REGISTER JOURNAL – Vol 16, No 1 (2023), pp.

73-94
DOI: 10.18326/rgt.v16i1.73-94
p-ISSN: 1979-8903; e-ISSN: 2503-040X

Teachers’ Intercultural Communicative Competence and

Intercultural Sensitivity: An Investigation of Emergency
Online Classes in Higher Education
Amir Ghajarieh1*, Samaneh Safiyar1
1:
TEFL Department, Social Sciences Faculty, University of Ershad Damavand, Tehran, Iran

*Corresponding Author Amir Ghajarieh

Email: [email protected]
DOI: 10.18326/rgt.v16i1.73-94

Submission Track:
Received: 16-03-2023
Final Revision: 25-04-2023
Available Online: 01-06-2023

Copyright © 2023 Authors

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract
The study aims to ascertain whether intervention workshops held for Iranian EFL teachers had any
effect on their knowledge of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) or of intercultural
sensitivity (IS). The study investigated the effect of knowledge about ICC and IS on the practice of EFL
teachers. Thirty EFL teachers participated in a six-session workshop on ICC and IS, and completed
the ICC Questionnaire (Zhou, 2011) and the IS Questionnaire (Chen & Starosta, 2000) before and
again after the workshops. A further 10 teachers underwent a semi-structured interview designed
to elicit their knowledge of ICC and IS. In addition, 10 classes were observed and 10 students took
part in a semi-structured interview to identify the effect of ICC and IS knowledge on teachers’
practice. The results indicated that the intervention workshops had a significant effect on both the
teachers’ ICC and IS knowledge. All respondents considered themselves interculturally competent
and sensitive English teachers, who showed respect for different cultures. It was also found that
knowledge about ICC and IS had influenced EFL teachers’ practice. These findings have the potential
to raise EFL teachers’ awareness of the prominence of ICC and IS, and inspire them to seek
opportunities for improvement and consequently improve their job performance.
Keywords: intercultural communicative competence; intercultural sensitivity; EFL teachers; online
classes

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Amir Ghajarieh, Samaneh Safiyar

INTRODUCTION
One of the consequences of globalization is that L2 practitioners have to pay
significant attention not only to the linguistic competence of L2 learners, but also
to their communicative competence. According to Liddicoat and Scarino (2013),
the goals of L2 teaching and learning have shifted from verbal competence to
intercultural communicative competence (ICC). Based upon specific proponents of
ICC, L2 instruction should have a high level of ICC to transfer them into their L2
learners in order to have successful communication comparable to native speakers
and others.
Since communicative competence by itself is inadequate (Liddicoat and
Scarino, 2013), it is appropriate to move on to ICC. From this perspective,
practitioners in second language (L2) teaching need to enable learners to develop
linguistic and intercultural competencies in order to communicate successfully
with people with different languages, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds. In
addition, intercultural sensitivity (IS) is the key to the development of ICC.
Hammer, Bennett, and Wiseman (2003) identify sensitivity to intercultural
relationships as a prerequisite for ICC.; according to Young and Sachdev (2011), in
a highly complex field such as ICC, the opinions of teachers and activists are crucial
and relevant. Likewise, it is important for teachers to be aware of the significance
of IS in their teaching since IS can affect the degree to which people interact with
each other and express different behaviors across different cultural situations.
Although the term intercultural communicative competence has received
significant attention from Iranian EFL practitioners, linguistic competence still
dominates in the majority of EFL classrooms in Iran, and language teachers have
not prepared L2 learners for intercultural communication. It is argued that L2
teachers with high levels of ICC can develop their students' intercultural
communicative competence so that they can venture beyond their own culture to
communicate competently with people from different cultures. More importantly,
the teachers’ own levels of ICC can indicate their success in ICC instruction.
Teachers with relatively high levels of ICC can help monitor, enhance, and
participate in cultural teaching activities.
Most English teachers are aware of the significance of intercultural ability in
L2 pedagogy, but they do not bring ICC into their classroom practice. A possible
reason could be that they may not fully understand the term ICC itself, and may not

