Intercultural Communicative Competence Research Articles

Learning Chinese and making meaning – ways to develop intercultural citizenship in the foreign language classroom

Abstract Using Chinese language teaching in an engineering department as an example, this paper explores how language teaching can meet the challenges of globalisation and the advancement of technology by fulfilling its educational function as described in Byram’s model of intercultural communicative competence. By adapting theories and practices from counselling psychology, the proposed curriculum focuses on emotions to help learners uncover emotional barriers that arise when confronted with differences. It will support learners in raising awareness and developing their capacity to negotiate differences, leading to more effective cooperation with others. The paper discusses the use of experiential exercises in the classroom. They include those developed in Chinese language pedagogy, namely the performed culture approach and those developed in humanistic psychotherapy, such as body psychotherapy. The aim is to help learners notice their own feelings, attitudes, and behaviour as well as the otherness of the other in the classroom. This approach is powerful because it is in the here and now. It utilises movements and different senses as well as cognition. It helps uncover barriers to intercultural communication hidden under the surface by making the unconscious conscious. Reflection is a key part of this process. Learners are expected to reflect on their own thinking and feelings and to make sense of the dynamics in the classroom. Learners are expected to develop reflexivity, subjectivity and intersubjective awareness while acquiring linguistic competency and social cultural rules of use.

Intercultural Communicative Competence in Virtual and Face-to-Face Teamwork: A Quantitative Analysis of Culturally Diverse Teams

Abstract Purpose Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of virtual teams has increased during this period. There is a gap in current literature about the transformation of cultural diversity, how it appears in face-to-face interactions, and how it does in virtual teamwork. Global, virtual coworking requires different skills in order to communicate efficiently and understand the team members. This paper analyzes the importance of intercultural communicative competence in virtual and face-to-face teamwork. Methodology The research was conducted with a quantitative methodology to see the pattern regarding teamwork throughout culturally diverse teams. A total of 133 questionnaires were obtained for the data analysis. The collected data were then analyzed by using the IBM SPSS Statistics 27 program. Findings The results found that intercultural communicative competence is crucial in virtual teams. With better intercultural competence, cultural differences can be identified and considered during project management. However, in face-to-face teamwork, it seems to be more complex. Willingness to discover another culture and eagerness to understand fellow teammates makes a higher priority than being temporarily effective due to intercultural competence. Conclusion Intercultural communicative competence is a crucial workplace requirement in today’s globalized world, regardless of branch, profession, or geographic location. The ability to understand people with different cultural backgrounds is an increasingly important competency both virtually and in face-to-face interactions.

외국인 근로자의 건강정보 취득 어려움과 관련된 요인

Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics such as country of origin, subjective health level, and health insurance subscription, length of stay in Korea, language difficulties when using medical care, experiences of discrimination, and social networks. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with difficulty in acquiring health information. As a result of the analysis, 49.5% of the sample experienced difficulty in acquiring health information. Factors associated with relatively high difficulty in obtaining health information include having a spouse, country of origin (Cambodia, Philippines, Myanmar, China), low subjective health level, short total length of stay in Korea, experiencing language difficulties when using medical care, experiencing discrimination, and a lack of interaction with Korean colleagues. Based on the results of this study, we proposed measures such as developing an intercultural communication competency education program for medical personnel, institutional changes in the employment permit system, and development of visual online information materials to increase foreign workers' acquisition of health information.

Study on the Cultivation of Chinese Senior High School Students’ Intercultural Communication Competence in English Classes Based on English Curriculum Standard 2017

: Intercultural communication competence is crucial to the effective interactions with foreigners from other cultural background with foreign languages. With the increasing globalization and information, intercultural communication competence becomes more and more significant. Based on the world developing tendencies and deeper educational reform, there are increasing descriptions and requirements of cultivating students’ intercultural communication competence in the newly Senior High English Curriculum Standard 2017. However, there are many hindering obstacles from both subjective and objective perspectives. Besides, although some possible strategies have been put forward, a set of complete system about cultivating students’ intercultural communicative competence has not been established. How to cultivate students’ intercultural communicative competence effectively remains a serious problem. Therefore, this paper will make a brief analysis of previous studies about cultivating intercultural communicative competence by scholars at home and abroad, pointing out its prominent problems in Chinese senior high English classes, and introduce some possibly feasible approaches for reference. During the process, the educational ideas in English Curriculum Standard 2017 will be tightly correlated with.

