Manifestations of Intercultural Communication Competence in an Asian Student Dominated Classroom Context

Students’ intercultural communication competence (ICC) has been extensively assessed in North American and European contexts. However, the majority of assessments rely on self-reported data. Moreover, there is a scarcity of research reflecting intercultural communication in regions beyond these extensively studied contexts. To address these gaps, the authors designed and conducted an intercultural communication activity (i.e. tea party) within a Chinese context to assess students’ ICC and explore the manifestations of ICC. The study employed survey, interview, and observation methods to investigate the intercultural communication process among students. Survey data indicate that participants rated the attitudinal dimension of their ICC highest, followed by knowledge and skills. Interview accounts reveal that these self-ratings were anchored in perceived interactional fluency rather than in self-theorized competencies such as knowledge reserves. Furthermore, our observations evidenced a bidirectional influence between contextual properties and manifestations: context guided participants’ enactments, yet participants simultaneously modified contextual characteristics. These findings are discussed, and a Context-Based Manifestation Analysis Framework is proposed to scaffold reflection before and after intercultural activities.