Learner variables in the development of intercultural competence: A synthesis of home and study abroad research

To provide insights into a wide array of individual learner variables implicated in intercultural education in home and study abroad contexts, this study systematically reviewed the effects of such variables on the development of intercultural competence. The corpus consisted of 56 journal articles published over the past two decades (2000-2020). The purpose of this study was to explore: (a) learner variables that were described in research on intercultural competence, including, inter alia, their age, gender, first language (L1) background, proficiency level, and attitudinal orientations; (b) settings in which learners’ intercultural development was studied, including both home contexts and study abroad contexts; and (c) effects of learner variables on the development of their intercultural competence. The results of this synthesis indicate that a growing number of studies have started to document intercultural instruction in both home and study abroad contexts. They show how learner variables were considered in conducting these studies and how variation in these variables impacted the effectiveness of instruction that targeted intercultural competence. The findings can considerably broaden our understanding of both opportunities and constraints in intercultural education in terms of learner variables and in particular variables that make the most contribution to intercultural development in home and study abroad contexts.To provide insights into a wide array of individual learner variables implicated in intercultural education in home and study abroad contexts, this study systematically reviewed the effects of such variables on the development of intercultural competence. The corpus consisted of 56 journal articles published over the past two decades (2000-2020). The purpose of this study was to explore: (a) learner variables that were described in research on intercultural competence, including, inter alia, their age, gender, first language (L1) background, proficiency level, and attitudinal orientations; (b) settings in which learners’ intercultural development was studied, including both home contexts and study abroad contexts; and (c) effects of learner variables on the development of their intercultural competence. The results of this synthesis indicate that a growing number of studies have started to document intercultural instruction in both home and study abroad contexts. They show how learner variables were considered in conducting these studies and how variation in these variables impacted the effectiveness of instruction that targeted intercultural competence. The findings can considerably broaden our understanding of both opportunities and constraints in intercultural education in terms of learner variables and in particular variables that make the most contribution to intercultural development in home and study abroad contexts

The Impact of Flipped Learning on Students’ Engagement and Satisfaction Development: A Cross-Country Action Research Study

[Abstract] Action research has shown that using the Flipped classroom method, students become more active and engaged in educational activities. The Flipped classroom method, used in the activity study, revealed that students were more successful in communicating and cooperating, the process could be made easier by differentiating, playing, including intercultural aspects. This method made it possible to develop higher thinking abilities and increased motivation, and involvement in the educational process was observedResearch was conducted under ERASMUS+ project Flipped Impact (2018-1-TR01-K A 201- 059386)

Forming communicative competence in future specialists of the socio-economic sphere

This article explores the cultural tendencies of verbal etiquette among future professionals in the socio-economic field in the context of postmodern society during their professional training. The aim of the article is to investigate the formation peculiarities of communicative competence in education seekers of socio-economic professions regarding the development of speech culture related to the problem of verbal etiquette in postmodern society. The components of communicative competence in future professionals of the socio-economic field include subjective, praxeological, and gnoseological aspects, which are interdependent and contribute to the development of communicative interaction in their professional activities. The research was conducted within the educational process of higher education institutions, employing identical measurement techniques, time, and duration of training, which allowed for diagnosing the level of communicative competence of future professionals in the socio-economic field according to the criteria of speech culture. Communicative competence of future professionals in the socio-economic field is defined as the integration of scientific knowledge, intellectual and practical skills and abilities, virtual literacy in interpersonal interaction, competence in overcoming communication barriers, general culture, and personal qualities of education seekers capable of solving life-creative tasks

An exploration of the impact of an online MBA course on intercultural sensitivity development

