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Lindsey Compo
Professor Gonsior
WRT 3100
27 March 2014
Applied Research Paper
Globalization has made it inevitable for educators to encounter and teach culturally
diverse students. Globalization has amplified the need for global citizens to develop and
improve their intercultural communication skills. Naturally, this phenomenon has increased
people’s exposure to foreign cultures through advanced information technologies, mass
communication, and expedient transportation. As a result, these modern day conveniences have
literally shrunken the world’s vastness. Such advancements allow many individuals to easily
come into contact with diversity with merely one touch of a button. Whether such intercultural
interactions occur via Internet, Smartphones, or within a classroom, it is evident that building
competence in intercultural communication is a true necessity in this globalized world.
There is a significant need for teachers and students to develop and practice intercultural
communication competence within the dynamic classroom environment. Psychology scholars
highlighted, “the number of English-to-speakers-of-other-languages (ESOL) students has more
than doubled since the 1980s and has recently grown significantly at North American Schools”
(Huang, Dotterweich, & Bowers, 2012). This staggering data shows that teachers no longer have
a choice on whether or not they desire to become competent in intercultural communication. As
educators, fostering intercultural awareness and intercultural sensitivity is not optional; it is
absolutely mandatory (Yu, 2012). Instructors must become aware of and to embrace their
students’ cultural differences when teaching across cultures. They must understand important
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ways in which cultures differ and how this affects the ways in which their students perceive
themselves, observe the world, and communicate with others. This is one step towards
providing appropriate and effective training to students. This research is specifically aims
towards the audience who teach English as second language (ESL), English as a foreign
language (EFL), and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). This examination focuses
on highlighting the need to combine ICC goals with objectives for the English curriculum.
Furthermore, this study offers possible solutions to meet this need.
Intercultural Communication Competence
Many scholars developed intercultural communication competence theories that explored
what skills are precisely involved in intercultural communication. Most communication and
psychology scholars agree that ICC involves three major skills, which encompass intercultural
awareness, intercultural sensitivity, and intercultural adroitness (Yu, 2012). These ICC factors
are interrelated in nature, because when these three factors are operated together, they assist in
building mutual comprehensive bridge across diversity. Intercultural awareness is a cognitive
ability that is emphasizes the “understanding of culture conventions that affect how we think and
behave” (Yu, 2012). Intercultural sensitivity is an affective ability that is focuses on the “desire
to understand, appreciate, and accept cultural differences” (Yu, 2012). Intercultural adroitness,
also known as intercultural skills, is a behavioral ability that concentrates on employing
communication skills such as “behavioral flexibility, interactional management, and verbal and
nonverbal skills” during intercultural interactions (Yu, 2012). Communication and psychology
scholars highly esteem these three intercultural competencies as the foundation in the pursuit of
achieving appropriate and effective communication across cultures.
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In Teaching Intercultural Communication in a Technical Writing Service Course: Real
Instructor’s Practices and Suggestions for Textbook Selection, communication scholars Thomas
Barker and Natalia Matveeva asserted, “The need for teaching intercultural communication in
technical communication courses has been widely advocated by researchers over the last decade
in the leading journals dedicated to professional writing” (2006). ESL, EFL, and ESOL students
who are limited in their English speaking abilities require intercultural communication
competent teachers. In the United States, ESL teachers are expected to be able to empathetically
recognize, tolerate, and embrace their students’ diverse cultural backgrounds so that their
students’ learning experience is a positive one (Huang, Dotterweich, & Bowers, 2012).
Intercultural communication competence should be incorporated in all educational programs.
The challenge that faces English students is that there are little opportunities given in the
classroom to practice intercultural interactions “because of a lack of intercultural confidence”
(Wang, 2013). These students have the tendency to not “enjoy themselves in interaction”
because they have not been equipped with intercultural communication skills needed in order to
gain intercultural confidence. Generally speaking, most of the English learning experiences of
these students are “exam-oriented and knowledge-centered” but lacks intercultural
communication practice (Wang, 2013). This has increased their anxiety and uncertainty during
intercultural interactions, and they typically “are afraid of making mistakes in communication”
(Wang, 2013). According to communication scholar Zhao Bao-he (2010), intercultural
awareness and tolerance is “of great importance in English teaching and learning” because it
“contributes to effectiveness and appropriateness of an English discourse.” Intercultural
communication training will help boost their students’ level of intercultural confidence.
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Psychology researchers suggest that ESL teachers incorporate ICC strategies to help
prevent the occurrence of intercultural miscommunication within the classroom (Huang et al.,
2012). It is clear that students require English teachers to be proficient in intercultural
communication. Proficiency in ICC will help to establish respectful understanding between
differences. In addition, teachers who advance their intercultural competence will assist in the
prevention of incidence, such as miscommunication and conflict, in the teaching space.
Measuring Intercultural Communication Competence
Prior to developing intercultural communication skills, it is essential for teachers to
assess their level of intercultural competency. Communication scholar Han Yu alerted that as
intercultural communication becomes “an integral part of our education” educators “can no
longer ignore the question of assessment” (2012). Completing self-assessments, such as selfreports that measure cultural values and interactional knowledge, can give instructors a better
sense of what their current strengths and weaknesses are in regards to intercultural
communication competence (Yu, 2012). Teachers will benefit from measuring and then further
establishing their competency in intercultural communication. After all, they are obligated to
interact with and instruct diverse students who need interculturally competent instruction.
