Level Of Intercultural Competence Research Articles

Evaluar el nivel de competencia intercultural de los candidatos al examen DELE a partir de su actuación oral

The importance of acquiring intercultural communicative competence (ICC) has taken on a prominent role in recent decades as a result of the increasingly pluralistic coexistence within our society. This awareness has also been transferred to the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language. However, no official tool is yet used for assessing this construct due to its inherent subjectivity, which prevents it from being assessed in the DELE official exams (Diploma in Spanish as a Foreign Language). Although the CCSE test (Constitutional and Sociocultural Knowledge of Spain) includes some questions related to this competence, priority is mostly given to knowledge of Culture. For this reason, the following paper suggests a rubric which could detect the level of intercultural competence of learners based on their performance on the oral expression and interaction test of the DELE exam.

MODELS OF INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

MODELS OF INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Practice of Vietnamese tertiary learners’ intercultural competence: An influential factor affecting entrepreneurial capabilities

Intercultural competence (IC) is believed to enhance new graduates' entrepreneurial capabilities and employability in this 21st century. This quantitative study investigates learners' perceived levels of IC, regarding its four components: knowledge, attitudes, skills, and awareness [1,2]. An online survey comprising 40 items adapted from Baroudi's questionnaire [3] based on Byram's conceptual framework of IC [1,2] was administered to learners at a recently established state university in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. 148 eligible respondents were recruited on a volunteer basis. SPSS was used to analyze collected data. Results show learners' high perceived level of IC. Learners' intercultural attitudes component was found to be at the highest perceived level. In addition, knowledge and skills equally stood at the lowest level of learners' perceived IC. Learners' gender and academic field did not affect their perceived IC levels. However, participants' academic major showed to have a significant impact on learners' intercultural awareness. The findings inform stakeholders about the appropriateness of currently-implemented curricula for intercultural education and raise their awareness of the possible gap between learners' perceived levels of IC and their actual IC. The study also contributes insights into the literature on the relationship between learners' IC and entrepreneurial capabilities and employability. Finally, suggestions for future studies on IC are included.

Cultural Sensitivity of a Group of Nursing Students' and Attitudes Toward Refugees.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitude of nursing students in providing health care to refugees due to cultural differences and to reveal individual factors (age, gender, marital status) affecting negative attitudes. This cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted to determine the intercultural competence of nursing students and their attitudes toward immigrants in Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of 316 nursing students. The Negative Attitude Toward Immigrants Scale scores of the participants were high, however, the intercultural competence level of the health professionals was positive. A weak negative statistically significant relationship was found the Negative Attitude Toward Immigrants Scale and the Cross-Cultural Competence of Healthcare Professionals Scale (r = -.247, p = .000). Our study revealed that nursing students have negative attitudes toward immigrants, and factors such as gender and caring for patients from a different ethnic origin, discomfort in providing care impacted their attitudes.

Підходи до формування міжкультурної компетентності фахівців публічного управління

Statement of the problem. At the present stage of development of a globalised society, the importance of intercultural competence, which should be possessed by specialists in those fields that are directly related to the communication process with partners in the international arena, is increasing. The public sphere is no exception, as it is the place where a layer of specialists is formed to perform important tasks assigned to them by the state. Therefore, the relevance of possessing an adequate level of intercultural competence of public administration professionals is growing, especially in recent years, when Ukraine has declared the European integration vector of its development. Analysis of recent research and publications. The formation of intercultural competence of public administration professionals is studied by such scholars as Y. Vyshnevska, L. Gren, O. Hrybko, H. Kyrychenko, N. Kovalska, V. Marchenko, S. Medvedenko, O. Sytko and many others. They study the peculiarities of forming the communicative competence of public administration specialists, consider ways of forming the communicative component of the leadership potential of government officials, raise the issue of the nature of information and communication mechanisms for shaping the image of public authorities, and analyse communicative tolerance in public administration. Identification of previously unresolved parts of the overall problem. The issue of raising the level of intercultural competence of public administration professionals remains an urgent problem that needs to be addressed in the context of Ukraine's European integration. Summary of the basic research material. The intercultural competence of public administration professionals is seen as a set of skills that form a sufficient and effective dialogue between partners and relevant groups of professionals representing different economic, political, religious, ethnic or national groups. The article highlights the main structural components of intercultural competence of future public administration professionals. Angovernment official must be able to interact with partners who may be representatives of different cultures and ethnicities. Close to this is the ability to conduct a mutually beneficial dialogue and the readiness of specialists to make the most effective decision for the communicators. A high level of dialogue is considered to be the ability of its participants to hear and perceive the position of their opponents. Specialists should have the ability to conduct business negotiations at the highest level, as well as a wide range of techniques and methods of comparison and generalisation. Finally, a public sector professional must be an effective conflict resolution specialist and be able to manage conflict situations. Conclusions. Thanks to developed intercultural communication, dialogue in a modern multicultural society becomes possible, and intercultural competence serves as an effective tool for it. It is able to form an environment that provides for a basic and higher level based on such factors as motivation, skills and knowledge, moral autonomy, creativity and criticism.