While research on online MBA courses is growing rapidly, teaching specific skills using online delivery formats is a relatively new stream of research in graduate business education. In this study, adult learning methods such as experiential activities, discussion, teamwork, and action learning were used in a seven-week online MBA course to explore in what ways intercultural sensitivity could be developed. A two-trial, pretest-posttest research mixed methods design was implemented in the summers of 2004 and 2005 at a Midwestern Jesuit university. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered and analyzed from thirty-eight participants (N=38). First, quantitative analysis of pretest-posttest scores from the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) (Hammer & Bennett, 1998, 2002, 2004), and demographic variables, revealed that sixty-eight percent (68%) of participants developed greater intercultural sensitivity while age, gender, and degrees of course engagement were predictors of IDI score change. Second, qualitative analysis of survey data found that the quality of virtual teamwork impacted perceived learning outcomes and most participants found the online MBA course to be a useful and complementary addition to traditional MBA face-to-face courses. Finally, six case studies were developed to explore IDI stage shift and construct explanatory schemas. Conclusions suggest that coping strategies, cooperative/collaborative efforts, flexible cognitive orientations, course engagement, introspective reflection, and cultural curiosity were factors that impacted intercultural sensitivity development. The results of the study confirm that intercultural sensitivity can be learned and measured using an online delivery format and the IDI. Recommendations to further develop this online MBA course include: 1) expand length of course, 2) incorporate role of intercultural coach, 3) include synchronous components, 4) provide clearer course expectations, 5) structure purposeful teams, and 6) enrich course content. Four directions for future research that emerged from the study include testing course effectiveness using larger graduate student samples, examining the effects of different team composition on intercultural sensitivity development, comparing a blended learning environment with purely online delivery, and conducting longitudinal studies to measure behavioral change

Intercultural communication competence in a global virtual team

Abstract In recent years, the global prevalence of remote work has rapidly increased. This has been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the effects of globalisation. A specific form of remote work is a global virtual team (GVT). A GVT refers to a team that uses computer-mediated technology to communicate in order to work towards a common goal, and is temporary, multicultural, and geographically dispersed. The communication in such a team also involves interactions among people of different cultures, intercultural communication. This can be characterised by misunderstandings and communication failures. However, intercultural communication competence (ICC) can aid in achieving mutual understanding. ICC refers to the ability to effectively and appropriately interact with people of different cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to answer the research question: How can intercultural communication competence be applied in a global virtual team? Answering to the question involves descriptions and categorisations of intercultural communication and collaboration challenges, and of solutions to the challenges in the form of ways of applying ICC. The research design of this study included an expert interview, and a single case study of a GVT. The GVT consisted of students at multiple universities. The interview findings indicated that making assumptions related to culturally different others based on insufficient information was the basis of all intercultural communication challenges in a GVT. One solution to this challenge was extending the time of analysing one another’s communication. The case study findings indicated that the most pronounced and common challenges faced by the GVT were related to coordination, particularly to some members’ lack of commitment, which led to other challenges. One solution to the challenge was starting an interaction in order to involve team members in collaboration. Many of the challenges can be related to one another. Furthermore, solutions in the form of ways of applying ICC can be devised, if not to all, at least to nearly all communication and collaboration challenges faced in a GVT. Knowledge of these challenges and ways may allow companies and their employees to overcome and prevent such challenges, improve their intercultural communication and collaboration, as well as ultimately experience increases in task and relationship outcomes.Tiivistelmä Viime vuosina etätyö on nopeasti yleistynyt maailmanlaajuisesti. Syinä tähän ovat olleet COVID-19-pandemia sekä globalisaation vaikutukset. Etätyön erityinen muoto on globaali virtuaalitiimi (GVT). GVT viittaa tiimiin, joka viestii tietotekniikan välityksellä työskennelläkseen yhteisen tavoitteen hyväksi, ja on väliaikainen, monikulttuurinen, ja maantieteellisesti hajautunut. Tällaiseen viestintään kuuluu eri kulttuurien edustajien välistä vuorovaikuttamista, kulttuurienvälistä viestintää. Tähän voi liittyä väärinymmärryksiä ja viestinnän epäonnistumisia. Kuitenkin, kulttuurienvälinen viestintäkompetenssi (KVK) voi auttaa molemminpuolisen ymmärryksen saavuttamisessa. KVK viittaa kykyyn viestiä tehokkaasti ja soveliaasti eri kulttuuritaustaisten ihmisten kanssa. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on vastata tutkimuskysymykseen: Miten kulttuurienvälistä viestintäkompetenssia voidaan soveltaa globaalissa virtuaalitiimissä? Tähän kysymykseen vastaamiseen liittyy kulttuurienvälisen viestinnän ja yhteistyön haasteiden, ja näiden ratkaisujen kuvailuja ja luokitteluja. Ratkaisut viittaavat tapoihin soveltaa KVK:ta näihin haasteisiin. Tämän tutkimuksen tutkimusasetelmaan sisältyi asiantuntijahaastattelu, ja yksittäistapaustutkimus GVT:stä. Haastattelulöydökset viittasivat siihen, että oletusten tekeminen liittyen kulttuurisesti erilaisiin toisiin perustuen riittämättömään informaatioon oli kaikkien kulttuurienvälisten haasteiden perusta GVT:ssä. Yksi ratkaisu tähän haasteeseen oli osapuolten toistensa viestinnän analysointiajan pidentäminen. Tapaustutkimuslöydökset viittasivat siihen, että korostuneimmat ja yleisimmät haasteet, jotka GVT kohtasi, liittyivät koordinaatioon, erityisesti joidenkin jäsenten sitoutumisen puutteeseen, joka johti muihin haasteisiin. Yksi ratkaisu haasteeseen oli vuorovaikutuksen aloittaminen tiimiläisten osallistamiseksi yhteistyöhön. Monet haasteista voivat liittyä toisiinsa. Lisäksi, ratkaisuja voidaan löytää KVK:n soveltamisen tapojen muodossa, jos ei kaikkiin, ainakin lähes kaikkiin GVT:ssä kohdattujen viestinnän ja yhteistyön haasteisiin. Tieto näistä haasteista ja tavoista voi mahdollistaa yritysten ja näiden työntekijöiden selviytyä näistä haasteista ja ehkäistä näitä haasteita, edistää heidän kulttuurienvälistä viestintäänsä ja yhteistyötänsä, sekä lopulta parantaa tehtävätuloksia ja ihmissuhteita