Self-regulated smart learning environment, classroom engagement and intercultural communicative competence of EFL students in China

Self-regulated smart learning environment, classroom engagement and intercultural communicative competence of EFL students in China

The Development Situation and Cultivating Strategies of Intercultural Communication Competence in Junior High School English Teaching

In today’s accelerated globalization process, the links between countries are becoming increasingly close. The English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education (2022 Edition) also sets out new requirements for students’ intercultural communication competence. The relationship between language and culture is reflected behind intercultural communication competence, and the development of students’ intercultural communication competence is valued by educational circles at home and abroad. Therefore, this paper discusses the current situation of the development of English intercultural communication competence in junior high schools from three perspectives, that are schools, teachers and students.

The Cultivation of Intercultural Communication Competence in the Teaching of English Vocabulary of Junior High School

Language and culture are closely interrelated. Vocabulary, as the most basic element of language, highlights the most important culture element in a certain culture inevitably. Therefore, vocabulary teaching seems a helpful way to cultivate the intercultural communication competence of junior high school students. Thus, the study investigates the impact of vocabulary teaching on the cultivation of intercultural communication competence in junior high school. It is based on the discussion about the meaning differences between English vocabulary and Chinese vocabulary and their reasons. And it reveals two strategies, etymology method and English-Chinese comparison method, aiming to cultivate intercultural communication competence of Junior High School in the teaching of English vocabulary.

Navigating cultural crossroads in multilingual Malaysia: Motivation, support, and intercultural communicative competence

Navigating cultural crossroads in multilingual Malaysia: Motivation, support, and intercultural communicative competence

The Requirements and Importance of Intercultural Communication Competence in the 21st Century

This systematic review assessed the requirements and importance of intercultural communication competence (ICC) in human life in the 21st Century, focusing on its practical aspects and elements. The results reported in the current study are from a review of 45 papers published from 2000 to 2023 in 16 different Web of Science and SCOPUS-indexed journals. To record and select the related and required papers, an online search was done using two key terms, “intercultural competence” and “intercultural communication competence,” and through the use of WoS and SCOPUS databases. A total of 87 items were recorded from the online search, and after a quick review of all records, 45 papers were selected and reviewed thoroughly. Based on the results from the reviewed papers, ICC is one of the main requirements of human life in today’s globalized world, especially in modern education and international business. Findings indicate that the absence of ICC is a crucial reason for failure in many modern professionals. Based on the results, cultural awareness and intercultural sensitivity, language proficiency, empathy, flexibility, and some other traits and skills are among the main components of ICC. The results indicate that staying and studying in multicultural environments, participating in cultural programs, observing felling and emotions, flexibility, and other factors, discussed in the current work, help individuals improve their ICC.

The Formation of Intercultural Communication Competence of Future English Teachers

In today's diverse classrooms, educators must possess the vital skill of intercultural communication competence. This piece delves into the importance of this competence within teacher education, examining the factors that shape it among aspiring educators, such as cultural awareness, sensitivity, knowledge, and skills. The article also discusses effective strategies and approaches for integrating intercultural communication training into teacher education programs. Through a comprehensive examination of theory, research, and practice, this article aims to provide insights into fostering intercultural communication competence among future teachers.The purpose of writing the current work is to focus on certain concepts, among them are Educational Awareness: The primary purpose of the article is to raise awareness among future teachers about the importance of intercultural communication competence in their professional practice. This piece underscores the importance of cultural diversity in educational environments and highlights the necessity of cultivating abilities to communicate and collaborate effectively with a diverse range of students, families, and colleagues. As a resource for professional development, the article aims to equip future teachers with insights into intercultural communication and offer actionable strategies for seamlessly integrating cultural competence into their teaching methodologies. It should inspire them to engage in continuous learning and reflection to become culturally responsive educators. Promoting Inclusivity: Another purpose of the article is to advocate for inclusivity and equity in education.

EFL INSTRUCTORS' APPROACHES AND PRACTICES OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

This study investigated the perceptions and practices of Foreign Language (EFL) instructors within English language classes related to intercultural communicative competence (ICC). The research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach and encompassed a study population of 129 EFL instructors working in both state and private universities across Turkey. The data were gathered meticulously through a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The data analysis from both the questionnaire and the interview indicated that Turkish EFL instructors have moderate and generally positive perceptions regarding the importance of ICC in second language (L2) education. Despite encountering time constraints and curriculum-related challenges, which often necessitate prioritizing linguistic aspects, the instructors emphasized the significance of incorporating cultural components into English language teaching and learning. This study sheds light on the pedagogical perspective held by EFL instructors, underscoring the intrinsic belief that the process of language acquisition should incorporate a cultural dimension of significance.