Lexicography, Culture and Mediation. Or Why a Good Lexicographer Must Also Be a Good Cultural Mediator

Culture-bound items are often omitted in lexicographic resources, and when they are present, they are rarely described in an appropriate way, especially in bilingual dictionaries: the listed equivalents often do not reflect the meaning of the cultural word precisely, usage examples may be missing and above all — especially for a non-native speaker — important information on the cultural level is omitted (Nied Curcio 2020). Communication problems and misunderstandings which are triggered not by divergences on the linguistic level, but on the cultural level, can arise between speakers of different languages and cultures. Specific cultural knowledge and an advanced level of intercultural competence are required. Mediation of texts and concepts and using mediation strategies can provide significant input developing the lexicographer's intercultural competence, which is essential for an adequate lexico­graphic description of cultural aspects. Mediators often resort to their plurilinguistic and pluricul­tural repertoire and use mediation strategies. The same skills can also be harnessed by lexicogra­phers for adequate and successful descriptions of culture-bound items in lexicographic resources. In this article the focus is on the concept of mediation; the Companion Volume of the Common Euro­pean Frame­work of Reference for Languages (2018) shows parallels in the requirements of skills between mediators and lexicographers, and advocates the use of mediation strategies by lexicogra­phers to ensure that cultural information is adequately represented in the dictionary. Keywords: bilingual dictionaries, cultural items, translation, inter­cultural competence, mediation, mediation strategies, plurilingual com­petence, pluricultural competence

Beyond borders: exploring the impact of augmented reality on intercultural competence and L2 learning motivation in EFL learners.

This mixed-methods study investigates the impact of augmented reality (AR) on the development of intercultural competence and L2 (second language) learning motivation among Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The research comprised forty-eight intermediate-level learners who were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, receiving AR-based language instruction, or a control group, receiving traditional instruction. Both groups underwent pre- and post-tests to assess their intercultural competence and L2 learning motivation. The experimental group engaged with an AR application, which exposed learners to a variety of cultural scenarios, customs, and norms. The results indicate that the experimental group, exposed to AR-based instruction, demonstrated significantly higher levels of intercultural competence and L2 learning motivation in comparison to the control group. Qualitative data analysis further elucidated that AR-based instruction enhanced learners' engagement, motivation, and deepened their cultural understanding. This study highlights the potential of augmented reality as a powerful tool for fostering the development of intercultural competence and L2 learning motivation within the EFL context, suggesting promising opportunities for innovative pedagogical approaches in language education.

Correlation between cultural competence, xenophobia, and attitudes towards brain drain in nursing students

This study aimed to determine the correlation between cultural competence, xenophobia, and attitudes to brain drain in nursing students. Individuals with high levels of intercultural competence have more successful social and emotional interactions with people from various cultural backgrounds. A cross-sectional and correlational design was used. This study was conducted on 473 nursing students from two different provinces neighboring the Syrian border between October 28th and December 28th, 2021. An information form and nurse cultural competence, xenophobia, and attitude scales for brain drain were used to collect data. A negative nonsignificant correlation between cultural competence and xenophobia and a positive nonsignificant correlation between cultural competence and attitude towards brain drain were found. The students had high levels of cultural competence and positive attitudes towards brain drain, and a moderate level of xenophobia. Socio-demographic characteristics affected cultural competence, xenophobia, and attitudes towards brain drain.

