Intercultural competence as an aspect of the communicative ...

However, despite positive results that the study shows, the author stresses that IC
learning must ‘receive explicit guidance and training in various aspects of intercultural
telecollaboration’ (O’Dowd 2004: 366). In particular, O’Dowd here refers to the depth of
research the students conducted, engagement with the tasks, being able to ask effective
questions, lack of reflection on received information. Mistaking exchange of information
for exploring the contrasting cultures is something noticed in another study (Baker 2009)
that explored ICC of English learners in Thailand.
The importance of this study is that it shows why including IC instruction in
language teaching is important, despite the voices that claim that learners would use
English mostly as a lingua franca or that there cannot be any affective value in IC
teaching. O’Dowd stresses that learners have a predetermined and usually stereotypical
view of culture learning and culture which usually means high culture as propagated from
the media and in textbooks. Therefore, awareness raising activities of different kinds
should be included to ‘encourage learners to develop their critical cultural awareness and
to look for the values and beliefs which underlie the facts and behaviour’ (O’Dowd 2004:
374).
The author believes that, regarding the cultural dimension of FLT, IC learning at
the tertiary level should be supported by both cultural studies and ethnographic
approaches, that is, both top-down and bottom-up approaches so that learners gain insight
into a culture on a wider scale, while also being aware of everyday culture.
In a longitudinal study (2001-2004) the authors tired to assess the effect that a
four-year International Business Communication program at a university in the
Netherlands might have on students’ IC awareness and FL acquisition. The authors
designed a pre-test and post-test as a measurement instrument featuring everyday
(monocultural and intercultural) dialogues involving business associates. It was used to
assess IC awareness in a group of 39 students (those who completed both pre- and posttests).
Students also did a self-assessment of their interest in other cultures and
proficiency in a FL.
As the instrument, the researchers used four scenarios (two monocultural and two
intercultural), based on ‘the individualistic-collectivist perspective of culture and with
low-high context communication styles’ (Korzilius et al. 2007). The study should show
whether over time the participants would undergo an attitude shift and consequently
change their answers. It was expected that learners would develop IC awareness and
become more sensitive to a role cultural background could have in IC encounters. This
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