Intercultural Competence

Communication
In an era when the world is smaller and cross-cultural interaction is expanding, the globe
is much more compelled than ever to embrace and integrate variety in all elements of society,
particularly communication. Communication is a fundamental, widespread, and practically
instinctive part of everyone’s daily lives. Understanding various cultures or traditions can help
extend horizons. Studies suggest that one may improve critical thinking abilities by gaining
knowledge about the world and a respect for doing things in a different way.
Europe is the epicenter of globalization, and Germany has reaped considerable benefits.
(Hamilton, D., 2008). In an increasingly diverse society with shrinking boundaries, students
from various cultural origins must be able to properly connect with individuals from distinct
backgrounds in order to overcome these impediments. Students must not only understand how to
grasp the vernacular of another culture successfully and accurately in the language school
anymore. They must also know how to thrive and function in that nation and converse with its
locals. This necessitates an understanding of societal behavior and conventions, which is an
essential aspect of culture.
Deep Culture
What few refer to as deep culture refers to cultural practices, ideas, and principles that go
beyond societal conventions, symbolism, and interpretations. Deep culture, rather than surface
components of culture, has the power to shape relationships. Perceptions are sentiments towards
anything that one believes to be true. Cultural beliefs are foundational beliefs about the world
that people create based on their cultural communities. They might encompass, for example,
spiritual and religious ideas as well as the essence of death and life. Cultural beliefs are
frequently linked to cultural practices, which are societally passed down through rites, rituals,
and superstitions.
As Savignon (1988) narrates, one’s culture influences and conditions one from birth,
determining who an individual really is. They learn when to talk and when to remain silent, what
certain body language signifies, how much space to maintain between themselves and their
discussion counterparts, which mannerisms are appropriate and which are not, as well as the
proper way to address relatives, colleagues, instructors, seniors, and their superiors. People learn
when to maintain eye contact and how much to wait for their turn in a discussion, as well as
which behaviors are acceptable in public. Schulz (2010) has come to discover that individuals
are continually confronted with "alienation" through contemporary communication, which must
undergo comprehension, analysis, and be put into context.
Communicative Competence
Communicative competency was the very first shift away from the strict paradigm toward
the understanding that grammatical ability is merely a means of communication. As a
consequence, rather than emphasizing just on appropriate grammar usage, curricula should place
a greater emphasis on giving tools to genuinely engage, that is, bringing substance over rather
than focusing solely on grammatical advancement. r. (Richards and Rogers, 1986). Today, it is
commonly understood that communicative competence, instead of grammatical competence,
should be the primary objective of language instruction. This has been the case for decades.
An individual may observe a cultural difference through the lens of one’s own culture
because of the imprint of their upbringing. A reflection process wherein the students are taught to
see through "someone else's eyes" will create a knowledge of a different point of view, which
will also enable the student to comprehend his or her own position and outlook. As a result, the
key goals of language acquisition ought to be the readiness to confront one's personal point of
view, increased compassion, respect, and a responsible approach to retaining, widening, and
developing one's own identity while reducing negative prejudices and stereotypes.
Intercultural competence
The complex and multidimensional notion of intercultural competence lacks a strict or
textbook definition. Efforts to express the concept's multifaceted elements are demonstrated by a
variety of words now in circulation. While there was no interplay of terminology in the German
language publications, studies written in English endorse a multitude of synonyms, such as
intercultural acknowledgment, global competitive intellect, cultural competence, cultural
sensitivity, ethnic-relativity, international competence, cross-cultural engagement, biculturalism,
multiculturalism, and so on (Fantini, 2006, p. 81; Mertesacker, 2010, p. 26; Yussefi, 2011, p. 16).
Intercultural competence is the skill to connect and communicate respectfully and
effectively with individuals from various cultures. It serves as a link between diversity and
equality and is essential for the creation of inclusive learning environments. True intercultural
competency requires the recognition of many cultures and deliberate efforts to be welcoming of
people from various backgrounds.
This has received a lot of attention in recent times. Multicultural competence, according
to Berardo (2015), is "the ability to behave skillfully and appropriately by utilizing intercultural
influences." In other words, intercultural competence may be defined as possessing the essential
abilities, understanding, views, and conduct to understand one's own culture as well as other
cultures and to behave professionally.
On the other hand, Bennet (2011), describes intercultural competence as being made up
of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral abilities. Intercultural awareness, basic knowledge, and
specialized cultural understanding are all part of the cognitive element of intercultural
competence.
Intercultural competence's emotional dimension includes an individual's curiosity and