The Chinese Intercultural Competence Scale and the External Factors of Spanish as a Foreign Language

The current study aimed to assess the intercultural competence (IC) of Chinese students of Spanish as a foreign language (SFL) using Chen's (2019) Chinese Intercultural Competence Scale (CICS), as well as to investigate which external factors influence the acquisition of IC in the field of SFL. The quantitative data from the study show that the participants' IC level was neither high nor low. Their level of IC was affected by age, study abroad experience, frequency of using Spanish, and positive intercultural experiences, but not by gender, college year, or number of foreign languages spoken. The findings have implications for intercultural educators and teachers of foreign languages.

Формирование межкультурной компетентности обучающихся в онлайн- и офлайн-пространстве

The article substantiates the significance of students' formation of intercultural competence in the era of educa-tional reforms. It is emphasized that such skills are especially important for those bachelors whose future pro-fessional activity is closely connected with building communication with representatives of another culture. Re-sults of the conducted research among students of “Philology” and “Foreign Regional Studies” aimed at deter-mining the level of intercultural competence in the environment of modern students are described. It demon-strates the role of educational subjects in the communication mediated by digital tools. The authors propose measures for the formation of intercultural competence in the digital educational environment of higher educa-tion institution. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that the procedural, substantive and technological aspects of intercultural competence formation can become conditions for effective international interaction in online and offline space.

Pedagogical system of developing intercultural competence of students participating in international academic mobility

The article discusses the impact of international academic mobility on the development of intercultural competence of students. The author states that in itself the movement of a student abroad for the purpose of obtaining education (or its separate stage) at a foreign university does not always lead to an increase in the level of intercultural competence of students, requiring specially organized activities to develop this competence and the use of special teaching technologies. Taking into account this circumstance, the author has developed and tested a pedagogical system for the development of intercultural competence of students participating in international academic mobility programs. The experimental data presented in the article prove that as a result of experimental learning, the ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’ components of intercultural competence develop especially intensively

Social adjustment of online learners in a multicultural environment (Ajuste social de los estudiantes de un programa en línea en un entorno multicultural)

ABSTRACT The paper determines the conditions of online learners’ social adjustment in a multicultural environment. The issue of finding an approach that would ensure adaptability and stability of personality in an entropic environment, as well as successful development and interaction in a multicultural space, gains newfound relevance. 177 students of the Yelabuga Institute of Kazan Federal University took part in the study. The developed course was delivered to the experimental group. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire was used to collect data. Improvements in the experimental group’s social adjustment indicators, derived in the course of statistical analysis of data, suggest the effectiveness of the methods used. Experimental validity of the effectiveness reveals the prospects for further research and implementation of the technology in the universities’ educational systems. The obtained data and coordination of conclusions with available research stipulate the need to study the issue of creation of unified competence and online training of instructors for a multicultural education system. The current article is quite relevant for further research on students’ adaptation in a multicultural environment, which is appropriate in a rapidly globalizing world, where everyone today needs a sufficient level of intercultural competence.

Considering the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) to Assess Intercultural Competence at U.S. Pharmacy Schools.

U.S. pharmacy schools need to engage in improving intercultural competence among administrators, faculty, staff, and students. The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) can be a possible tool to determine the level of intercultural competence. U.S. pharmacy schools need to examine the validity of the IDI within the context of health professional education prior to using this tool. To describe the relationship between the IDI and its underlying theory, identify whether the validity of the IDI has been established within two specific contexts, and discuss the practical issues and implications of using the IDI. Medline, Embase, and selected health professional education journal websites were searched to identify fully published studies utilizing the IDI within health professional education. Eligibility of articles was determined with a standardized approach. Ten studies were identified by full-text reviews, but none investigated the validity of the IDI. The IDI has been shown to be valid in certain contexts, but its validity has yet to be confirmed within health professional education. U.S. pharmacy schools need to examine practical issues and implications when deciding if the resources required to administer, analyze, and report IDI results are reasonable.

