Intercultural Communication Skills Research Articles

A Study on Cultivating Students' Cultural Awareness in English Reading Teaching in Junior Middle School

This article aims to explore how to deepen students' sense of identity with the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation and their sensitivity and ability to identify the similarities and differences between Chinese and foreign cultures in English reading teaching, so as to cultivate students' international and cultural awareness and intercultural communication skills. This article first reviews the concepts of core literacy and cultural awareness, and analyzes the importance of cultivating cultural awareness among junior high school students during the English reading teaching stage in junior high schools. Then, combined with specific reading teaching, it focuses on efficient ways to cultivate cultural awareness in junior middle school English reading teaching. Finally, the full text is summarized and the research significance of this article is reiterated.

Stimulating Intercultural Communication Skills in Media Communication Study Programs: Approaches and Capabilities

Stimulating Intercultural Communication Skills in Media Communication Study Programs: Approaches and Capabilities

Virtual bridges to global competence

This study explores the effectiveness of a virtual exchange programme in enhancing English proficiency and intercultural communication among learners in non-English speaking countries. Through a mixed-methods approach, the research evaluated pre-and post-engagement competencies of participants over an eight-week period. Results indicated significant improvements in intercultural communication and English language skills, despite challenges such as technological limitations and time zone differences. In summary, the study highlights the potential of virtual exchange programmes for fostering cultural understanding and language development in tertiary education, advocating for further exploration in diverse intercultural settings.

Virtual reality as a bridge: enhancing intercultural learning and communication skills among international students

Virtual reality as a bridge: enhancing intercultural learning and communication skills among international students

STRATEGI PENGAJARAN BAHASA ASING DALAM KONTEKS MULTIKULTURAL: PENDEKATAN INOVATIF DAN TANTANGANNYA

Multicultural Education in Language has become an increasingly relevant research subject in addressing the challenges of cultural diversity in educational contexts. This study aims to explore strategies for teaching foreign languages in multicultural environments with innovative approaches while highlighting potential obstacles and alternative solutions. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed to gather data through literature review, classroom observations, and interviews with educators. The research findings indicate that multicultural education in language has the potential to broaden students' cross-cultural understanding, enhance intercultural communication skills, and foster attitudes of tolerance and appreciation for diversity. Thus, this study provides valuable insights for educational practitioners in developing inclusive and responsive teaching strategies for foreign languages in multicultural settings. In multicultural environments, multicultural education in language holds great potential for expanding students' cross-cultural understanding,

A Virtual Exchange to Boost Students’ Intercultural Communication Skills in English

. How can universities enhance their students’ internationalisation at home? The need to find teaching methodologies that boost students’ intercultural communication skills without travelling abroad has motivated the present study, carried out by two English lecturers from Florida Universitaria in Spain and Jade University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Research was divided into two stages: first, a deep analysis of the intercultural experiences organised in the past at both universities; and second, the implementation of virtual encounters with students from different cultures as tools to promote interculturality at the home university. This paper aims at showing the impact of those exchanges on boosting students’ intercultural communication in English. Two groups of undergraduate students, during their English classes, worked synchronously on topics related to essential aspects of intercultural communication. The main teaching objectives of the Virtual Intercultural Communication (VIC) exchange were to increase participants’ motivation for knowing other cultures, to raise their intercultural awareness, to foster their capacity to change perspectives, and to improve students’ English language skills and their digital abilities. Through the outcomes achieved, students’ self-reported feedback, and lecturers’ observation, it can be concluded that virtual exchanges are effective tools to improve students’ intercultural communication while they meet the English learning objectives.