Mind the gap: gap factors in intercultural business communication : a study of German-Indian semi-virtual tech/engineering teams

While the affordances of technology have facilitated virtual modes of global collaboration, cultural variances and a geographically-dispersed environment can also lead to impaired group communication in team interaction. This qualitative study draws on data gathered from four organizations to investigate the miscommunication and cognitive dissonances reported by virtual German-Indian engineering/tech communities of practice. The study argues that it is not so much the performance or doing of a communicative act that creates dissonances, but the gaps, i.e., the absence or not-doing of certain communicative actions expected in a collaborative context. The gap factors are experienced as unfulfilled reciprocal expectations, and are classified and explored against three parameters: 1) the culture of a technological community of practice, 2) the power relations between the interactants, and 3) the consequences of virtual communication. The findings indicate a complementary divergence between the two groups regarding the nature of gaps. While the German teams report gaps in communicative efficiency and content caused e.g., by non-disclosure, euphemistic language and a deficiency in push communication, the Indian teams perceive gaps in relationality and affective signaling. At the same time, they are two sides of the same coin, with the divergences arising from the way in which the intersecting structural parameters are viewed as being salient in interaction. The study concludes with implications and suggestions for organizational practice

A Comparative Study on Basic Education Curricula of Finland and Turkey in Foreign Language Teaching

This study aims to provide information for researchers and policy-makers targeting at improving foreign (English) language education in their countries by showing the differences between the foreign language curricula of Turkey and Finland. Finnish National Core Curricula along with the new curricula launched by the Finnish National Board of Education in August 2016 were analyzed. Document analysis was used as a method, and necessary documents and links were provided by the Embassy of Finland in Ankara, the Finnish National Board of Education, and Republic of Turkey the Ministry of National Education via e-mail and mail services and Amazon. This study is unique as the reform in Finland is a brand-new issue and required to be investigated further in terms of English Language Teaching. Keywords: English language teaching policies; phenomenon-based learning; information and communication technologies; transversal competencie

