Intra-cultural competence assessment: unveiling its influence on efl students’ affect and on their intercultural competence development

Abstract

Previous research on foreign language learners' intercultural competence has predominantly centered on their understanding and awareness of the target culture. While most research attribute learners' lack of intercultural competence to their inability to understand the target culture, there has been limited exploration into how students' awareness of their own culture influences their affect and the development of their intercultural competence. Given the significance of intracultural communicatiion ability in intercultural encounters, this this study aims to assess the intracultural competence of EFL students and its impact on their affective experiences and intercultural competence development. To achieve this goal, this study focuses on Algerian undergraduate EFL students. A cohort of 40 EFL students from Ibn Khaldoun University of Tiaret participated in the study. As a research method, the research employed quantitative and qualitative method. The quantitative method draws on Fantini’s (2007) Intercultural Communicative Competence Inventory (ICCI) model, which was modified and constructed into a rating scale to assess the level of the participants' intracultural competence. The qualitative method aims to know students’ perception on the role of intra-cultural competence in influencing their affective experiences in intercultural encounters. Based on the quantitative assessments, it was found that the participants exhibited a moderate level of intracultural competence. The qualitative results, on the other hand, indicated that the participants recognized of the pivotal role that intracultural competence would play in shaping their affective experiences when engaging with individuals from different international cultural backgrounds. This research contributes to our understanding of the importance of intracultural awareness for successful intercultural interactions and provides insights for educators and institutions aiming to enhance intercultural competence among students. The findings highlight the significance of fostering intracultural competence to create more positive and enriching intercultural experiences. /Keywords: assessment, EFL students, intra-cultural competence, affect, intercultural competence development