Intercultural competence for foreign languages students in higher education

Abstract

Statistics on the employment of UK languages graduates indicate a low amount of geographical mobility at a time when the European labour market is becoming ever more competitive. Current foreign language (FL) course design in higher education (HE) is questioned for its lack of focus on understanding people of other cultures. It is therefore argued that foreign language degree courses rapidly need to adopt an appoach to intercultural learning which prepares students to move with more ease amongst numerous cultures and which is less bound, cognitively, by the notion of the nation-state. Intercultural research which is relevant to UK languages courses in HE has already been undertaken and a summary of some relevant findings is provided. The question of language/content integration which preoccupies most foreign language course design is considered not to be critical to the development of modular, intercultural foreign language studies which will enhance the employability and mobility of languages graduates. A number of questions are raised which might inform the design of interculturally sensitive courses.