Bridging Sociality and New Media Practice as a Lever to Intercultural Competency

This paper is based on the findings of a survey on 120 students involved in the Interdisciplinary Course on Intercultural Competences （ICIC）, a three-year EU Lifelong Intensive Program project aimed at developing intercultural competency in the education, social work and health care professions. The Program approached intercultural competency as a culturally aware ability to cope with unfamiliar situations continuously arising in the current ever-changing society, in which learning has become an ＂endemic condition＂, and the new media have created symbolic resources for actively expressing and constructing identities as an in-progress and negotiated project. Intercultural competency is therefore rethought from a holistic perspective as a part of an educational mission that particularly values one＇s communicative and social experiences as a strategic resource for facilitating learning processes and enhancing professional competency. The presented data show sociality as a clustering factor for intercultural learning and displays a factorial structure, from which a model for intercultural education is inferred, in which bridging social capital, media practice and reflective attitude become crucial for gaining and valuing competency in terms of human capital.

Cultural Linguistics and Intercultural Communication

The relationship between language and culture is the core issue in intercultural communication.For native language learners,their native language and local culture are in perfect harmony;while for foreign language learners,they often unconsciously separate the two,resulting in the phenomenon of“half-cooked rice”in foreign language education.This phenomenon makes us reflect on the purpose,content,and methods of foreign language education and seek theoretical guidance.Foreign language teaching aims to improve intercultural competencies,so it must face language and culture in intercultural communication.As a branch of cultural linguistics with multidisciplinary origins,intercultural linguistics focuses on the relationship between language and culture in intercultural communication.In the process of exploring how to apply linguistic theories in second language acquisition,it shows that intercultural linguistics not only has important enlightenment and application value,but also needs further studies.

Cultivating Cultural Self-Awareness to Teach Intercultural Communication

Intercultural communication is undisputably important in today’s world.Schools on every level in China attach great importance to educating young people with intercultural communication competence.Chinese anthropologist Fei Xiaotong developed the concept of cultural self-awareness to meet this urgent need.The paper explores the rich meanings of cultural self-awareness concept and how the idea is relevant to teaching intercultural communication.

Research on Enhancing Students’Intercultural Awareness and Competence in English Teaching

With the deepening of globalization,intercultural communication has become an important part of people’s daily lives and work.English,as an international language,plays a vital role in intercultural communication.However,simple language knowledge can no longer meet the needs of modern society.Students need to have intercultural awareness and competence to better adapt to the development of globalization.Therefore,it is particularly important to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in English teaching.This paper will discuss how to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in English teaching,which includes three parts.The first part introduces the definition of intercultural awareness and competence.The second part explores the importance of intercultural awareness and competence to students,which can help students better understand and respect different cultures,stimulate students’innovative thinking and creativity,and cultivate critical thinking skills,and is also of great significance to students’professional development,personal growth,and social responsibility.The third part discusses the effective methods and strategies to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in teaching,including carrying out cultural discussion and debate,introducing diverse materials,creating intercultural experience teaching activities,and using virtual learning tools.To a certain extent,this study can enrich the theoretical research in the field of intercultural awareness and competence,help to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence,and provide certain practical guidance for educators to teach intercultural courses.

The Impact of Street Interviews on Chinese EFL Undergraduates’Intercultural Communicative Competence

The study adopts Byram’s Intercultural Communicative Competence(ICC)model as the theoretical framework,and structured interviews were conducted to explore the impact of street interviews on the participants’ICC.Analysis results revealed street interviews help students acquire knowledge in intercultural attitudes,intercultural knowledge,skills of discovery and interaction,and critical cultural awareness,aligning with the four components of Byram’s ICC model.Meanwhile,they have positive perceptions of street interviews.Therefore,street interviews have a positive effect on the development of participants’ICC.

