Development of Students' Intercultural Communicative Competence In Asian EFL Education: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Over the past annums, the rapid development of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) amongst English as a foreign language (EFL) students in the Asian region has become increasingly imperative in light of globalisation and the increasing popularity of English as the lingua franca of the world. As such, the purpose of this literature review study was to investigate how important ICC is for improving EFL students' ability to successfully communicate in a variety of diverse cultural contexts. This review focused on studies that explored the process of acquiring ICC, highlighting the variety of challenges faced by EFL learners across Asia, whilst also emphasising the importance of cultural awareness, adaptability, and empathy by identifying key strategies and pedagogical approaches for integrating ICC training into the EFL curricula. Moreover, the literature review discussed the impact of developing ICC on students’ academic success, as well as their overall personal growth. Last but not least, the researcher sought to advocate for the necessity of fostering ICC in tertiary EFL education as a way to prepare students for their eventual participation in a multicultural world, whilst also encouraging for more focused efforts in curriculum design and students’ efficacy to address these needs.