowledge in intercultural attitudes, intercultural knowledge, skills of discovery and interaction, and critical cultural awareness, aligning with the four components of Byram’s ICC model. Meanwhile, they have positive perceptions of street interviews. Therefore, street interviews have a positive effect on the development of participants’ ICC.

With the rapid changes of world population, people are likely to come into contact with others with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Accordingly, Thai graduates are often required to have intercultural communication skills. The skills are parts of professional communication skills that the students should be acquired so as to respond to employers’ demand. As such, institutions are placing more consideration on intercultural communication competence (ICC). This study, therefore, aims to: 1) investigate teachers’ perceptions of ICC; and 2) investigate how teachers integrated ICC into their classes/lessons. Six novice EFL teachers from Thai universities were interviewed. Then, the interview data was transcribed and grouped into themes. According to the findings, overall, the participants have various understanding of ICC. For the ICC’s integration, participants’ answers can be categorized into five main groups, which are: 1) intercultural attitudes, 2) knowledge, 3) skills of interpreting and relating, 4) skills of discovery and interaction, and 5) critical cultural awareness. This study shows the teachers’ perceptions of ICC and how they could integrate ICC in classes. The results also reveal that the teachers are willing to intercorporate activities regarding ICC into their teaching contexts. Pedagogical implications of this study are proposed. On the basis of these findings, the pedagogical implications and suggestions are included in this paper.

It seems that the current English textbook developers are not only interested in developing their audience's communicative competence but also willing to improve the learners' intercultural competence. This shift in instructional goals is in line with the emerging shift in the learners' need to use English as an international language rather than a second or a foreign language. It is noteworthy that there has been considerable research on the cultural content of high school textbooks in Iran; however, little attempt was done to adopt a comparative intercultural perspective to them. Having noticed the weighty contributions of the locally developed textbooks in Iran and India with regard to their expansive distribution and use among English learners, the researcher investigated Iranian high school textbooks (Prospect and Vision) and the official high school textbooks in India (Standard English) from a comparative perspective based on intercultural communicative competence emphasizing critical awareness, and discovery and interaction skills as its defining criteria. Through content analysis, the whole contents of the Iranian and Indian high school English textbooks, 12 volumes in all, were analyzed and the instances the intercultural communicative competence were quantatively recorded, classified and discussed. The results revealed that, Standard English, the textbook developed in outer circle in India, to little extent, included intercultural communicative competence, especially, critical cultural awareness. By contrast, the Iranian high school English textbooks totally were deprived of intercultural communicative competence components since there was not a plausible example of interculturally communicative tasks in Prospect and Vision.

Culture shock has gained attention and been observed from multi-disciplinary perspectives in international education, such as from anthropology, psychology, cultural psychology, intercultural communication studies, linguistics, and many others. By synthesising the ABC’s theory and intercultural communicative competence with their savoirs, the present study offers a perspective to analyse three international students’ culture shock experiences. As an explorative case study, the data were collected through in-depth interviews to extract the sojourners’ narratives, which were then transcribed in the form of text or quotations. It was found that the affective, behavioural, and cognitive dimensions were identified and emerged in each respondent. In the affective, overwhelming emotions, language limitation, and feelings of isolation were felt in various intensities. From the data, the respondents claimed to have lacked intrapersonal skills to prepare themselves for the culture of the host country along with the socio-cultural aspects. In addition, they found social support by individuals or officials essential for reducing negative feelings. In the behavioural dimension, these respondents started to adapt to the situation though they still found it challenging to confirm and clarify any unfamiliar encounters. Finally, in the cognitive dimension, the respondents mingled and integrated into the locals, both in their academic and social lives. It is suggested that elements of intercultural communicative competence, namely intercultural attitude, knowledge of the host culture, skills of relating and discovery, and critical cultural awareness may have the potential to manage culture shock effectively. It should be incorporated into international higher education and EFL pedagogy.

This study aims to investigate English teachers’ levels of ICC within five components, which are knowledge, attitude, skills of interpretation and relating, skills of discovery and interaction, and critical cultural awareness, and to compare the differences between levels of ICC and its components between Thai and international teachers of English. This study also seeks to understand the influences of aspects of intercultural background, consisting of international travel experiences, international seminars/training experiences, and intercultural contact. The participants were 113 Thai and 36 international teachers of English who were chosen using a multi-stage sampling methodology. The research instruments consisted of ICC scales adapted from the Byram ICC model (2020) and an intercultural background survey. Descriptive statistics, a t-test, and a two-way ANOVA analysis were used to analyze the dataset. The results showed that international teachers had greater levels of ICC. Of the five components, the attitude component was found to be at the highest level in both groups. Critical cultural awareness was at the lowest level among Thai teachers, while international teachers’ skills of interpretation and relating were at the lowest level. Regarding international travel experiences, contact with international friends, social media contact, and frequency of co-worker contact were found to affect the ICC score of two groups; however, no effect on ICC score was found in regard to international seminars/training experiences. This study suggests that ICC components could be integrated into vocational education. Moreover, travel experiences and intercultural contact could contribute as extra activities for developing ICC in ELT.

