Bridging Cultures: The Role of Language in Developing Intercultural Competence

AbstractLanguage is an inherent element of the interaction with other cultures andintercultural competence can be directly addressed through language use.Through examining interactions in a number of settings it emphasizes theimportance of both linguistic proficiency and cultural awareness for successfulintercultural interaction. The study looks at the connection between languagelearning and intercultural competence, through the lens of both students andprofessionals that operate in diverse organisations. The study utilizestheoretical frameworks (Byram, 1997) model for intercultural communicativecompetence (ICC) and Sapir-Whorf's linguistic relativity hypothesis toinvestigate how language affects adaptability among cross cultural users.Survey and interview data indicate that language learners practicing culturalimmersion are more highly developed intercultural competently. This studyreinforces the need to include cultural education within language learning.This can have implications for educators/policy makers and globalprofessionals with a focus on humanising language teaching more holisticallyincluding in language sensitivity training.Keywords: Language, intercultural competence, communication, culturalawareness, linguistic relativity, language