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 Teachers’ Intercultural Communicative Competence and Intercultural Sensitivity

have enough knowledge and practice to incorporate ICC into their FL classes, which
has implications for teaching training and professional development. When
teachers are fully aware of other cultures and different cultural backgrounds, they
can begin to motivate their students’ ICC as much as possible. Teachers’ ICC can be
viewed as part of their professional development, which in the context of FL
teaching, includes improving their level of ICC and IS in the interest of satisfying the
needs of the multi-cultural world. Having the necessary knowledge and ability will
enable teachers to create a classroom environment to help students develop into
global citizens acquiring the ability to interact with speakers from other cultures,
and more importantly “reflect on the world and themselves through the lens of
another language and culture” (MLA, 2007, cited in Ghanem, 2017, p. 1).
While multicultural studies in applied linguistics have broadly focused on
highlighting the significance of culture in communication, few studies have
explored the role of intervention in raising teachers’ awareness of the importance
of intercultural competence and intercultural sensitivity in FL teaching. This study
aims to ascertain whether intervention workshops have any significant effect on
Iranian EFL teachers’ knowledge of ICC and IS, and how knowledge about ICC and
IS affects the practice of EFL teachers. These aims are presented as research
questions:
RQ 1: To what extent do intervention workshops affect the knowledge of
Iranian EFL teachers about ICC?
RQ 2: To what extent do intervention workshops affect the knowledge of
Iranian EFL teachers about IS?
RQ 3: How does the knowledge of EFL teachers about ICC and IS affect their
practice as measured by observations and interviews with students?
ICC can be defined as the ability on the one hand to understand the views and
opinions of other people from different cultures and with different attitudes, and
on the other to help other people to understand their own culture from their own
perspective. FL learners with ICC are aware of cultural diversity, so they can deal
with cultural obstacles when communicating with people from different cultural
backgrounds (Clouet, 2012), and respond to the different activities, thoughts, and
desires of other societies. ICC makes people consciously aware of their own culture
and the cultures with which they interact, and gives them the capacity to mediate
between cultures, and play an intermediary role with people from different

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cultures (Byram, 1997). However, ICC has a troubled and disputed history, and
many scholars have attempted to give it a clear definition.
Many studies have shown the importance of interaction between individuals
from different cultures. Jokikokko (2005) considered ICC from an ethical
viewpoint, and recognized the "ethically right ways of being, considering and
acting" as foundations of a definition of ICC (p.79). For Byram (1997), ICC refers to
the capacity to provide a circumstance for more shared understanding of
individuals with distinctive social characters by preserving their distinction. In
addition, effective and appropriate communication requires intercultural
knowledge, abilities, and attitudes (Deardorff, 2006). Each of these requires special
conditions. For intercultural knowledge, individuality and social awareness as well
as social and linguistic knowledge change is of great significance. It is also necessary
to have the capacity to communicate successfully across social boundaries, and a
positive attitude open to the distinctive social concepts of individuals with diverse
cultures to cherish and persevere ethnocentric contrasts (Deardorff, 2006).
According to Hammer et al. (2003), a key to the development of ICC is
intercultural sensitivity (IS), which is considered the essential background to ICC.
(Dong, Day, & Collaço, 2008). This means that the higher is the IS, the greater is the
potential for the ICC to progress (Dong, Day, & Collaço, 2008). IS can also predict
the impact of interactions between people from different cultures, and also play a
key role for teachers in today's educational process (Bhawuk & Brislin, 1992). It
alludes to the emotional capacity of an individual to recognize, appreciate, and
acknowledge social contrasts. In conceptualizing IS, Bawuk and Brislin (1992)
emphasize the eagerness of individuals to alter their behavior in understanding
with some other culture. Chen and Starostas’ (2000) model of IS incorporates six
components: the first one can be social comfort, and the others include having an
open mind, no other judgment, self-assessment, responsiveness, and self-regard. IS
is considered a vital component in the advancement of ICC, and individuals with IS
are anticipated to communicate more successfully with individuals from different
cultures, and form better relationships.