Background and aims: This research aims to investigate the intercultural communicative competence (ICC) of English major undergraduate students at Heilongjiang International University. It delves into students' attitudes, knowledge, skills of interpreting and relating, skills of discovery and interaction, and critical cultural awareness to improve the students’ ICC. The research reveals that while students possess some level of ICC, there are areas where they lack confidence and knowledge. Materials and methods: The study draws on questionnaires to gather data from 181 participants and utilizes a five-point scale for interpretation. Results: Results indicate that students are unsure about their knowledge of cultural aspects, specifically the history, etiquette, and lifestyle of English-speaking countries. Similarly, they exhibit uncertainty in their skills of interpretation and relating, especially regarding sensitivity to intercultural differences and their language capabilities. However, they show confidence in their skills of discovery, interaction, and critical cultural awareness. For attitude, students display a willingness to engage in intercultural experiences, although they lack confidence in suspending their perspectives in conversations. Cultural awareness is apparent, but some students recognize the influence of their cultural identity on communication. The study also explores students' experiences and difficulties in learning English, such as language barriers, cultural gaps, and limited exposure to foreign cultures. Conclusions: The study concludes that while students have ICC potential, targeted interventions are necessary to improve their overall competence. Recommendations include enhancing language proficiency, cultural knowledge, and exposure to authentic language use and cultural references. Finally, students express their desire to improve listening skills, vocabulary, oral communication, grammar understanding, and intercultural competence, which should guide curriculum design and educational strategies.

This study aimed to explore critical cultural awareness improvement of prospective teachers with a transnational virtual exchange project. Within the scope of this study, prospective teachers of English studying at English Language Teaching (ELT) department in Turkey attended a virtual exchange project that was organized with other prospective teachers of English from Germany and Israel. The prospective teachers weekly interacted with each other via online meetings, and they collaborated on assigned tasks to come up with a final product, which is an English teaching lesson plan. The research was designed as a qualitative study and the data were analyzed according to the the principles of directed qualitative content analysis. Directed qualitative content analysis is used when researchers start with a theory to code the qualitative data. In this study, Byram’s (1997) framework was used as a theory to direct analysis of the data. The participants’ weekly interactions were transcribed verbatim and were analyzed according to the principles of qualitative content analysis and Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) framework’s critical cultural awareness dimension. The analysis of the data revealed that the prospective teachers’ critical cultural awareness was significantly improved.

Delving into English language education in Vietnam, this theory-oriented article aims to generate a new debate on critical cultural awareness (CCA) in light of increasing literature on intercultural communication competence (ICC), thus offering practical implementations to academic agents. Once ICC is strongly considered indispensable within communication, CCA can strengthen the power of sociocultural and psychological relationships. This study specifies the role of intercultural communication, aiming to develop Vietnamese learners to reach beyond abstract linguistic features towards language awareness by engaging in cultural and societal plurality. Seemingly, they need use language that advocate the enactment of change, fostering their abilities in their civic life. Coupled with that, they are obliged for learning the power of positive attitudes in terms of intercultural engagement, such as sympathy towards and acceptance of differences. Critical cultural awareness as a contribution to intercultural communication drives two primary aspects, namely social and psychological dimensions. In addition to dragging learners out of traditionally perceived skills related to native-like competences, the framework application expands potential goals and instructional steps that cover learning based on learner voice reflected upon privilege and power. Apparently, it is relevant in response to learning environment driven by social mechanisms which focus on citizenship, expecting that they learn and possess knowledge for certain purposes relating to career goals and social needs. Comprehensively, this study will outline the short examination of language education in Vietnam as a way to understand existing hindrances to be resolved. It anchored this analysis in a theoretical paradigm: critical cultural awareness, which is then critically embedded to involve social and psychological pedagogies. This enables to shift learners’ desire and willingness that hone their learning skills which influences academic success and communicative adaptability. Pedagogical implications are also suggested.

This case study investigated the effectiveness of the United Beyond Our Diversity (UBOD) project for the development of language skills and intercultural communicative competence (including attitudes, knowledge, skills, and critical intercultural awareness) in Taiwanese seventh grade learners. The learners’ attitudes and evaluations of UBOD were also examined. The research-based intercultural exchange project of UBOD 12-15 was designed to develop learners’ critical cultural awareness and to facilitate authentic interactions by engaging students in making deep cross-cultural inquiries. The UBOD 12-15 project, created by the Global Teenager Project, connected participants from five different countries with the help of a Wiki platform and a Moodle, which was used as an intra-class interaction tool. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect and analyze the data. The findings suggested that the research-based UBOD had a significant impact on the development of the learners’ critical cultural awareness and foreign language use; in particular, this project encouraged intrinsically motivated cross-cultural learning and, further, led the learners to discard their cultural stereotypes and view others from a different perspective.

