Intercultural Communicative Competence Levels of Indonesian EFL Students: A Preliminary Study in a Higher Education Contex

The lack of intercultural communication skills will likely cause disharmony, misunderstanding, and even conflict in communication. To be successful in communication with native speakers depends on language skills, customs, and cultural knowledge. In the age of global communication, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching goals should be reoriented to cultivate intercultural communication competence (ICC). EFL learners should have this intercultural competence and be sensitive in order to avoid disharmony, misunderstandings, and even conflicts in communication. The main objective of this preliminary study is to reveal the levels of intercultural communicative competence among EFL students at a state university in Indonesia. A survey questionnaire was performed employing a quantitative analysis in this study. Eighty-nine students filled out the ICC questionnaire, which consisted of 20 questions. Findings indicated that most of the students had a low ICC level because they are lack of experience and knowledge in interacting and socializing with people from various cultural backgrounds. In terms of gender differences, the results showed that male students had higher levels of ICC than that female students. This research implied that intercultural topics should be included in the university’s curriculum.

Student and teacher perceptions of the value of Total War: Saga in motivating KS3 students in an all-boys state school

This paper will investigate the efficacy of using game-based learning to increase motivation in Key Stage 3 boys (aged 11–14) at a single-sex, non-selective free school located in inner London. During observations of classes I have seen a spectrum of varying motivation in the classroom. As such, the aim of this game-inspired motivation should, as this paper will find, have a clearly demonstrable influence on their academic studies. This will be examined through measuring both an increase in intercultural communication competence and a desire to autodidactically research these historical and classical topics. Whilst the long-term effects of this research paper on its participants will not be properly understood for years to come, what can be currently measured, I hope, can offer genuine excitement in the area of digital games and motivation.

Investigation on the Intercultural Sensitivity of English Teachers in Chinese Elementary Schools

The development of technology has driven human beings into a globalized world, which requires intercultural communication competence (ICC). As its affective aspect, the subject of intercultural sensitivity (IS) is being heatedly discussed nowadays. This study focuses on the importance of intercultural sensitivity (IS) among Chinese EFL teachers and attempts to explore their current level and the possible reasons for it. For this purpose, questionnaires were distributed to 29 Chinese elementary school English teachers, and the results from the questionnaire showed that the IS level of these teachers is satisfactory, scoring high in five dimensions: interaction engagement, respect for cultural differences, interaction confidence, interaction attentiveness, and interaction enjoyment. The follow-up interview suggested that the high IS level may be a result from intercultural communication training. Moreover, this research found that Chinese teachers were more engaged and enjoyed less in view of scarce opportunities for communication in authentic cross-cultural contexts. Several suggestions and implications for further research have also been included in this article.

A Case Study of Intercultural Sensitivity of Junior School Students in an International School

The process of internationalization requires people to have higher intercultural communicative competence, which refers to a person's ability to successfully communicate in different cultural environments. It consists of cognition, emotion, and behavior. The study of intercultural sensitivity actually focuses on the emotional factor in intercultural communication competence. Based on the concept of intercultural sensitivity and English teaching practice, this article intends to contribute a little to the intercultural communication teaching and relevant study by analyzing the current level of intercultural sensitivity of junior high school students and interviewing English teachers about the implementation of intercultural teaching strategies.  

cours de langues dans le contexte universitaire : quelle place pour la compétence interculturelle à l'ère du numérique?

