Intercultural Competence in Language Education: A Mexican Perspective

Snapshot

This study assesses the intercultural competence of Mexican pre-service English language teachers, focusing on the dimensions of attitude, knowledge, skills of interpreting and relating, skills of discovery and interaction, and critical cultural awareness.

Introduction

In an increasingly interconnected world, intercultural competence is crucial for fostering mutual understanding and effective communication. For language teachers, IC goes beyond teaching grammar and vocabulary—it involves being cultural mediators who navigate diverse classrooms. This study explores how Mexican pre-service EFL teachers develop their IC, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities within their training programs.

Key findings

The results indicate that among the five dimensions, attitude emerged as the most developed, while knowledge was the least developed. 

The study finds that pre-service teachers have a relatively shallow and static definition of intercultural competence, rather than an evolving and dynamic one. Participants hold a more individual view of intercultural competence rather than a collective one, which is interesting given that Mexican culture is collectivist in nature. 

The study reveals that the attitude dimension is the most developed among the participants, while the knowledge dimension is the least developed. The participants demonstrated a lack of knowledge in cultural learning processes and strategies, including those for mediating and resolving conflicts among people from different cultures. 

This study contributes to the limited body of research on intercultural competence in Mexico, within the context of English language teaching 

The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to enhance pre-service teachers’ intercultural knowledge, which is crucial for their professional development and effective teaching in increasingly diverse classrooms 

Results

The survey results indicate a predominantly Mexican sample population, with a significant majority of females, and a predominance of advanced and intermediate English proficiency among the participants.

The results show that participants have a nuanced understanding of intercultural competence across different definitions of culture. The study finds that male participants reported higher scores for the awareness dimension, knowledge, and skills, while female participants scored higher for the attitude dimension. Participants with superior language proficiency demonstrated significantly higher awareness levels, better attitudes, and higher knowledge scores compared to those with intermediate and advanced proficiency.

The results show that the participants scored lowest on items related to citing academic works about cultural models, multicultural settings, and educational training processes. They also demonstrated a lack of knowledge in cultural learning processes and strategies.

Conclusions

The research underscores the importance of integrating intercultural competence into EFL teacher education. While Mexican pre-service teachers show strong attitudes and awareness, addressing knowledge gaps is critical. Training programs should include cultural theory, intercultural communication practices, and opportunities for experiential learning.

Future work

Future research should investigate the long-term impact of targeted interventions on teachers’ intercultural competence. 

The study suggests that further research is needed to explore the influence of gender on pre-service EFL teachers’ perceptions of their intercultural competence development. Additionally, the study recommends investigating the impact of intercultural learning activities beyond culture-focused courses. 

Future studies could explore the motivations behind curricular decisions aimed at fostering intercultural competencies in Mexican EFL B.A. programmes. They could also investigate whether these programmes include curricular decisions aimed at promoting a culture of peace in accordance with the SDGs suggested by the United Nations.

Practical applications

The study’s findings have implications for the training and development of English language teachers, highlighting the need for greater focus on intercultural competence enhancement to enable pre-service teachers to communicate interculturally. 

The study’s findings have practical implications for educational interventions aimed at fostering intercultural competence in pre-service EFL teachers. The results suggest that cultural content programs can successfully increase intercultural competence in a classroom context. 

The study suggests that teacher training programmes should include more content focused on building factual and conceptual knowledge about diverse cultures. This could be achieved through workshops on cultural history, panel discussions with guest speakers, and the integration of intercultural literature and media analysis.

Higher Education, English language, Intercultural Communication ,Sustainable Development Goals, Teacher Education, Assessment Social Media, English as a Foreign Language

https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v24i4.974

Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals mapped to this document

Partnership for the goals | Goal 4

Quality Education, specifically under Target 4.7.

Why SDG 4.7?

Target 4.7 focuses on ensuring that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including education for global citizenship, appreciation of cultural diversity, and fostering a culture of peace and nonviolence.

This research on intercultural competence in pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers directly supports:

• Promoting global citizenship through the development of skills and attitudes that foster understanding and cooperation across cultures.
• Enhancing the ability of educators to handle multicultural classrooms effectively, which is crucial for inclusive and equitable quality education.
• Addressing cultural biases and stereotypes, contributing to a peaceful and inclusive society.

By equipping future teachers with intercultural competence, the study contributes to building educational environments that reflect the core tenets of SDG 4.7.