Culture clash chronicles: Unveiling language learners' intercultural competence through critical incident tasks

Abstract

This study explores the development of intercultural competence among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners through critical incident task discussions. Participants included 72 intermediate-level students in a control group and 69 in an experimental group. Both groups completed a presurvey on intercultural competence, whereas the experimental group additionally engaged in weekly critical incident discussions and submitted their reflections. At the end of the intervention, both groups completed a postsurvey, and the experimental group provided open-ended responses about their experiences. Results revealed significant gains in intercultural competence for the experimental group, with no comparable improvement in the control group. Learners reported increased awareness of cultural values, norms, and differences, recognition of culture’s role in shaping behavior, greater open-mindedness, and enhanced communication skills. They also highlighted strategies such as respect, empathy, adaptability, inclusivity, and collaboration when addressing intercultural challenges. The study underscores the potential of critical incident tasks in fostering intercultural competence in EFL contexts.