A major component of ICC is to become aware of one’s own cultural self-awareness with
the intention of being empathetic towards those who are culturally different. Communication
scholars argue that “without sound methods for assessment” teachers “risk lowering the quality
of students’ learning and the quality of teaching” (Yu, 2012). In order for teachers to be
appropriate and effective communicators, they establish awareness of their own, as well as their
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students’, cultural values, assumptions, and biases. Therefore, it would benefit teachers to take
self-reports to measure their competency prior and to measure any progress throughout the
semesters. Measuring self-awareness is a step that will helps teachers to identify their cultural
self-awareness, ensure unbiased teaching, and foster an atmosphere of acceptance. Ultimately,
teachers must be proficient in their ability to receive and understand their students’ different
perspectives to deliver a quality and effective education.
ICC Development in Curriculum
In order to achieve intercultural communication competence (ICC), curriculums must
encourage and integrate intercultural awareness, intercultural sensitivity, and intercultural skills
within its educational programs. Intercultural communication competence goals must be
assimilated within the ESL, ESOL, and EFL instructional content, materials, and resources.
Curriculums can be enhanced to equip students with the good tools to employ in the complex,
diversified world. For example, textbooks should be relevant and support the intercultural
communication teaching goals. English teachers should ensure that their textbooks meet their
course goals and offer a “balance between analytical and application skills” for their students
(Barker & Matveeva, 2006). Scholars suggest that curriculums can be appropriately designed by
utilizing a “three-pronged approach: awareness, information, and practice” (Barker & Matveeva,
2006). Communication and psychology scholars strongly stress the importance for ESL, ESOL,
and EFL curriculums to not solely focus on teaching English linguistics and vocabulary. It is
now necessary to implement intercultural awareness, intercultural sensitivity, and intercultural
skills within the curriculum.
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Research in second language education revealed that “ESOL students’ insufficient
English language proficiency, coupled with their unfamiliarity with the North American culture”
has prevented them from achieving effective intercultural communication in their intercultural
learning environment (Huang et al, 2012). Researchers contend that it is not sufficient for
students to master the English language. Furthermore, they recommend that teachers help
increase their second language students intercultural awareness via providing adequate
knowledge of the culture of the target language (Chen, 2013). For instance, instructors who
teach Chinese students the English language demonstrate effective teaching when they integrate
cultural awareness training within their courses. In this case, it is advantageous for both students
and teachers to learn about cultural differences that exist between the Chinese culture and
American culture. For that reason, it is extremely crucial for teachers to continuously educate
themselves and implement intercultural communication skills so as to ensure that their students
are receiving an excellent education. It is necessary to provide students ample opportunities to
practice their intercultural awareness by engaging them in classroom activities that will help to
break their ethnocentrism.
Presently, intercultural communicative competence is extensively acknowledged as an
“important goal of language learning and teaching” in ESL and ESOL classroom instruction by
(Chen, 2013). Scholars declare that teaching English “means more than merely teaching
learners the vocabulary, structures, and grammars” (Bao-he, 2010). Teaching English entails
informing students “how native speakers of English see the world and how the English language
reflects the ideas, customs, and behavior of their society” (Bao-he, 2010). Teachers can help
their culturally diverse students to better understand the North American culture by showing
films and other sources of media that “demonstrate typical cultural interactions” (Huang et al,
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2012). Furthermore, teachers can encourage their students to participate in classroom
discussions with their American peers to help them put their intercultural knowledge into
practice. Scholars contend that ESL, EFL, and ESOL students will benefit from a curriculum that
engages students in class participation of any “projects, games, and activities that encourage
exposure to cultural differences.” These activities will help promote intercultural interactions
and provide students time to practice developing their intercultural communication skills.
Conclusion
In a globalized world, physical and virtual closeness to diversity is a reality in the
academic environment. Globalization requires for all individuals, including teachers and
students, to reconcile and mutually accept one another’s cultural differences. This is especially
true for students and teachers, because they are daily exposed to different cultures in a diverse
academic environment. ESL, ESOL, and EFL teachers must understand that students’ cultures
affect their learning experience. Thus, it is important for these teachers to employ various ICC
strategies to help increase their student’s intercultural competence with the aim of preventing
intercultural miscommunication. English teachers and students progress in intercultural
communication competence is a necessity to ensure the development and strengthening of these
required skills. In order to foster mutual understanding and respect across diversity, it is
ultimately necessary to enhance the current curriculum to better aid the students. The curriculum
must encapsulate linguistic competence, pragmatic competence, cognitive competence, affective
competence and intercultural communication competence.
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Works Cited
Bao-he, Zhao. “How to Enhance Cross-Cultural Awareness in TEFL/Comment Ameliorer la
Sensibilisation Interculturelle Dans TEFL.” Cross-Cultural Communication 6.2 (2010):
n. pag. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.
Barker, Thomas, & Natalia Matveeva. “Teaching Intercultural Communication in a Technical
Writing Service Course: Real Instructors’ Practices and Suggestions for Textbook
Selection.”Technical Communication Quarterly 15.2 (2006): n. pag. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.
Chen, Chao. “Empathy in Language Learning and Its Inspiration to the Development of
Intercultural Communicative Competence.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies
3.12 (2013): n. pag. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.
Han, Yueqin. “Research on Fostering Intercultural Communication Competence of Foreign
Language Learners.” Cross-Cultural Communication 9.1 (2013): n. pag. Web. 24 Jan.
2014.
Huang, Jinyan, Erin Dotterweich, & Ashleigh Bowers.“Intercultural Miscommunication: Impact
on ESOL Students and Implications For ESOL Teachers.” Journal of Instructional
Psychology 39.1 (2012): n. pag. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.
Wang, Jian-ying. “Research on Chinese University Students’ Intercultural Communication
Competence.” David Publishing 11.11 (2013): n. pag. Web 27 Mar. 2014.
Yu, Han. “Intercultural Competence in Technical Communication: A Working Definition and
Review of Assessment Methods.” Technical Communication Quarterly 21.2 (2012): n.
pag. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.