Problems of intercultural communication in FL learning

Abstract

This paper discusses the role of intercultural competence in the process of learning and teaching a foreign language. Learning a foreign language is viewed from a more complex perspective, rather than simply learning its vocabulary or grammar, or the four skills of learning a language (reading, listening, speaking and writing). While they are highly important when learning a foreign language, there is still more. What is also expected from students is to be better communicators in today’s globalized world, i.e. a world of people from different cultures and backgrounds living together in a community. The interaction or communication between the members of this community does not mean that we should only speak the same language, but we should learn more about the culture, the customs, the communication behavior and many other characteristics of the people we communicate with. As a result, intercultural competence has become important among scholars who discuss or analyze foreign language learning and intercultural learning.