11977

11977

Degree of EFL Learners’ Intercultural Competence from TeachersLearners, and Observers’ Perspectives,

كارشناسي ارشد

Foreign Languages

july 2013

july 2013

Abdollahzadeh

M. Tabatabaee

Abstract The aim of the present study was to assess learners’ degree of intercultural competence and its related constructs from three perspectives: learners’, teachers’, and observers’. In so doing, 282 advanced female learners from an English language institute in Shiraz were chosen ranging in age from 18 – 30. Also, 40 teachers and 40 observers were chosen from the same institute. Two questionnaires and one observation checklist were employed to gather both quantitative and qualitative data all of which were adopted and developed based on Fantini’s (2000) YOGA Form. Then, the Mean value of overall degree of IC and each IC construct were calculated and discussed descriptively. ANOVA and MANOVA analyses were applied to compare and contrast the results from each group of participants’ perspective with the other. The quantitative results indicated that learners’ perspective regarding learners’ degree of IC is different from teachers’ and observers’ perspectives. In addition, qualitative findings suggested useful insights concerning learners’ IC knowledge, possible barriers for future intercultural communications, and useful elements and strategies for improvement of learners’ IC. Among the implications of this study the important role of teachers in developing their learners’ IC can be pointed out.