Intercultural Communicative Competence in Foreign Language Classroom: Benefits and Challenges Kemampuan Komunikasi Antarbudaya di Kelas Bahasa Asing: Manfaat dan Tantangan

Abstrak

Enhancing intercultural communicative competence (ICC) is essential in foreign language education, since it profoundly influences learning in a multicultural environment. Instructing a foreign language involves imparting knowledge of a language alongside its unique culture, which encompasses aspects such as religion, gender, and belief systems. Consequently, ICC has emerged as the primary objective of foreign language education and educators. Despite the intrinsic interconnection between language and culture, where one cannot exist without the other, language is nevertheless instructed as a distinct entity from culture). This study, ICC model, seeks to examine the advantages and obstacles of intercultural communicative competence in foreign language education by conducting semi-structured interviews with nine international students from five distinct countries enrolled in Pashto, Urdu, and English courses. The findings indicate that (i) students gain awareness of diverse cultures, languages, cultural values, customs, and traditions; (ii) intercultural communication competence (ICC) presents challenges such as language barriers, cultural alienation, and difficulties in comprehending others' cultures and social norms; (iii) nevertheless, students cultivate a favorable disposition towards learning about other cultures and enhance their literacy skills in foreign language classrooms through ICC.