Thai elf learners' and teachers' perceptions toward intercultural communicative competence: its roles and possibilities for integration into Thai elf classrooms

Abstract

In light of the growing volume of communication between people from different cultural backgrounds around the globe at present, this mixed methods study aims to investigate how Thai learners and teachers of English understand and perceive the role of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in their English language learning and teaching, respectively.

Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 150 Thai learners and 16 Thai teachers of English at one private university in Thailand. The quantitative data, collected via questionnaires, were analyzed through descriptive statistics while the qualitative data, collected via focus group and semi-structured interviews, were analyzed through a constant comparative method. Then, the findings from quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated together in order to provide the most comprehensive perceptions of these two groups of participants toward the issue of ICC and other related issues.

The findings revealed that these learners and teachers had a positive perception of ICC and perceived it as an ability that individuals need when communicating with people from other cultures. In terms of its roles, the learners and teachers perceived that ICC could potentially be integrated into the English language classrooms and could help enhance learners‟ English communicative competence, but to a certain extent only. This latter perception implies that ICC is significant, but it does not have a direct impact on learners‟ English communicative skills.

The findings also suggested that English language teacher educators and material developers incorporate intercultural dimensions into English education programs and learning materials, respectively, so as to enhance the success of ICC integration into EFL classrooms. Additionally, to facilitate a smooth integration of ICC into EFL classrooms in the context of this study, ICC should be integrated as a supplementary element, not the main focus, of English courses, and it should be integrated to raise learners‟ awareness of ICC‟s crucial roles in global communication today, not for assessment purposes.