fascination with other cultures, cognitive flexibility, drive to explore, and open-mindedness.
Intercultural competence encompasses the capacity to communicate with individuals from
various cultures, connect to them, solve problems, empathize with them, and acquire knowledge
as a behavioral capability.
Cultivating intercultural competency necessitates a shift in mindset; it is a long and

rewarding journey. Certainly, interaction is critical in instructing multicultural learners who
require and deserve to be accepted, nurtured, and recognized.
Figure [#]: Pyramid Model of Intercultural Competence (Deardorff, 2006)
The "pyramid framework" of intercultural competency was established by Deardorff

(2006). This approach has four stages that are based on five parameters. Individuals must meet
the requirements of these four phases in order to develop intercultural competence. The first
component is referred to as "essential attitudes." "Respect" for other ethnicities, "openness" to
multicultural education and other cultures, "inquisitiveness," and "discovering" are all part of this
dimension. This phase, according to Deardorff, is the foundation of acquiring intercultural
competency.
"Understanding and cognition" is the second aspect. This dimension involves an individual's
knowledge of her or his personal and others' cultures, the consciousness of the impact of social
factors on language usage, and abilities in perceiving, containing the information regarding, and
comprehending cultures.
Another aspect that is linked to this dimension is "abilities." This component, along with
the dimension of "knowledge and comprehension," is the second level in Deardorff's pyramid
model of intercultural competence. Connecting to individuals from various cultures, observing,
understanding, assessing, and linking cultures are all part of the "skills" factor. "Desired internal
outcome" and "desired outward outcome" are the final two aspects and two stages.
Figure [#]: Process Model of Intercultural Competence (Deardorff, 2006, 2009)
A thesis conducted by Koehler (2013) highlighted the challenges of intercultural

competence and compares and contrasts the volume and nature of intercultural communication
exercises included in German and American textbooks. The study outlined four main objectives
as major intercultural distinctions that aid in the development of intercultural competence and
interaction in pupils. It found evident disparities in textbook methods that can be linked to a
higher level of cultural uniformity among both America and Germany than there is between
Germany and its major immigrant sources.
Another study by Golub (2014), assessed and deduced as to if German instructors’

involvement in yet another training curriculum on the subject matter of intercultural competence
would have a meaningful impact on the achievement of targets set forth in current curricular
records on second language learning that are associated with intercultural competence. The
effectiveness of the structured program was evaluated by comparing learners’ performance in
intercultural competence before and after educator engagement.
The findings showed that professional learning for ESL/EFL teachers in the field of
intercultural competence had a significant impact on students’ academic achievement,
particularly in the cognitive aspect of intercultural competence. This points to the fact that
second language instructors must be encouraged to engage in such programs. The findings also
show that while creating such programs, special attention must be paid to the issue of
preconceptions and biases.

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Communication

Intercultural competence's emotional dimension includes an individual's curiosity and

Cultivating intercultural competency necessitates a shift in mindset; it is a long and

The "pyramid framework" of intercultural competency was established by Deardorff

Figure [#]: Process Model of Intercultural Competence (Deardorff, 2006, 2009)

A thesis conducted by Koehler (2013) highlighted the challenges of intercultural

Another study by Golub (2014), assessed and deduced as to if German instructors’

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