Intercultural competence

Abstract

Scholars generally agree that intercultural competence has cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions. Because of the wide interest in intercultural competence in multiple disciplines, nuanced and varied labels of this concept are prolific. This has caused a measure of confusion, exacerbated by little cross-referencing between disciplines that research intercultural competence. Bradford, Allen, & Beisser recognised this in their attempt to synthesise existing definitions and labels of intercultural competence and concluded that intercultural communication competence and intercultural effectiveness have been used interchangeably in literature. This chapter presents the Process Model of Intercultural Competence, the Integrated Model of Intercultural Communication Competence, the Intercultural Competencies Dimensions Model, the Intercultural Competence Model by Byram, the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity and the Anxiety/Uncertainty Management (AUM) Model in more detail. Research in intercultural competence spans over several academic disciplines as well as in applied fields. There are, of course, some challenges to pervasive and effective development of intercultural competence across multiple levels of society.