The Association Between Reading and Emotional Development: A Systematic Review

Reading practice is associated with numerous psychological benefits. However, its influence over individual emotional dimensions has generally been underestimated by research. Only recently has it been recognized across different developmental stages but evidence is still scarce. The aim of this systematic review is to shed light over the association between reading and the several (and sometimes hardly distinguishable) socio-emotional constructs that we have identified in literature: interpersonal skills and prosocial behavior; emotional and behavioral symptoms; emotional regulation and expression; empathy and theory of mind; emotional knowledge and comprehension; and emotional responses. A total of 50 studies were analyzed, including all age groups, various settings, research drawings, and different emotional constructs in order to create a comprehensive view of the association between reading and emotions. Results show that overall reading practice has a positive impact on socio-emotional development, whatever its declination, regardless of age, gender or setting of implementation

Communicative mediation and identity for the development of European democratic values in the EFL classroom

Against the backdrop of rapidly evolving globalised societies in which public attitudes are polarised, and where phenomena such as the revival of nationalism intersect with movements that seek to achieve further internationalisation, the aim of this thesis is to put forward scientifically grounded teaching methodologies that can extend the strictly linguistic nature of adult English as a Foreign Language (EFL) by positively impacting on students' receptivity to the adoption of European democratic values, as well as on the functioning of the overall social dynamics of the classroom. From a conceptual perspective, this work endeavours to present the interrelationship between the socio-cultural perspective of the language teaching-learning process, the development of relational forms of social capital and the self-identification of students with European democratic principles and values. To this effect, and focusing on possible strategies for promoting active European citizenship through higher education, foreign language learning is explored as a means of developing cognitive, relational and communicative competence for individual empowerment. Building on the contributions of disciplines such as sociology and psychology, as well as the latest frameworks adopted at Community level for language and civic education, the importance of enabling learners to become participatory members of a democratic learning community, in which collaborative interaction, intersubjectivity and mutually assisted performance occur through the implementation of Mediated Language Learning Experiences (MeLLE) is equally upheld. The empirical application of mediation as a language activity (CEFR/CV, Council of Europe, 2018a) thus becomes the centrepiece of this contribution, as it underscores the collaborative nature of communication, explicitly asserting the role of the language learner as a social agent. The fundamental focus followed hence lies in the importance of establishing dialogical and reflective communities of practice in the language learning classroom setting which encompass the integration of relevant thematic content and a mediated approach as a critical variable in the development of collaborative activities. On the other hand, despite the considerable interest that European identity building has aroused and the quest undertaken by scholars to specify the predictors of its support, few studies have addressed, from a unitary theoretical framework, the joint analysis of positive identification attitudes among young people in Europe and the values they perceive as typically European. Among the shared community values considered here, the appreciation for linguistic diversity and multilingualism, the respect for otherness and the development of an intercultural mindset are fundamental premises for people to coexist in a world of increasing heterogeneity. Within this landscape, there is space for language identities and foreign language teaching to play an exciting part in education for democracy. Consequently, the other fundamental focus of this work is the process of Europeanisation, understood as the compounding effect of European integration on the of rules, values and identities on the lives of European nationals, which from the sociological angle here adopted inevitably demands attention to issues such as cross-border encounters in a European Union (EU) context, as well as inquiring how EU citizens are perceiving the politically promoted values and EU policies. To this end, we empirically address the plausability of attachment to Europe being derived from or intensified by transnational learning experiences. Finally, after examining the main interlinkages between the pedagogical paradigms of Intercultural Communicative Competence and Intercultural Mediation, their impact on the reconceptualisation of the role of educators is traced, substantiating the necessary conversion of teachers from target language and culture knowledge providers to facilitators of intercultural awareness. In a similar token, the management of pedagogical processes associated with the development of learning strategies as a by-product of a democratic classroom culture is analysed