Classroom Activities and Intercultural Competence: Evidence from Taiwan, Korea, and Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46328/ijonse.6307Keywords:
Intercultural communicative competence, Cross-cultural comparison, ICC classroom activities, EFL college students, Education policyAbstract
Developing intercultural competence (IC) is crucial for learners in increasingly multilingual and multicultural contexts. While various classroom activities have been proposed to foster IC, few studies have examined how these activities differ across national contexts and how they relate to learners' reported IC levels. This study investigates the classroom activities that promote IC among university students in Taiwan, Korea, and Indonesia, drawing on survey data from 1,215 participants. Using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and hierarchical regression analyses, the study identifies notable differences in the frequency of reported activities and IC values across the three contexts. Taiwanese students reported higher engagement in input-based activities, whereas Korean and Indonesian students participated more frequently in technology-enhanced and interactive activities. However, the predictive power of these activities for IC values was generally low across contexts, suggesting that classroom activities alone may not sufficiently account for IC development without considering broader sociocultural and policy factors. The findings highlight the importance of context in shaping classroom practices for IC and underscore the need for more nuanced approaches in designing and evaluating IC-related activities in higher education settings.
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