Intercultural Competence and Intercultural Sensitivity Levels of EFL Preparatory Students: Insights from a Turkish Context

Öz

Farklı duygusal, bilişsel ve davranışsal bakış açılarına sahip insanlar arasında etkili iletişim, güçlü bir iletişim becerisi gerektirir. İngilizce küresel bir dil haline geldikçe yabancı dil yeterliliği ve iletişimsel yetkinlikten daha önemli olan kültürlerarası iletişim becerilerinin öğrenilmesi dil öğretimi için gereklidir. Bu nedenle İngilizce sınıflarında etkili iletişim, çok kültürlü duyarlılık ve yetkinlik gerektirir. Kültürlerarası yetkinlik insanların kültürlerarası ilişkilerde etik ve yetkin bir şekilde davranması gereken küreselleşmiş bir toplumda çok önemlidir. Toplumlar ortak hedefler için çabaladıkça ve farklı kültürel gruplarla kalıcı sosyal, kültürel ve ekonomik bağlantılar kurdukça, kültürlerarası duyarlılığın önemi tüm eğitim seviyelerinde, özellikle de yabancı dil öğrencileri için giderek artmaktadır. Birçok öğrenci kültürlerarası bilgi, beceri ve zihniyetten yoksundur. Bu çalışma, yabancı dille eğitim yapan hazırlık seviyesinde öğrenimlerine devam eden öğrencilerin kendi kültürlerarası duyarlılık ve yetkinliklerini nasıl algıladıklarını, iki değişken arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki olup olmadığını ve bu değişkenlerin demografik özelliklerine göre anlamlı bir farklılık gösterip göstermediğini incelemektedir. Çalışmada betimsel yöntem benimsenmiş ilişkisel tarama metodu kullanılmıştır. Veriler, Chao (2014) tarafından oluşturulan Kültürlerarası Duyarlılık Ölçeği (Chen & Starosta, 2000) ve Kültürlerarası Yetkinlik Ölçeği (ICS) kullanılarak Türkiye'nin batısındaki bir devlet üniversitesindeki Yabancı Dil Olarak İngilizce hazırlık öğrencilerinden toplanmıştır. Veri toplamak için uygun örnekleme teknikleri kullanılmıştır. SPSS programı, sürüm 22 ile frekans ve yüzdeleri hesaplamak için T-testi, Pearson korelasyonu ve Spearman's Rho testleri kullanılmıştır. Sonuçlar, yabancı dil hazırlık öğrencilerinin yüksek düzeyde kültürlerarası duyarlılık ve yetkinlik seviyeleri gösterdiğini; ancak katılımcıların IS ve IC seviyelerinin demografik özelliklerine göre anlamlı bir şekilde değişmediğini göstermiştir. Alan yazın ışığında eğitimsel çıkarımlar önerilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kültürlerarası duyarlılık
• kültürlerarası yetkinlik
• yabancı dil eğitimi
• hazırlık sınıf öğrencileri

Intercultural Competence and Intercultural Sensitivity Levels of EFL Preparatory Students: Insights from a Turkish Context

Öz

Effective communication between people with different emotional, cognitive, and behavioral perspectives requires skill in handling communication. Learning intercultural communication skills (IC), which are more important than language proficiency and communicative competence, is necessary for teaching foreign languages as English becomes a global language. Effective communication in English language classes, thus, requires multicultural sensitivity and competency. Intercultural competence (IC) is crucial in a globalized society where people must behave ethically and competently in cross-cultural relationships. As societies strive toward collective goals and establish lasting social, cultural, and economic connections with diverse cultural groups, intercultural sensitivity is gaining importance at all educational levels, particularly for foreign language learners. Many students lack intercultural knowledge, abilities, and mindsets. This study examines how EFL preparatory students perceive their intercultural sensitivity and competencies, whether there exists a statistically significant relationship between these two variables, and whether these variables show a difference regarding the participants’ demographics. The study adopted a descriptive methodology by using a correlational survey method. Data were collected from EFL preparatory students at a state university in western Türkiye by using the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale and the Intercultural Competence Scale (ICS). Convenience sampling technique was used to collect data. T-test, Pearson correlation, and Spearman's Rho tests were used to calculate frequency and percentages with SPSS program, version 22. The results showed that EFL preparatory students demonstrated a high level of IS and IC levels; however, the participants’ IS and IC levels did not significantly differ by their demographics. Educational implications were suggested in the light of the literature.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Intercultural sensitivity
• intercultural competence
• EFL
• preparatory level students

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