Development of Professionally Oriented Intercultural Competence of Future Tourism Experts in the Conditions of Post-Industrial Postmodern Society

The problem of formation of professional intercultural competence is relevant in the conditions of post-industrial postmodern society. The article highlights main trends in factors of intercultural competence. The article considers different approaches to determining the foreign language competence of tourism experts to intercultural competence. The analysis of theoretical and methodological approaches gives grounds to define the concept of German-language competence and qualifications of tourism experts. In the context of the study, the features of intercultural competence are identified. The objectives of the article are to determine main aspects of the formation of professional German-speaking competence of future tourism experts. In the course of the research the world and domestic experience of professional competence formation of future tourism experts and formation aspects of foreign language professional competence are analyzed. Also, based on the study, it can be argued that there is no single approach to the future tourism professionals formation of intercultural competence. Methods of analysis, synthesis, a research method and method of content analysis were used in the research. Based on the study, it is proved that levels of intercultural competence are controlled processes in the context of the use of modern educational technologies. Future tourism experts combine knowledge and skills in professional terms to achieve a high level of qualification. The results of the study are the basis for extracurricular activities in the formation of foreign language competence.

Measuring the Level of Intercultural Competence (IC) among Muslim Religious Leaders in Sri Lanka

As far as the religious leaders are influential in Sri Lankan society, their intercultural competence (IC) level matters for social harmony in the country. The existing literature found a lack of IC among religious leaders and highlighted their damaging role in a long history of ethnic violence in Sri Lanka. Referring to the 2019 easter attack, some social activists questioned the level of IC of Muslim religious leaders and the relevance of madrasa education. This research, therefore, evaluates the level of IC among the graduates of Sri Lankan madrasas. For this purpose, the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) was adopted. This study used a mixed method of data collection. A quantitative research instrument was administered among 26 madrasa alumni, and only 101 Muslim religious leaders responded. Out of the total participants, 72 (71.3%) were males and 29 (28.7%) were females. In the qualitative approach, 06 Madrasa principles accepted the invitation to the interview. They shared information about the curriculum, madrasa environment, institution policy, and their experience in dealing with issues of IC. This research found ‘minimization level or third level of IC in DMIS among all participants.’ A total of 65% of participants obtained acceptance and adaptation levels of IC. Since these madrasas have no other means except Islamic religious courses to develop this level of IC, researchers concluded that the religious education in Sri Lankan madrasas does not oppose multiculturalism. Furthermore, Islamic religious education can potentially develop IC among Muslim religious leaders. Since this research was conducted among Muslim religious leaders who graduated more than ten years ago, research is needed to ensure the current situation.

Insights into Teachers’ Intercultural and Global Competence within Multicultural Educational Settings

As multicultural classrooms appear to be the norm nowadays, giving rise to new, more particular and targeted needs which must be accommodated, teachers now need to reflect on and adjust the strategies and practices they apply in order to meet the specific learning needs of their intercultural classrooms. For this reason, teachers’ education should be re-examined, evaluated, and enriched. In this light, this original study uses a case study to explores the language views and attitudes of graduates of a Hellenic Open University Master’s international programme entitled “Language Education for Refugees and Migrants” (L.R.M.). The aim is to explore teachers’ level of intercultural competence and readiness as well as their global competences as future teachers in multilingual and multicultural settings after completing the programme. To do this, the study attempts to evaluate the programme through the lens of the personal experiences of the graduates in terms of successes, weaknesses, and strengths. To conduct the research, both quantitative and qualitative methods were applied in the form of a close-ended questionnaire and a semi-structured interview conducted in two different formats. The results indicate that the majority of the participants were confident enough to manage the challenges arising in multicultural settings after completing the program, as they felt they had developed appropriate Skills, Knowledge, and Attitudes; however, a few among them still felt uncertain in doing this. In addition, a number of different approaches and methods were found to be appropriate as used for teachers’ training, while the importance of teachers’ intercultural training was highlighted.

