Assessing Intercultural Competence in the Digital Age: A Chinese Scale Development and Validation

For young adults, developing intercultural competence (IC) is essential, yet assessing their needs remains difficult due to a lack of validated instruments. Drawing on Deardorff’s and Byram’s IC models and Ng’s digital skills framework, this study developed the 22-item Chinese Intercultural Competence Scale (CICS) to assess Chinese students’ IC across knowledge, attitudes, skills, and digital dimensions. Developed through four phases—literature-based design, piloting, validation, and replication—the scale demonstrated strong internal consistency and validity through confirmatory factor analysis and face validity checks. By incorporating digital skills, the CICS addresses the increasing need for students to engage effectively in intercultural interactions across online platforms, which are now integral to global education initiatives such as virtual exchange and collaborative online learning. This integration enhances the scale's relevance and distinguishes it from existing tools, offering a practical instrument to help institutions evaluate and strengthen IC development in digitally mediated educational settings.