Intercultural Communication as a Veritable Tool for Church Growth and Management in Lagos Metropolis

The reality of pluralism or multiculturalism of the church is evident from generation to generation since the inception of the church. In Lagos metropolis, the existence of diverse cultural and religious belief systems make intercultural communication a necessary skill for church growth and management. In view of this, the study investigated the level of awareness of intercultural communication and its relevance for church growth and management in Lagos metropolis. The framework for this study is premised on communication accommodation and cultural fusion theories. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design method while questionnaire was used as the instrument to gather relevant data from two hundred and ten respondents (210) selected amongst leaders and members of Baptist churches in Lagos metropolis. Baptist is one of the dominant denominations in Lagos. The study discovered that there is a high level of awareness of intercultural communication skill among members and leaders of the selected churches, but there is the challenge of language and cultural superiority among the respondents. This is capable of hindering church growth and management. Therefore, the study recommends that language and cultural superiority should be prevented in the church. More so, the church leaders and members need to undergo constant training on intercultural communication skills. The church needs to create intercultural functional management and administrative structure for equity and oneness among people of diverse cultures in the church.

The Cultivation of Intercultural Communication Competence in the Unit Integrity Teaching of the Primary English

As China's international status rises, the country needs more and more talents with intercultural communication skills. This paper finds that primary school English teaching materials neglect the cultivation of students' intercultural communication competence, teachers lack the awareness of intercultural communication, teachers' own intercultural literacy is insufficient, and students lack the interest of intercultural communication. The author puts forward suggestions on these aspects, hoping to provide help for elementary school English teachers regarding the cultivation of students' intercultural communicative competence.

The Inheritance and Integration of Chinese Traditional Culture in College English Teaching and Learning

In the context of globalization, the integration of traditional Chinese culture in university English teaching is particularly important. This paper discusses the value of inheriting and integrating traditional Chinese culture in university English teaching, including enhancing students’ sense of cultural identity, cultivating students' cultural appreciation, enriching the content of English teaching as well as promoting cultural innovation and development. At the same time, corresponding strategies are proposed, such as integrating traditional cultural elements with curriculum content, adopting diversified methods to feel the charm of traditional culture, using scientific and technological means to enrich traditional cultural resources, organizing practical activities to enhance the awareness of cultural inheritance, and enhancing teachers’ qualifications to optimize the path of cultural inheritance. The implementation of these strategies will help to effectively inherit and integrate traditional Chinese culture into university English teaching, cultivate students’ intercultural communication skills, and promote the inheritance and development of excellent traditional Chinese culture.

Boosting Intercultural Communication Skills: The Role of Authentic Literary Texts in an Intermediate Turkish EFL Classroom

The purpose of this study is to explore cultural barriers and methods of establishing effective communication in English as a Foreign language classrooms. Simply learning grammar rules is insufficient for students to interact effectively; they also need to acquire knowledge about culture, history, and geography through the use of textbooks, documentaries, and movies. With this in mind, the research study aimed to incorporate authentic literary short stories into an intermediate-level class based on the belief that literary texts can help learners develop their intercultural communicative competence. The participants of this study were 25 EFL learners between 18 and 21 years old. The data was collected and analyzed through individual interviews. The findings demonstrate that students can enhance their English language abilities and communication skills through reading authentic books.

A Genre Theory Contextualization for Academic Writing in Chinese Higher Education

This paper explores new possibilities for teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing in the context of higher education in China. Using John Swales’ Create A Research Space (CARS) model, the paper demonstrates how genre theory can be integrated into undergraduate writing courses in China’s EFL settings. This method emphasizes teaching students to structure academic papers effectively, thereby improving their understanding and application of the genre-specific conventions of academic English. The paper illustrates how the CARS model aids students by delineating their research territory, identifying gaps, and positioning their studies within ongoing academic dialogues. Additionally, the teaching cycle guides students from modeling the text, to joint construction, and finally to independent writing. Furthermore, the paper highlights the comprehensive implications of this model, including enhancing intercultural communication skills and developing critical genre awareness among students. It addresses the challenges of adapting this model to the Chinese EFL context, such as linguistic and cultural barriers, and underscores the need for contextualized teaching strategies that meet Chinese learners’ needs. To conclude, it is recommended for further research to validate the practical usage of this genre-based EAP instruction in higher education and facilitate future curriculum development.