The framework and cultivating modes of intercultural communication competence for business English majors in vocational colleges： Based on the study of vocational colleges in Guangxi

The teaching objective of vocational business English is not only to improve students＇ English language competence, but also to develop their intercultural communication competence. Based on an analysis of the outcome of a survey on cultivation of English majors＇ intercultural competence among vocational colleges in Guangxi, the paper aims at exploring the framework and cultivating modes of intercultural communication competence for business English majors in vocational colleges.

Integrating Chinese Culture Into Language Curriculum:Teaching Chinese Culture to International Students in China

This paper explores the integration of Chinese culture into language education for German students at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology(USST).Focusing on USST’s Chinese curriculum and pedagogical strategies,the study emphasizes the importance of cultural immersion,experiential learning,and authentic materials.Drawing on Byram’s Intercultural Communicative Competence(ICC)model,the Cultural Studies Approach,and Task-Based Language Teaching(TBLT),the paper presents a case study on incorporating Chinese calligraphy into regular classes.This hands-on approach not only enriches cultural understanding but also enhances language skills.The findings stress the need for tailored,multifaceted pedagogical approaches to prepare international students for cross-cultural interactions in a globalized context.

Investigating the Reliability and Validity of Chen and Starosta's Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) against Chinese Cultural Background

Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC), as one of the research fields of intercultural communication, has been given much importance from scholars all around the world. Intercultural sensitivity is one of the three dimensions in Dr Chen's ICC model. This research investigates the reliability and validity of Chen and Starosta's Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) (2000) against Chinese cultural background by using Chinese university students majoring in English as respondents.

The Exploration of Intercultural Education in College

Intercultural education was paid more and more attention in college English teaching.However,the college English teaching is still stay in "language ability stage".So,more and more people realize that"student need a kind of intercultural communication competence,so that,they can benefit from the education of language and culture".(Byram&Morgan,1994:62).We must integrate language and culture in the foreign language classroom and optimize the atmosphere of English cultural cognition to improve the intercultural communication competence of students in college.

China English and College Intercultural Education:A Cultural Linguistic Perspective

In the era of globalization,English as an international language(EIL) is also the medium of intercultural communication for the international community.Based on the theory of cultural linguistics(CL),which regards language as culture-oriented rather than structure-oriented,Sharifian(2009,p.4) has proposed that varieties of English which constitute EIL result from the interaction between the English language and different local cultures.CL suggests that China English(CE) should be understood in this light:It is not a substandard interlanguage,but a variety of English with its own cultural value and right.This paper intends to systemically analyze the nature of CE and its value in intercultural communication so as to better understand current intercultural education.Over a long time,much emphasis has been laid on the importance of adapting to the target language culture to the neglect of home language culture in our College English classrooms,thus resulting in what is known as Chinese cultural aphasia.In the light of CL,intercultural communication competence(ICC) encompasses not only knowing English and adapting to its culture,but also using CE to introduce the native culture in which CE plays an irreplaceable role.Therefore,CE is undoubtedly a key remedy for Chinese cultural aphasia.More research on CL should be conducted as it provides felicitous disciplinary guidance for our college intercultural education.

Using Social Media to Promote Intercultural Communication Between Chinese and American University Students

This paper reports a five-year computer-mediated intercultural exchange project between Chinese and American university students that explores the use of various social media tools with WeChat application as the main medium in collaborative intercultural assignments. The study combines quantitative and qualitative approaches by using questionnaires and action research, to investigate how Chinese EFL and American CFL learners increase their intercultural communication competence by assessing their knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and skills of discovery and awareness. The findings reveal their changes and progress in the following variables: knowledge about the variety and subtlety of both the home and target cultures, a different worldview, and cultural study methods;awareness of the importance of differences and similarities between the home and target cultures, their negative reactions to these differences(e.g., fear, ridicule, disgust, feeling of superiority, etc.) and therefore, critical evaluation of the target and home cultures;attitudes from excitement or blind admiration of the target culture to confusion, anxiety or frustration about the cultural differences, later to toleration and appreciation of cultural differences, adaptation to the target culture, and eventually to openness and readiness to suspend disbelief about other cultures and belief about one’s own;skills to contrast the target culture with their own, to demonstrate a capacity to interact appropriately in a variety of different social situations in the target culture and resolve cross-cultural conflicts and misunderstandings. This research will serve as a valuable reference for computer-mediated intercultural communication teaching and open up new possibilities to extend classroom teaching by bridging the gap between second-hand knowledge and hands-on experience.

