Intercultural Communicative Competence Levels of Indonesian EFL Students: A Preliminary Study in a Higher Education Contex

Abstract

The lack of intercultural communication skills will likely cause disharmony, misunderstanding, and even conflict in communication. To be successful in communication with native speakers depends on language skills, customs, and cultural knowledge. In the age of global communication, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching goals should be reoriented to cultivate intercultural communication competence (ICC). EFL learners should have this intercultural competence and be sensitive in order to avoid disharmony, misunderstandings, and even conflicts in communication. The main objective of this preliminary study is to reveal the levels of intercultural communicative competence among EFL students at a state university in Indonesia. A survey questionnaire was performed employing a quantitative analysis in this study. Eighty-nine students filled out the ICC questionnaire, which consisted of 20 questions. Findings indicated that most of the students had a low ICC level because they are lack of experience and knowledge in interacting and socializing with people from various cultural backgrounds. In terms of gender differences, the results showed that male students had higher levels of ICC than that female students. This research implied that intercultural topics should be included in the university’s curriculum.

Integrating Compulsion Strategy to Improve Students’ English-Speaking Skills Through Podcast

“…According to (Ellis, 2007); (Anjaniputra, 2013); (Firmansyah & Valatansa vegian, 2019); (Maulana, 2021), speaking skill is the ability to speak up and to express idea structurally in any kinds of situation. (Anjaniputra, 2013); (Firmansyah & Valatansa vegian, 2019); and (Tambunan, Lubis, Andayani, & Sari, 2021) state that speaking skill is that one does activity to report acts or the ability to express a sequence of idea fluently using precise vocabulary and or appropriate words. (Tager-Flusberg, 2015); (Fauziah, 2015); and (Firmansyah & Valatansa vegian, 2019) reveal that English-speaking skills that the ability to speak confidently and fluently is something which children will develop during their time at school, and something that will help them throughout their life.…”

“…In short, classroom management of learners establishes and sustains an orderly environment for students (Gulikers et al, 2006); (Tager-Flusberg, 2015); (Said & Yusof, 2015); (Gulikers et al, 2006) (Muhammad, Hasbullah, Syarifudin, & Patak, 2019); and (Tambunan et al, 2021). This is to create opportunities for meaningful academic learning and foster social and emotional growth.…”

“…One of re-evaluation of progress for learning improvement is that the teachers can do to improve online teaching (Javed et al, 2013); (Clancy-menchetti, 2011); and (Christie & Alkin, 2008). There are five things that the teachers can do to improve online learning, they are: utilizing a variety of technology options, connecting to students individually, preparing to work with students' parents, considering new learning methods or strategies and or approaches, and providing collaboration and socialization opportunities (Patak, Naim, Said, & Asik, 2013); (Tambunan et al, 2021); (Demirezen, 2018); and (Yuliyanto et al, 2020).…”

“…Studies conducted by Hasbulllah et al (2021), Rahmatika (2021), Wachid (2021), have identified common challenges faced by learners of English as a foreign language, including psychological obstacles, vocabulary selection, and expression difficulties. Conversely, Yuliyanto et al (2020), Tambunan et al (2021), and Wachid (2021) have underscored the significant benefits of employing podcasts as alternative media for teaching English speaking skills in EFL classes. This study aims to contribute to the academic discourse in English Language Teaching (ELT) by examining the impact of integrating a compulsion strategy and podcasts on students' English-speaking skills.…”

Exploring the Dimensions of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in English Learning: Insights from EFL Students

“…One of the problems that often occurs in English language learning is the use of various references, such as British English (BrE) and American English (AmE) (Lughu, 2022). Research by Tambunan et al (2021) suggests that a lack of experience and knowledge in cross-cultural interactions can lead to low levels of ICC among students. These factors include differences in norms, cultural values, and language and dialect variants.…”