Este artículo tiene como objetivo aclarar el lugar significativo de la interculturalidad en el aula de idiomas. De hecho, las sociedades actuales están expuestas a cambios profundos a nivel individual y colectivo bajo el efecto de la digitalización. Esto significa que el individuo experimenta una nueva socialización, una especie de socialización digital dentro de la cual la dimensión intercultural ocupa un lugar central a través de la apertura lingüística y cultural al otro. Esta situación presenta a la escuela nuevos desafíos. Más allá de las consideraciones didácticas y puramente lingüísticas, el aprendizaje de idiomas adquiere toda su significación al poner en práctica los conceptos fundacionales de la interculturalidad como la competencia intercultural o la competencia comunicativa intercultural. Lo mostraremos a partir de los programas lingüísticos de cooperación internacional, en particular los de la asociación entre la Universidad Hassan1er en Marruecos y la Haute école d'Hénallux en Bélgica. This article aims to highlight the significant place of interculturality in the language classroom. Indeed, current societies are exposed to profound changes at the individual and collective levels under the effect of digitization. This means that the individual experiences a new socialization, a kind of digital socialization within which the intercultural dimension occupies a central place through linguistic and cultural openness to the other. This situation presents the school with new challenges. Beyond didactic and purely linguistic considerations, language learning takes on its full significance by putting to work the founding concepts of interculturality such as intercultural competence or intercultural communication competence. We will show this from the linguistic programs of international cooperation, in particular those of the partnership between the University Hassan1er in Morocco and the Haute école d'Hénallux in Belgium. Le présent article vise à éclairer la place prégnante de l’interculturel dans la classe de langue. En effet, les sociétés actuelles sont exposées à de profondes mutations sur les plans individuel et collectif sous l’effet de la digitalisation. Ce qui fait que l’individu vit une nouvelle socialisation, une sorte de socialisation numérique au sein de laquelle la dimension interculturelle occupe une place centrale par l’ouverture linguistique et culturelle sur l’autre. Cette situation met l’école face à de nouveaux défis. Au-delà des considérations didactiques et purement linguistiques, l’apprentissage des langues prend toute sa signification en mettant à l’œuvre les concepts fondateurs de l’interculturel à l’instar de la compétence interculturelle ou de la compétence à la communication interculturelle. Nous montrerons cela à partir des programmes linguistiques de coopération internationale, notamment ceux du partenariat entre l’Université Hassan1er au Maroc et la Haute école d’Hénallux en Belgique.

Intercultural communication competence

The study outlines the role of intercultural communication as a crucial component of diplomats and international professionals’ training, which increases the effectiveness of interaction with representatives of different cultures in performing professional duties. Conditions of civilizational development, achievements of science, innovative technologies, requirements of public life, the priority of foreign policy activity have led to the deepening of people's and cultures’ interaction. Because of such interaction of both individuals and cultures, diplomatic relations between different states have gained a special status. The diplomatic relations are based on intercultural communication as a tool of international cooperation aimed at promoting foreign policy interests of different states, as well as ensuring international cooperation and developing long-term formal and informal ties between government institutions, international actors, diplomatic missions, and political leaders. All these cause the intensification of intercultural communication processes that become systemic. With the research methods being study, analysis, and generalization, the study was aimed at revealing the concept of intercultural communication competence as the diplomats and international affairs specialists’ ability to choose and implement a speech act depending on the goals and content of professional speech through language, as well as mastery of communication strategies and tactics.

The Intercultural Communication Competence of International Students in Indonesia: A Case Study Approach of Darmasiswa Program

Currently, there are many international students come to Indonesia to learn the language and culture. However, it is undeniable that they experienced a very diverse culture shock when they arrived in Indonesia. There are many differences that they experience ranging from weather, food, different ways of eating, time and delay problems to different type of toilet. This study aims to answer the questions on how they adapt to the new culture, and how to become competent in intercultural communication. This is a qualitative research with a case study approach. Data collection was obtained by semi-structured interviews with 8 international students who are studying language and culture in Indonesia. The results showed that intercultural communication competence can be possessed by international student if they have a motivation to learn that can make them more easily to adapt with new cultures and environment.

DIRECTIONS OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE OF THE ROMANIAN MILITARY PERSONNEL PARTICIPATING IN STABILITY AND SUPPORT OPERATIONS

The identification and choice of directions for the development of intercultural communication competence of the Romanian military personnel participating in stability and support operations abroad can be approached starting from different criteria. In our opinion, they refer to: components of intercultural communication competence; the different explanatory models of the intercultural communication competence; the sociological model of intercultural communication competence.