Title: Exploring the Cultivation of Intercultural Competence in Tertiary Foreign Language Education: Conceptual Reconfiguration and Innovative Pathways
Authors: Xiaoquan Pan, Jicheng Shen
Volume: 10
Issue: 8
Pages: 75-80
Publication Date: 2026/08/28
Abstract:
Against the backdrop of deeply intertwined globalization and cultural diversity, tertiary foreign language education bears the critical mission of cultivating professionals with global communicative competence. Grounded in the perspectives of Intercultural Communication Theory, Constructivist Learning Theory, and Sociocultural Theory, this study focuses on the core objective within China's tertiary foreign language education - the cultivation of Intercultural Competence (ICC). It elucidates the core dimensions of ICC and the intrinsic relationship between foreign language education and ICC development. Through a systematic analysis of the current state of ICC cultivation in tertiary foreign language education, this study explicitly proposes establishing ICC cultivation as the central orientation. This necessitates constructing a multidimensional objective framework encompassing "Cultural Knowledge and Comprehension", "Affective Attitudes and Cultural Identity", and "Critical Reflection and Action". Accordingly, this study puts forward actionable cultivation pathways: innovating the curriculum system to deeply integrate intercultural content; adopting experiential and task-driven pedagogical strategies; developing a dynamic and open repository of cultural context resources; establishing formative and multifaceted developmental assessment mechanisms for ICC progression; and creating combined virtual-physical, multidimensional interaction platforms/practice fields for intercultural engagement. This study aims to provide a systematic framework for the profound transformation of tertiary foreign language education across the dimensions of conceptualization, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, thereby serving the nation's long-term strategy of nurturing globally competent talents.