Integration of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in an EFL Course: Perceptions of Students and Teachers

While the use of appropriate linguistic features of the target language is essential for successful communication, sociocultural factors also play a crucial role. Intercultural communicative competence (ICC) is one dimension of sociocultural awareness that has been recognized as integral for communicative competence. However, the integration of ICC in second/foreign language classrooms remains a challenge, possibly due to the fact that language educators tend to have more knowledge about the target language than its related cultural aspects (Celce-Murcia, 2007). This study, therefore, aims to find out the perceptions of students before and after integrating ICC in an elementary level English course. The study also attempts to reveal the reflections of the teacher offering this course about using ICC while teaching English. The participants were 20 Turkish EFL students and their teacher. The quantitative data were collected through pre- and post- ICC scale, while the qualitative data came from students’ semi-structured interviews and teacher’s reflective journals. The findings revealed that there were significant differences in the perceptions of the participants after the integration of ICC, which increased their awareness about different cultures, their own culture as well as the role of culture in language learning. Similarly, the teacher shared positive reflections about ICC-driven module in English classrooms apart from some difficulties experienced related to the speed of the videos and selected topics. The obtained findings offered pedagogical implications and suggestions about the inclusion of ICC in EFL classrooms.