Exploring Intercultural Competence Among Chinese English Majors in Thailand
Abstract
Background and Aim: Intercultural competence (IC) is considered to be one of the critical competencies necessary for talent in today's world. This study is qualitative, and it is conducted with the Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters (AIE) to enhance the intercultural competence of Chinese English major students by having them critically reflect on their intercultural experiences during their education abroad in Thailand. Although plenty of research is related to IC in educational stay-abroad programs, only a few of them have conducted empirical research on the usage of AIE in IC development, especially those beyond the American or European context. Therefore, the study first aims to identify elements of intercultural competence demonstrated in three students’ real-life intercultural encounters in Thailand. Meanwhile, it also explores the feasibility of using AIE interviews instead of the written form for future large-scale studies to help participants reflect critically on their intercultural encounters.
Materials and Methods: The interview data from three students were analyzed. The model of Intercultural Competence in AIE was employed to examine the main aspects of intercultural competence (attitudes, knowledge, skills, and action orientation) manifested in students' intercultural interactions. The narratives were categorized and reconstructed using MAXQDA 2022 according to these thematic frameworks.
Results: The findings revealed that three students generally had a negative attitude towards intercultural encounters for various reasons, such as feeling "surprised." While all four aspects of intercultural competence were reflected in their experiences, the focus was mainly on attitudes and specific skills. Additionally, the students showed a strong interest in further developing their intercultural knowledge. Compared to the written form, the oral interview proved to be more flexible, allowing the researchers to remind participants of past events and engage in follow-up discussions. Moreover, some opaque questions in the written form were more easily accepted in the oral format, and participants could double-check questions anytime.
Conclusion: This study contributes empirical study about the application of AIE in education abroad programs, especially for Chinese English major students going to Thailand. Significantly, this study represents an initial attempt to explore the possibility of conducting the AIE interview for future research.
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