Intercultural Development of Bosnian University Students Through Foreign Language Learning

Abstract

As human beings, we are aware of the constant changes that world is experiencing rather rapidly. Technology has an important impact on our present and very likely on our future as well. The population flow is increasing, caused by different reasons such as jobs, family, better future outlook etc. As a person moves, so their culture changes, willingly or not. In majority of cases, moving to another place forces a person to adapt to new cultures and that also includes learning the target culture’s language. It is argued by many experts that through the learning of a new language a person can become very familiar with the culture itself. In that process, a certain filter is needed that will keep balance and minimize conflicts between the “old” and the “new” culture of an individual. That filter is intercultural education. The aim of this research was to determine the extent to which intercultural education has been established in tertiary education in Bosnia and Herzegovina through Foreign Language Learning. The instrument used for this research consists of 50 questions comprising four sub-scales: intellectual flexibility, interaction engagement, interaction confidence, and attitudes. The research sample consists of 160 students from three universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina two of which are private universities and one state university. The results show that the type of the university, students’ educational level, and gender significantly affect their intercultural development. The significance of the findings of this study lies in the fact that they might be employed during the process of planning and execution of foreign language teaching and learning steps.