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Marta Tecedor Cabrero is an assistant professor in the department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures at Texas Tech University. She specializes in the study of computer-based tools and second language learning, in particular with regards to the intersection of language, social interaction, and task-based instruction.

Being proficient in a foreign language means being able to communicate successfully with native speakers of that language. In addition to the traditionally recognized competences —grammatical, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic (Canale & Swain, 1980; Swain, 1983)— learners also need to have culture specific knowledge as well as cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills to interact appropriately and effectively in the target language, what has been called Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC).

A model for ICC

There are several conceptualizations of ICC, but the most widely used model today is Byram’s (1997), which identifies three components to interact successfully in intercultural situations: attitudes, knowledge, and skills.

According to this model, “attitudes” refer to awareness of one’s own cultural perspectives and openness and curiosity to learning about new beliefs, values, and perspectives on the world. “Knowledge,” on the other hand, refers to awareness and understanding of how individuals and groups interact in both one’s own and the interlocutor’s culture. Lastly, “skills” means the ability to discover and interpret cultural phenomena—including one’s own—and to operationalize all three components of the construct in a real time interaction.

As can be seen, one of the particularities of Byram’s model is that it requires an awareness and understanding of one’s own culture as a first step to communicating effectively in cross-cultural situations.

Approaches to the teaching of ICC

While most foreign language practitioners and theorist agree on the importance of providing ICC education, the question of how this education is best carried out is still debated. Overall, two models can distinguished: the Social Skills Approach and the Holistic Approach.

The Social Skills Approach assumes that the goal of instruction is to teach learners how to pass by natives of the target culture, that is, to teach skills for cultural assimilation leaving one’s own culture values and perspectives aside. In this approach, instruction includes a repertoire of cultural facts, formulaic expressions, and advice on how to behave appropriately in specific situations.

A more popular approach, the Holistic Approach, is based on the assumption that the goal of instruction is to develop positive attitudes towards others, promote empathy and reduce ethnocentric viewpoints. In this approach, instruction consists of providing learners with the necessary tools to analyze and interpret cultural phenomena.

The development of ICC

Current research on the development of Interactional Competence distinguishes three stages in the process of acquisition. First, intercultural awareness arises when the learner can notice and compare differences in the products, practices, and perspectives of two or more cultural group. Then, intercultural understanding comes about when the learner begins to attribute possible explanations to the target culture phenomena. Lastly, intercultural awareness is achieved once the learner can communicate in the target culture context successfully.

ICC and Computer Assisted Language Learning

The use of computer technology provides an essential contribution to the development of ICC in today’s foreign language curriculum. The Internet and so-called web 2.0 tools facilitate access to an array of authentic materials (e.g., newspapers, movies, T.V. programs, songs) through which knowledge of the target culture and its perspectives can be acquired and/or augmented. More importantly, many of these computer-mediated tools also afford the possibility of engaging in intercultural communication with native speakers of the target language.

These exchanges can follow several models—class-to-class telecollaboration, e-tandem exchanges, or one-to-one exchanges in one language only—and take place asynchronously, in media such as email, blogs, wikis, or synchronously via chat or videoconferencing platforms.

Current research in the field of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) has shown that telecollaborative interactions can be effective in helping learners acquire ICC. However, these exchanges are not without problems. The literature also documents numerous instances of communication breakdowns, misunderstandings, and frustration between interlocutors due to, among other things, problems with the technology, netiquette, and/or undeveloped ICC (Kramsch, 2009). As with all instructional models, then, the role of the teacher is crucial to the success of internet-mediated ICC instruction. It has been suggested (O’Dowd, 2007) that the success of telecollaborative exchanges often depends on instructor’s familiarity with the technology, as well as his/her ability to act as model and coach.

References:

Byram, M. (1997) Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Multilingual Matters.

Kramsch, C. (2009). The multilingual subject. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

O'Dowd, R. (2007). Evaluating the outcomes of online intercultural exchange. Munich: Langenscheidt.