Abstract
This paper conceptually discusses why it is essential to foster intercultural responsiveness through learning a language other than English (LOTE) and developing intercultural communication competence at Australian universities. Learning a LOTE is meaningful and helps second language learners develop social skills and cognitive competence, understand the linguistic system of the LOTEs, and sense differences between their home language/culture and target language/culture, and then pave the way to developing intercultural communication competence. However, a LOTE as a compulsory unit has little presence in Australian university curricula. No Australian universities require that students need to learn a LOTE to meet the course requirements. Learning a LOTE is conducive to both bilingual/multilingual and intercultural communication competence development. Furthermore, most current work studies intercultural verbal communication competence more than intercultural nonverbal communication competence. While intercultural verbal communication is audio-oriented, voiced, and externalized with open messages, intercultural nonverbal communication is visually oriented, silent, and internalized with hidden cues. Only when both components are considered can people achieve effective intercultural communication. The implications for learning a LOTE and developing intercultural communication competence are discussed.
Highlights
Foreign/second language learning is becoming more and more popular as the world is becoming increasingly globalized and intercultural communication is intensified as a result of global business and the internationalization of education
This paper aims to explore how second language education and intercultural communication competence work together to bring intercultural responsiveness into reality in the Australian higher education sector
This paper highlights the claim that learning a language other than English (LOTE) and developing intercultural communication competence and intercultural responsiveness is essential to Australian university development and international education sustainability and will be for many years to come
Summary
Foreign/second language learning is becoming more and more popular as the world is becoming increasingly globalized and intercultural communication is intensified as a result of global business and the internationalization of education. It is a positive move that more and more native English speaking students are becoming highly motivated in learning a second language and are developing their bilingual skills (Duff 2017) and intercultural communication competence through various ways, such as interacting with the other language speakers in a second language, studying a language other than English (LOTE) unit or course, and participating in study abroad and international mobility programs. The Australian Government has gained an insight into the future sustainable development of the nation and released the ambitious white paper Australia in the Asian Century in 2012 and launched the New Colombo Plan in 2013 These initiatives have been put in place to support Australian students in their short-term or semester/year-long overseas study and to experience the target language and cultural immersion. I review the relevant literature, discuss the benefits Australian students can gain from learning a second language and developing intercultural communication competence, examine how second language learning and the development of intercultural communication competence contribute to intercultural responsiveness, and highlight the importance of second language education and intercultural responsiveness for the internationalization and sustainable development of Australian universities
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