Intercultural studies in the university community in the focus on social cohesion development

The present article continues the cycle of social cohesion re-search in education and society. In order to research the main principlesof organized society, the main foundations of social cohesion and their ap-plications in the educational sphere are very important. The main goalof the article is to consider the intercultural aspect of social cohesion andto provide intercultural study in the university community. This studystarts with the 눿rst diagnostics of the cognitive focuses of interculturalcommunications in the university community of the National PedagogicalDragomanov University. Cultural diversity is considered the foundationand the central part of intercultural studies. The purpose of the study isto provide a conceptualization of cognitive focuses in intercultural commu-nications, to determine the actual level of intercultural competence, to testthe author’s questionnaire, and to determine the further steps for enhanc-ing intercultural communications in the educational community. Methodsthat were used in the study are the author’s questionnaire, math analyt-ics, etc. There were 272 persons interviewed at the National PedagogicalDragomanov University, namely 230 students and 42 teachers. Accordingto the research results, the level of intercultural competence of studentsand teachers is relatively high, and all indicators are above average, whichpositively characterizes the attitude of students and teachers of the uni-versity to other cultures, their perception of other cultures, tolerance andwillingness to cooperate and combine cultural activities. This is impor-tant at this time, because Ukraine is on the path to European integration,bravely defending its own choice, where one of the main values is respectand acceptance of cultural diversity.

Intercultural Competence and Study Abroad Programs-A Mixed Method Study

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the intercultural competence (IC) level of college students, explore whether there is a statistically significant difference in the IC level between students with study abroad (SA) experience and those without SA experience, and examine their attitudes, ideas and experiences about SA programs and intercultural communication. Data collected from online questionnaires and Zoom interviews were examined through the lens of Hall’s the Iceberg Analogy of Culture and M. J. Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), which were also used as the conceptual framework in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative results indicated the IC level of college students was high, reaching up to the acceptance stage or/and adaptation stage of Bennett’s DMIS. Quantitative study showed that the IC level of students who participated in SA programs was higher than those who didn’t.

The development of program of experimental research on the formation of intercultural competence of higher military educational institutions cadets during foreign language training

In accordance with the European and world tendencies of professional training of military personnel, it is mandatory to emphasize the problem of forming the intercultural competence among cadets of higher military educational institutions. The process of formation of such a competence should be experimentally approved.
 The general approaches to the structure of the experimental research program are analyzed and the necessity of a systematic approach to the formulation of the principles of scientific research, which are a means of proving the research hypothesis, is substantiated.
 The program of the pedagogical experiment, aimed at testing the hypothesis, is described, which assumes that the level of intercultural competence of cadets of higher military educational institutions increases under the condition of involvement in the process of active communication by means of intercultural dialogue in the process of learning foreign languages, which reproduces the substantive and social content of professional competences in the process of mastering cultural knowledge and communication skills during reproductive, cognitive-exploratory, research and creative activities.
 Tasks, stages, methods of experimental research are characterized. The stages and directions of introduction of the author's model of formation of intercultural competence of higher military educational institutions cadets in the process of foreign language training in accordance with structural components (motivational-value, cognitive-linguistic, communicative-strategic and evaluative-reflexive) are revealed.

The role of intercultural competence, in the relationship between intercultural experiences and creativity among students

We studied the interplay of intercultural competence, intercultural experiences, and creativity among Russian students from Moscow (N = 272). We expected the students from culturally diverse groups, attending the courses on cultural issues, to be more creative. We based our expectation on the idea that cultural diversity and cultural learning are associated with a higher level of intercultural competence that might contribute to students’ creativity. We measured the intercultural experiences by cultural diversity of study groups (a number of foreign students in the groups and the intensity of friendly contacts with them) and by cultural learning (a number of culture-related courses that students attended). We measured creativity by the “Many Instances Game” from the Runco Creativity Assessment Battery (rCAB). We measured intercultural competence by the adapted scale of Fantini and Tirmizi. We discovered positive associations of intercultural experiences in the university with students’ creativity. Such components of intercultural competence as attitudes and skills (the adaptability of behavior), played an important role in the students’ creativity. The attitudes were positive and the skills were negative, related to the creativity. We also revealed that these two components of intercultural competence mediated the relationship between the intercultural experiences and creativity of students. Based on the results, we discussed the factors of the educational environment which may enhance or prohibit creativity.