A comparative study of intercultural sensitivity among postgraduates majoring in International Chinese Education in China context

Abstract

Based on a survey sample of 435 China postgraduates majoring in International Chinese Education with different undergraduate English learning experience, the research attempted to find out how five elements proposed by Chen & Starosta (2000), interacted or influenced with each other. Those five elements incorporated in Intercultural Communication Competence Scale (ICCS), developed by Chen & Starosta (2000), are interaction engagement, respect for cultural differences, interaction confidence, interaction enjoyment and interaction attentiveness. The survey results from the multiple regression charts demonstrated that the elements composed of intercultural sensitivity actually interacted or influenced interactants’ actual intercultural communication process.