THE EFFECT OF DIGITAL DRAMA ON EFL STUDENTS’ SKILLS IN THE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION COURSE AT THE UNIVERSITY

<p>Intercultural communication is concerned with the sharing of information between different cultures and social groups, including individuals with religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. Cultural factors have a great impact on how people conduct diplomatic, economic, and educational activities in the era of international integration. The application of innovative methods in teaching Intercultural communication courses at universities is extremely necessary in order to break down cultural barriers and build awareness of cultural norms, as well as to enhance self-awareness, language skills and communication skills in a multicultural environment. At the same time, it helps learners to explore, preserve and promote the national cultural identity. The theatrical (drama) technique has been recognized as one of the powerful means of education and propaganda. One of the proposed methods is integrating drama in the context of digital transformation. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of applying theatrical integration and online teaching tools via Zoom in teaching the Intercultural module to create a borderless cultural class. The quantitative method was conducted through experimental convention and questionnaires with the participation of students majoring in English at a university in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Specific steps have been taken to improve intercultural communication skills and intercultural interaction will enhance the ability to communicate and promote personal image as well as showcase national culture. The research has shown that using the digital drama model in the classroom as a teaching method not only helps learners academically but also provides knowledge about socio-cultural development.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/lit/0057/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Research on Intercultural Communication Ability Training Strategies in College English Education in Cangzhou Open University in Hebei Province, China

As economic globalization continues to advance, the importance of Chinese-English intercultural communication skills becomes increasingly evident. In order to effectively cultivate more skilled professionals in society, this study observed and investigated the English language teaching environment and situation at Cangzhou Open University. Through questionnaire surveys and face-to-face interviews with students and English teachers, the researcher collected relevant data and content, and identified existing issues in intercultural communication within English teaching.By the analysis of the data and the scientific classification of the conversation content summary, the researcher proposed effective methods for improving current English language teaching methods and recommended effective intercultural communication cultivating strategies in English teaching.

A Comparative Case Study of GELT Implementation in U.S.‐Based University English Language Programs

AbstractThe increased global use of English has brought calls for a reconceptualization of English language teaching (ELT). Despite several frameworks for implementing Global Englishes (GE) into ELT, little research considers the effects of curriculum intervention or how such intervention varies across contexts. Addressing this gap, this comparative case study examines two graduate‐level English language instructors who completed a ‘GE Pedagogies’ course in fall 2022 and implemented the skills gained in their spring 2023 teaching. Data was elicited through teacher research, with an analytical emphasis on the teachers' reflection journals. We present a narrative for each teacher that describes their processes for implementing GE into their courses. Comparative analysis of the two narratives indicated that despite a shared goal to raise students' awareness of GE and develop intercultural communication skills, one teacher's practices were more limited due to the specific needs of her course. As such, she had to pursue GE goals through somewhat different means. Our findings indicate that while implementing GE into ELT is indeed possible, flexibility in reference to how this is done is required.

Investigating the Impact of Cultural Awareness on Language Learners' Motivation and Proficiency

Learning multiple languages is advantageous for individuals engaging with diverse communities across borders. However, language barriers and miscommunication have posed significant challenges, prompting learners to improve their foreign language skills, knowledge, and expertise. A lack of cultural awareness and sensitivity has hindered learners from successfully mastering foreign languages. The inability of the UK and European populations to promote diversity and inclusion, coupled with disrespectful attitudes towards other cultures, contributes to their struggles in language acquisition. To address these issues, active engagement in cultural activities can boost motivation and proficiency in language learning. Exploring Hofstede's six dimensions of cultural competency reveals that American learners exhibit lower anxiety levels than Korean learners in language training classrooms due to high individualism. Conversely, the high power distance in China, compared to Mongolia and Hungary, results in Chinese students being less interactive and assertive in classrooms. Limited interaction negatively impacts students' psychological and behavioral development, highlighting the importance of fostering intercultural communication skills. Thus, cultural factors have been elaborated with the implementations of Lewis's cultural competency model, which has elaborated that nations worldwide can be segregated into three categories based on their cultural beliefs such as linear-active, multi-active, and reactive. Among these three categories, reactive has been identified as the most flexible, people-oriented, and culturally aware nation, wherein most Asian countries like India, Malaysia, Korea, and Thailand belong. It has been identified that due to a lack of cultural awareness, the students have been confronting significant issues in confidently learning new languages with the inability to speak appropriate terms and pronounce them properly. Participation in cultural activities and training on intercultural communication might be helpful in mitigating cross-cultural issues in new language learning.