Репрезентация культурной идентичности студентов в рамках дисциплины «Межкультурная коммуникация»

This article examines the representation of the cultural identity of political science students within the discipline “Intercultural Communication” in several aspects (“I” - “Other”, group culture, discourse and pragmatics). The article emphasizes the need to rethink such concepts as “group culture”, “identity”, “political discourse” and “intercultural competence” for the development of cultural identity and the formation of intercultural communicative competence of future political scientists in accordance with modern realities. The article examines how a written text (essay) represents the cultural identity of students in situations of intercultural interaction, what markers activate cultural identity in intercultural communication, and determines the extent to which the intercultural communication of interlocutors depends on the influence of their cultural identity. The research data were collected from 25 students of the Political Science major studying in 2023–2024. Although the results of the study are not conclusive, they indicate that cultural identity dominates students' ethnocentric views and that stereotypes continue to influence the negotiation of identities in intercultural communication.

Intercultural communicative competence among Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia: a qualitative exploration.

Millions of Indonesian migrant workers have sought employment in Malaysia during the last three decades. Many of them are skilled and unskilled laborers, and their incorporation into the host society's labor market has the potential to improve their own quality of life while also contributing significantly to the country's economy. However, Indonesian migrant workers encounter numerous problems in their professional and personal lives. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the intercultural communicative competence (ICC) factors as one of the Indonesian migrant workers' strategies. This is qualitative exploratory research on the factors of ICC in the integration of Indonesian migrant workers into the Malaysian labor market. Focus groups were used to obtain data from 16 Indonesian migrant workers who had already successfully integrated into the Malaysian workforce as well as newcomers who were in the process of integrating into the local culture. In addition, interviews have been conducted with the 13 employers to complement the data from the migrant workers. The data was analyzed using rounds of deductive and inductive coding and analysis based on the five components of Byram's model. The findings suggest that practicing intercultural communication skills can help migrant employees overcome cultural difficulties in the Malaysian labor market. The Indonesian migrant workers and their employers also indicated that they have an advantage in cultural integration due to the cultural similarities. The paper discusses the implications of the findings in terms of ICC training offered to migrant workers themselves (culture and language) and to professionals who work with them, with the goal of facilitating and promoting Indonesian migrant workers' labor market integration.

USING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE DIMENSIONS IN MANAGING MULTICULTURAL TEAM PERFORMANCE

This article provides the relevance and effectiveness of intercultural communication competence for managing multicultural teams within Kazakhstan-based international companies. This research seeks to assess project managers and team members’ knowledge, attitudes and skills related to intercultural communication competence. Byram’s model of intercultural communication competence will be utilized with its emphasis on cultural knowledge and attitudes. This study’s significance lies in its focus on cross-cultural management and communication in diverse work environments, using quantitative survey research methodologies conducted among project managers and team members in Kazakhstan international companies. The purpose is to investigate whether project managers and team members from multinational companies in Kazakhstan, operating in diverse cultural settings, possess the ability to identify elements of cross-cultural communicative competence while overseeing their teams and supervising the performance of their subordinates. Data analysis offers insights into intercultural communication competence knowledge, attitudes and skills within their specific context. These findings contribute to existing knowledge on intercultural communication competence and its application in managing multicultural teams, emphasizing the significance of cultural knowledge, positive attitudes toward diversity and effective communication skills for achieving successful project results. Furthermore, the results can provide practical implications for project managers and organizations looking to enhance their intercultural communication competence.

Conceptualizing and integrating intercultural communicative competence in the English Language Teaching

Numerous higher education institutions prepare students English skills for life and jobs in a globalized world in light of current developments in international education. For many universities, they entails expanding educational exchange opportunities for domestic and international students, internationalizing the curriculum and campus, and helping students achieve intercultural competency. This research explored the concept of intercultural communicative competence in the teaching of the English language. It articulated the Byram’s framework. This research was a literature study with descriptive qualitative research and the latest literature review to illustrate the importance of integrating intercultural communicative competence (ICC) to the instructor in English learning and teaching. Some collection and review of references through scientific literature sources related to ICC and the integration in English language teaching keywords were addressed. As for the author's reference sources, they were determined from 2015 to 2023. The results of the study showed that the promoting and conceptualizing ICC in English classroom practice to the teacher has an important role in helping students achieve and develop learning activities that can be practiced directly by students in everyday life. Moreover, it was also mentioned that integrating the framework of the proposed concept into English Language Teaching (ELT) could help students develop their linguistic, intercultural competence, and sociocultural skills to communicating in proper English in appropriate real-life situations, and raised the teachers’ awareness.

