English Language Teachers' Intercultural Communication Competence in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Jordanian Context

Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC) is the apparent goal of an extensive array of educational research in teaching English as a foreign language in the last decade. However, intercultural communication competence has not been scrutinised yet in the Jordanian EFL context. Hence, the aim of this study is to investigate the level of ICC among Jordanian EFL teachers. The study is a mixed-method research design. The sample of the study was 105 EFL teachers. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews were selected randomly. The data were analysed using SPSS 23.0 and thematic analyses to identify the themes and codes that underlie it. The findings showed that teachers develop ICC through comprehension of personal culture, skills of interpreting and relating, and attitudes towards other cultures. Furthermore, the interview findings showed that lack of time, lack of IT support, lack of teaching resources, and the influence of religion and society are the major challenges in teaching ICC. Despite the challenges, teachers recognise the importance of teaching ICC is considered as being fundamental for creating positive interactions in an intercultural context and alter the students' intercultural experiences and their perception of their surroundings. The study recommends curriculum improvements, policy adjustments, and increased professional development opportunities for teachers.