The ultimate goal of language learning is to communicate effectively and sensibly in that language, yet during the history of language teaching and learning, a focus on linguistic competence has remained dominant, which has undoubtedly resulted in language learners’ lack of sociolinguistic competence or ―intercultural competence allowing them to be a successful speaker of the language. This study aims to increase students' intercultural awareness and strengthen their understanding of their home culture by integrating local culture contents into English lessons for 9th graders. The intervention lasted 10 weeks in the second semester of the academic year 2021-2022, and 40 students in 9th grade at a junior high school in Thai Nguyen city, Vietnam, were engaged in the study as participants. The study utilized tests and questionnaires as the fundamental research instruments to gather data on augmenting local culture contents into English teaching in order to increase students' intercultural awareness of their surroundings. SPSS version 26.0 was used to process and analyze the results of the pre and post-tests as well as the pre and post-questionnaires. The results showed that the supplementation of local culture contents into English lessons has a positive effect on the participants’ intercultural communication competence. It is therefore proposed that local culture contents should be more regularly integrated into English lessons to develop students’ knowledge of local culture.

In response to the growing need for English proficiency for international communication, Vietnam has implemented English-as-medium-of-instruction (EMI) education. This educational strategy aims to enhance students’ English and disciplinary knowledge that meets the high-demanding work readiness and assists their professional endeavors. However, there is limited research on how Vietnamese students perceive intercultural communicative competence (ICC) through EMI, which typically involves acquiring cultural attitudes, knowledge, and skills relevant to their future personal willingness, educational qualifications, and professional requirements. This study investigates how Vietnamese higher education students in EMI programs perceive acquiring ICC, including intercultural attitudes, knowledge, discovery, and interaction skills, interpreting and relating skills, and critical cultural awareness. Informed by Byram’s (1997) ICC framework, a questionnaire was developed, validated, and administered to a sample of 315 students. The questionnaire revealed varied perceptions of ICC outcomes after completing EMI programs, influenced by their cultural backgrounds, educational experiences, and social interactions. Our quantitative findings suggest implications for improving educational policies for EMI in Vietnam while foregrounding future survey-based research that attends to ICC as part of the EMI education implementation. Furthermore, the study proposes practical and research-oriented directions to better understand how Vietnamese learners perceive ICC as they participate in EMI programs, both domestically and internationally.

This study probed the intercultural communicative competence (ICC) aspects introduced in English for Palestine 12th grade textbooks. Byram’s ICC model (1997) was employed as a theoretical framework to analyze content of the textbooks. The main findings, among others, revealed that ICC aspects were not distributed evenly throughout the curriculum. The textbooks lacked numerous basic aspects required for developing students’ ICC. Little attention was devoted to raise students’ critical cultural awareness and understanding about other cultures. In light of these findings, the study recommended placing due emphasis on more ICC aspects in the curriculum and maintaining proper balance among them.

Demographic change is transforming the way we communicate. In many parts of the world, the society has become increasingly multicultural and multi-ethnic. In this context, intercultural cognizance is one of the pivotal facets for intercultural communication. The recent years has seen the emergence of the intercultural communicative competence (ICC) concept permeating the education field thereby a large and growing body of literature has commenced to investigate the concept of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and its repercussion in the context of teaching and learning. The notion of ICC is incepted on the acquisition of several “savoirs” associated with attitudes and values, knowledge, skills of interpreting and relating, skills of discovery and interaction and critical cultural awareness. However, the process of acquiring and negotiating meaning in the context of intercultural communication lies a tremendous challenge and demands a continuous effort. Thus, the objective of this study is to probe on how students’ attitudes towards another culture affect their degree of cultural awareness and to deliberate how social and communication skills can foster intercultural competence that is influenced by the level of ICC acquisition. The findings indicate that the students possess intercultural competence in which they demonstrate positive attitudes towards individuals from other cultures; henceforth is reflected in the high cultural awareness amongst the students. Apart from this, the findings yielded also show that the students are able to exhibit and display significant competencies in both social and communication skills which are allied to the high level of ICC acquisition.

The article proposes using the flipped learning approach to gain more classroom time for activities that help learners interact with cultural content so that they may achieve critical cultural awareness, one of the components of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC). It first distinguishes between the terms “flipped classroom” and “flipped learning,” and then suggests how the 2017 ACTFL Intercultural Can‐Do Statements can enrich the cultural offerings of conventional L2 textbooks. The second segment of the article describes the practical implications of using flipped learning and provides sample assignments from a flipped learning module that promotes cross‐cultural critical thinking as a means to arrive at the ICC dimension of critical cultural awareness. The third part of the article encompasses reflective analyses from the student and instructor perspectives as well as four pedagogical recommendations for using the flipped learning approach to enhance critical cultural awareness by promoting higher cross‐cultural critical thinking skills.