EFL Teachers’ Attitudes Towards a Glocalized Approach: An International, Mixed-Methods Study

Glocalization is the practice of combining global and local approaches. In English language teaching, it involves adapting materials to reflect the students’ local environment while still equipping them with intercultural communication skills. Nevertheless, it is a phenomenon that teachers are unfamiliar with in many parts of the world. Guided by glocalization research, this study aims to study the teaching practices of university instructors of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Yemen, Algeria, and France, as well as their attitudes towards glocalization. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, including both a questionnaire addressed to 78 teachers and interviews with a select group of 21 EFL professors and instructors working in the three countries, to understand and analyze their use of a glocalized approach for teaching EFL. The results revealed that EFL teachers in all three countries recognized the importance of applying a glocalized approach in their classrooms and used a variety of strategies, technologies, and materials to implement it. Finally, the study found no significant differences in the attitudes of EFL teachers in Yemen, Algeria, and France towards adopting glocalized approaches. Still, some noticeable differences can be observed, particularly in how teachers in the different countries glocalized their classrooms. French participants, for example, focused on the types of documents studied in class and how they were selected, while the Algerian and Yemeni participants focused their comments on their general strategies. This study highlights the awareness of EFL teachers of the importance of including local values while teaching a foreign language to their students.

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.

Образ учителя в немецкоязычном и русскоязычном дискурсе трудоустройства (на материале объявлений о вакансиях)

This article is devoted to a comparative analysis of the representation of the image of a foreign language teacher in the employment discourse in two linguistic cultures. The relevance of the research topic is due to transformations in the educational sphere, the trend towards increasing the importance and prestige of the teaching profession in the Russian society, as well as the need for competent training in intercultural communication skills in the modern world. The purpose of this article is to identify the content components of the teacher’s image and the features of their representation in job advertisement texts. The research material was Russian and German job advertisements for foreign language teachers in the amount of 300 texts. The methodological basis of the study is the cognitive and discursive paradigm. In accordance with the goal, the comparative analysis method was used in the work. The authors believe that in the Russian linguistic culture one can distinguish the image of a secondary school teacher and a teacher or tutor in private schools. Consequently, the content components of the image, which include professional competencies, personal qualities, and working conditions, will differ: a private school teacher is presented as a creative, motivated teacher who is provided with both methodological support and various digital tools. A secondary school teacher is a person who performs not only pedagogical tasks, but also organization and management work. A comparative analysis showed that in the German employment discourse, a teacher is, first of all, a “team player.” The main difference between the images of a teacher represented in German job advertisements is the so-called “gender neutrality”. In the Russian employment discourse, a trend has been noted towards the transition of foreign language teaching to an online format. In the pragmalinguistic aspect, in both linguistic cultures, age restrictions are revealed through an informal address to a potential employee, while in German job advertisements, emotional and evaluative vocabulary explicates the employer’s interest.

The acquisition of intercultural competence among international and domestic students in China through an internationalisation at home programme

ABSTRACT Guided by a theoretical discussion on the effect of internationalisation at home (IaH) practices on students’ acquisition of intercultural competence, we used reflexive journals and semi-structured interviews to examine 10 international and 20 domestic students’ goals, progress, and challenges in their engagement in an IaH intercultural programme. Thematic data analysis revealed that challenges, including insufficient foreign language competence, social and cultural background knowledge, intercultural awareness, and intercultural communication skills impeded students’ intercultural engagement. Mutual sharing and support, collaborative discussion, and critical reflection provided them with more intercultural engagement and facilitated acquisition of intercultural competence. Comprehensive programme improvement suggestions are proposed.