Songul Dogan Ger: Developing Students’ Cultural Diversity Awareness and Intercultural Communicative Competence in English Classes
›
2 Theoretical and Empirical Background
›
2.3 The Components of Intercultural Communicative Competence

2.3 The Components of Intercultural Communicative Competence

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Byram (1997) builds on Hymes’s (1972) concept of communicative competence—originally rooted in first language acquisition—and integrates earlier models from Canale and Swain (1980) and van Ek (1986) into the context of foreign language teaching. Van Ek’s (1986) notion of “communicative ability” includes six competences: linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, strategic, sociocultural, and social competence. While valuable, Byram (1997) critiques van Ek’s framework for relying heavily on the native speaker model, particularly in its treatment of sociocultural competence. He argues this could lead learners to detach from their own cultural identity in favour of adopting native norms—an outcome he views as problematic.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Instead, Byram (1997) proposes a model of ICC grounded in five core components:

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

  • Knowledge of one’s own and others’ social groups, products, and practices.
  • Attitudes of curiosity, openness, and willingness to suspend judgement.
  • Skills of interpreting and relating, enabling learners to compare and connect cultural perspectives.
  • Skills of discovery and interaction, or the ability to engage with unfamiliar cultural contexts in real time.
  • Critical cultural awareness/political education, the ability to evaluate practices and values in one’s own and other cultures based on clear criteria.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Barrett et al. (2014) complement this model by identifying four overarching components of intercultural competence: attitudes, knowledge and understanding, skills, and action. Attitudes include openness, empathy, and the ability to question assumptions. Knowledge encompasses awareness of one’s own and others’ cultures, communicative norms, and the influence of language on perception. Skills involve multiperspectivity, critical reflection, and the ability to mediate between cultures linguistically and socially.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Distinctively, Barrett et al. (2014) emphasise action—the application of intercultural attitudes, knowledge, and skills in real-world situations. Action includes defending human rights, challenging prejudice, fostering dialogue across cultures, and participating in democratic and socially responsible practices. They link this to broader aims such as education for democratic citizenship (EDC) and human rights education (HRE).

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Developing these components across formal, informal, and non-formal learning environments is essential for cultivating interculturally competent individuals. As such, the frameworks of Byram (1997) and Barrett et al. (2014) provide the analytical lens through which this monograph examines how culture is presented and how ICC development is addressed in educational contexts.
chevron_left
chevron_right
Tartalomjegyzék navigate_next
Keresés a kiadványban navigate_next
A kereséshez, kérjük, lépj be!
Könyvjelzőim navigate_next
A könyvjelzők használatához
be kell jelentkezned.
Jegyzeteim navigate_next
Jegyzetek létrehozásához
be kell jelentkezned.
    Kiemeléseim navigate_next
    Mutasd a szövegben:
    Szűrés:
    Kiemelések létrehozásához
    MeRSZ+ előfizetés szükséges.
      Útmutató elindítása
      delete
      Kivonat
      fullscreenclose
      printsave