Integration of Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence

The launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in China calls for a paradigm shift in theory and practice of foreign language(FL)teaching from a communicative language teaching approach(CLT)to intercultural language teaching(ICLT),which treats intercultural communicative competence(ICC)as the core of FL education.Unfortunately,the College English Curriculum Requirements of China(CECR)does not specify the aspects for cultural teaching or assessment;nor does it provide any theoretical or practical guidance for teachers on how to teach or assess ICC.This leads to teachers’confusion about what should be taught and assessed and how,hence to a deficiency in real actions.In this paper,we first outline the learning outcomes of ICLT-oriented courses,the ICC components which respectively fall into the categories of intercultural attitude,knowledge and skills.By presenting the pedagogical practice of a cultural literacy course,we also demonstrate how FL teachers can help learners achieve these learning outcomes through a fivestage instruction process.Finally,we discuss how these learning outcomes can be assessed using formative and summative assessment tools,especially how ICC components can be incorporated into a comprehensive test of FL.

An investigation into the speechlessness of Chinese native culture in Chinese EFL learners＇ intercultural communication in English

Based on a survey of intercultural competence in intercultural communication in English, this paper discusses the speechlessness of Chinese native culture in Chinese EFL learners＇ English intercultural communication, its effects as well as its pedagogical implications for English learning ＆ teaching in Chinese EFL context.

Developing Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence Through Threads of Personal Experiences: A Reflective Approach

With the development of world globalization, English works as a lingua franca for intercultural communication among different cultures in the world. This shift implies that introducing solely English native speaking cultures to students is not sufficient for their needs. This paper depicts the reflective teaching process of my ten years of experience of teaching intercultural communication.The paper describes how the teacher systematically reflects on the practice of teaching,continuously revises the curriculum, and finally formulates an efficient model of integrating students’ personal experiences into developing students’ intercultural communicative competence and awareness. This reflective study attempts to provide some pedagogical implications for intercultural communication education.

Mindfulness-Based Communication: Reflections on the Role of Taiji Practice in Enhancing Intercultural Competence

Taijiquan(太极拳)is a discipline that influences the practitioners’body-mind and could lead them to a healthier state.In this article,the intercultural aspects of Taiji practice are explored,specific characteristics that practitioners could develop through the continued practice of Taijiquan.These qualities are studied through the lens of Taijiquan Classics,a collection of ancient theoretical and philosophical texts that is the foundation for Taijiquan theory and practice,in the framework of the science of intercultural communication.Our purpose is to explore yet another less-known benefit of Taijiquan practice besides its many,already well-known ones.We argue that Taijiquan has the potential to develop qualities and attributes associated with intercultural competence.

Intercultural Interaction and Competence： Challenges Facing South African Children

South Africa is a country of many cultures. Before the first democratic elections in 1994, people of different cultures found it difficult to interact because of legislated racial segregation, which made it difficult for blacks to mix with whites in almost all spheres of life. The only place interaction could take place was in the workplace. As a result, children from different cultural groups had few opportunities to interact. This made it impossible for South African children to learn about the cultures of other racial groups. With the introduction of a democratic government, all segregation laws were relaxed and people mixed freely in all spheres of life. Intercultural communication became commonplace. This new scenario presented a challenge to many South African children, but despite the limits imposed before 1994, children from all racial groups associated successfully. Their ability to cope with this situation with so much more ease than adults was remarkable. This paper seeks to highlight the communication skills used by South African children from all cultural backgrounds to achieve intercultural competence in a relatively short space of time. The paper will further reflect on the impact made on African children by intercultural interaction and competence.