Il paesaggio linguistico plurilingue e la didattica: il caso dell’Alto Adige/Südtirol

Studies on the Linguistic Landscape (LL) have become a particularly prolific object of study and research in the last fifteen years. The most recent research perspective has led to new categorizations for the LL, which not only form the basis for further empirical research, but are also of great use in foreign language teaching (Malinowski/Maxim/Dubreil 2020). Indeed, working with the LL that is also interculturally specific fulfils one of the primary goals of foreign language teaching, as the close relationship between language and culture also promotes intercultural communicative competence. Our paper will examine in particular the great potential of this tool in the context of teaching German as a Foreign Language in Italy, in order to stimulate greater language awareness and linguistic reflection in the processes of learning and teaching German in which learners are involved. By means of the administration of didactic sheets prepared by us, we will consider the possibility of applying to a didactic context data on both the German language and culture, taken from the observation of the LL of Alto Adige/Südtirol and collected on several occasions within a corpus, the LLSÜDTIROL, which will be discussed below.

Intercultural communication competence and job burnout in MNC employees: the mediation role of job stress.

This study examined the relationship between intercultural communication competence (ICC) and job burnout, as well as the mediating effects of job stress, using data collected from employees (n = 1,064) from a Chinese multinational corporation in Brunei. Through regression analysis and mediation effect tests, we found that ICC was negatively associated with job burnout (β = -0.19, p < 0.001) and job stress (β = -0.08, p < 0.001). Job stress was positively associated with job burnout (β = 0.65, p < 0.001). Job stress played a partial mediating role between ICC and job burnout. The total effect of ICC on job burnout was -0.19, the direct effect was -0.14, and the indirect effect of ICC via job stress was -0.05. The findings call for ICC training for employees in multinational corporations.

Challenging but Rewarding Aspects of Telecollaboration: The Case of Virtual Israeli-Polish (VIP) Project

Starting from the premise that implementing telecollaboration can be a challenging enterprise, it is assumed that such virtual exchanges bring positive outcomes. Despite rich body of research on telecollaboration, few studies to date have explored group dynamics in the context of online exchange. The current research examined an Israeli-Polish (N = 100) telecollaborative intercultural experience. The Israeli participants were students from a BEd program in informal education and Polish students from a BA program in translation. The main purpose of the telecollaborative project was to develop English linguistic skills and intercultural communicative competence (Byram, 1997) of the students. However, the present study aimed to investigate how the group dynamics influenced the telecollaboration process and the project outcomes. The students engaged in the exchange of asynchronous video recordings (Vlogs), collaborative synchronous meetings on Zoom, and completed an on-line questionnaire. This paper outlines some of the challenges related to the international telecollaboration, including technological and institutional difficulties, context-specific demands, and some individual differences of the participants. Through “thematic analysis” (TA) (Braun &amp; Clarke, 2012) the authors of the paper explored levels of “failed communication” (O’Dowd &amp; Ritter, 2006) and how they impacted the ongoing development of the collaboration both technically and in terms of content and development of interaction skills to uncover certain themes that referred to learners’ and instructors’ challenges. The study concludes with pedagogical implications for more effective implementation of telecollaboration in higher education.

Exploring Intercultural Communicative Competence Among Pre-service EFL Teachers: A Case Study of CRMEF in the Fes-Meknes Region

Preservice training has always been an essential part of the professional life of every teacher. It is considered a significant period in which trainee teachers are provided with the necessary competencies that are vital before entering their classrooms. One of which is knowledge regarding intercultural communicative competence. This paper primarily aims to investigate the level of intercultural communicative competence of the preservice EFL teachers at the CRMEF of the region of Fes-Meknes. To achieve the purpose of this study, the trainee teachers’ ICC level is identified by using Byram’s (1997) model of ICC through a questionnaire, and their attitudes towards this competence and the role of the CRMEF in its development are found out through a semi-structured interview. This study employs a mixed-method approach. Moreover, the study collects the data using two methods such as 1) a questionnaire and 2) a semi-structured interview, with a sample of 117 trainee teachers from two training centres (CRMEF Region Fes - Meknes). The results of the study reveal that the trainee teachers have a fairly high to average ICC level. According to the findings, the trainee teachers believe that ICC is very significant in ELT and they show positive attitudes accordingly, even though there is no presence of IC at the CRMEF. Finally, the results may offer clear feedback to the trainers about trainee teachers’ ICC levels.

Taking innovative humanising pedagogy towards Thirdness: sustaining the development of intercultural competence

ABSTRACT To facilitate intercultural communicative competence, language learners are invited into the triadic capacity of Thirdness, where the social and critical interpretations of intercultural dialogue are explored. Little is known of the specific pedagogical stages to create such a terrain for the development of students’ sustainable intercultural competence. Situated within a tertiary-level English classroom in China, this study reveals how teachers can employ five pedagogical stages and humanised pedagogy to decentre cultural imperialism and promote plural values, behaviours and ways of knowing, and how students relativise their own beliefs to those of the target language culture.