Intercultural Communication Competence Developed by Chinese in Communicating With Malays in Bangka Island, Indonesia

This study aims to explore the cultural identity of Chinese related to their self-perception, their perception of Malays, and their communication with the Malays in Bangka Island, Indonesia, emphasizing the Chinese intercultural communication competence in terms of their self-presentation in business relationships with the Malays. The study employed an interpretive approach, more specifically the symbolic interactionlst and dramaturgical tradition. The researchers focused on intercultural communication experiences and competence as enacted by the 25 Chinese in the area of the research. The study used in-depth interviews with the Chinese as the main method with some observation of the Chinese communication with the Malays. The researchers also interviewed eight Malays as additional subjects of the research to corroborate the research findings. The study found that the Chinese in Bangka Island perceived themselves as open and willing to mingle with the Malays They are hospitable, hardworking, tenacious, frugal, and fond of maintaining long-term relationships. In contrast, in the Chinese view, the Malays are open and willing to mingle with others, obedient to the teachings of Islam, but they are lazy and are keen on being flattered, consumptive, and easily seduced. In terms of their intercultural communication competence, the Chinese are skillful in their self-presentation by employing various verbal and nonverbal tactics to adjust themselves to the interpersonal, group, and business situations where they encounter the Malays in their everyday lives

On the Ecological Evaluation of Iranian Secondary Schools English Language Course Books in Light Intercultural Communicative Competence： Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude

With the spread of English language around the world and its status as an international language, the need for more communication is felt. One pivoting aspect of this communication is the role of culture which can contribute to the success of communication at the global level and the co-construction of identities as individuals from different parts of the world get into interactions. Thus, the role of materials developed for learning English, especially the local ones, in the improvement of individuals＇ intercultural competence is significant. New course books for learning English at Iranian secondary schools entitled Prospect series have been developed recently. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the first and the second books of this series in light of Byram＇s model of Intercultural Communicative Competence （1CC）. Based on this model, ICC consists of three dimensions of attitude, knowledge, skills, and five saviors of knowledge, attitude, discovery, interaction, and critical thinking. To do the evaluation of the course books, the checklist developed based on these five saviors was used to evaluate the tasks for each unit of the books. The evaluation was done separately by each of the researchers in the study and inter-rater reliability showed a high level of Cronbach alpha. The findings indicated that about 90 percent of the activities of Prospect 1 and Prospect 2 lack the skills required for improving English language learners＇ ICC. They mostly focus on Iranian culture which might have been improved via learners＇ first language as well. This might imply the need for the adaptation of Prospect series activities in light of ICC so that Iranian English language learners can take advantage of their communication with the rest of the world.

Impact of Intercultural Learning Program on Language Learners＇ Intercultural Competence

As institutions of higher education continue to internationalize, the number of exchanged students climbs ever higher in China. It is important to know what they have gained in the intercultural learning experiences in terms of attitudes, awareness, and knowledge, which are the three constructed dimensions of Intercultural Competence in this study. A qualitative research is conducted by using interview and seven English language learners are investigated to explore their learning outcomes in the intercultural learning program. From the thematic analysis of the interviews, it can be found that these English language learners＇ intercultural competence has been improved during their stay in USA. They successfully overcome cultural shock, hold positive attitudes toward target culture and people, become more confident in English study, and acquire more cultural knowledge. The research outcomes contribute to promoting intercultural learning effectiveness and improving learners＇ intercultural competence.

A Systematic Way to Plan Culture Teaching and Enhance Intercultural Competence for English Majors

Culture teaching is an inseparable part of an English major program to enhance students＇ intercultural competence. Yet, in practice, culture teaching does not receive due attention. More often than not, culture is taught and intercultural competence is developed randomly by individual teachers. The practice lacks cooperation, unity and coherence at the curriculum level. This paper proposes a systematic approach to plan, organize and coordinate culture teaching and to enhance intercultural competence for English major students. The theoretical assumption is a language is inseparable from its relative culture and the foreign culture should be openly addressed in actual teaching.