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METHODOLOGY
PARTICIPANTS
Thirty EFL teachers, who were teaching at Iran Mehr language institute in
Tehran, were selected through convenience sampling to participate in a six-session
workshop on ICC and IS. They were aged 25-40 with teaching experience ranging
from 5 to 15 years. The demographics of the selected participants made sure that
the workshop would have a diverse pool of experiences and knowledge with
regards to teaching and different levels of IS and ICC awareness. The age range of
the teachers could ensure middle-aged participants with rich professional
experiences and possibly more open-mindedness towards new techniques and
approaches. The reason for selecting a small number of teacher participants was to
ensure the intervention workshops had a manageable number of attendees,
allowing each participant to engage actively and directly with the trainers and
other participants during each session. Of the 30, 10 who gave informed consent
were interviewed to investigate their knowledge of ICC and IS. Ultimately, 10
classes taught by the participants were randomly selected and observed by one of
the researchers, and 10 EFL students, who consented to obtain their views about
their teachers’ practices concerning ICC and IS, were interviewed.
INSTRUMENTATION
The following instruments were utilized:
Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) Questionnaire
The ICC Questionnaire developed by Zhou (2011) was adopted and
administered in order to assess the participants’ knowledge of ICC. It consisted of
20 six-point Likert-scale items. This instrument measures four main constructs of
intercultural competence knowledge (5 items), skill (4 items), attitude (7 items),
and awareness (4 items). In this study, the reliability of the ICC Questionnaire was
estimated to be 0.93, using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient.
Intercultural Sensitivity (IS) Questionnaire
The IS Questionnaire developed by Chen and Starosta (2000) was adopted
and administered to ascertain the participants’ knowledge of IS. It consisted of 24
five-point Likert-scale items. This instrument measures five main constructs of
interaction engagement (7 items), respect for cultural differences (6 items),
interaction confidence (5 items), interaction enjoyment (3 items) and interaction

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attentiveness (3 items). In this study, the reliability of IS Questionnaire was

estimated to be 0.95, using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient.
ICC Observation Checklist
An ICC observation checklist, based on the ICC Questionnaire (Zhou, 2011),
was devised and used to observe the teacher participants in order to explore their
actual classroom practices regarding the use of ICC knowledge. The ICC
Observation Checklist consists of 9 items.
An IS observation checklist based on the IS Questionnaire (Chen & Starosta,
2000) was devised as a means to observe the teacher participants in order to
explore their actual classroom practices regarding the use of IS knowledge. The IS
Observation Checklist consists of 9 items.
Semi-Structured Interviews (EFL Teachers)
As stated earlier, of the 30 EFL teachers who took part in the study, 10 (five
male and five female) EFL teachers, whose informed consent was obtained, were
interviewed in order to investigate their knowledge about ICC and IS. The
interviewed EFL teachers were mainly requested to specify their personal
knowledge concerning ICC and IS. The interview questions, three for ICC and three
for IS, were adapted from Zhou (2011) and Chen and Starosta (2000).
Semi-Structured Interviews (EFL Students)
To identify EFL students’ attitudes about their teachers’ practices of ICC and
IS, a semi-structured interview was adapted from Zhou (2011) and Chen and
Starosta (2000). It contained a list of three questions for the practice of ICC and
three questions for the practice of IS for every interviewee. Below are questions:
1. How do you feel about your teacher's incorporation of multicultural
communications and being sensitive to different cultures in the classroom?
2. Can you think of any specific examples where your teacher talked about
multicultural communications and was sensitive in explaining L1 or L2
cultural differences and similarities in their teaching methods?
3. 3. In your opinion, how important was it for your teachers to incorporate
giving awareness of cultural issues and being sensitive to cultural similarities
and differences in their lessons?
4. If you believed that your teacher was sensitive to cultural issues in Persian
and English and explained cultural differences and provide opportunities for

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multicultural communications, in what ways this would have a positive

impact on your learning and development?
5. Can you describe a time when you felt particularly challenged or enlightened
by your teacher's explanation of cultural knowledge and their sensitivity to
cultural differences and similarities?
6. What do you think your teachers did to further develop ICC and IS practices
in the classroom?
Workshops
A six-session intervention workshop, with each session lasting about 60 minutes,
was held to identify the potential influence of intervention workshops on the
knowledge of Iranian EFL teachers’ ICC and IS. These workshops were based on
the work of Jandt (1995), Deardorff (2009), and Ayala-Asencio (2020).
DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE
The data collection procedure is discussed here in four main sections, i.e.,
intervention workshops, interviews with EFL teachers, observing EFL teachers’
classes, and interviews with EFL students, each addressing a particular activity.
First, to identify the potential effect of the intervention workshops on the
knowledge of EFL teachers’ ICC and IS, one of the researchers asked 30 EFL
teachers to take part in a six-session intervention workshop on ICC and IS. The
researchers briefly explained the main mechanisms of the intervention workshops,
and informed the EFL teachers that each workshop session took around 60
minutes. However, before the intervention workshops, the EFL teachers were
requested to complete the ICC and IS Questionnaires as their pre-workshop ICC
and IS questionnaires. Afterwards, one of the researchers presented the six-session
intervention workshops (Table 1) based on the above-mentioned sources at one-
week intervals.
In view of the acute pandemic, the research environment was arranged
virtually and the intervention workshop sessions were held online. At the end of
the workshops, the EFL teachers were requested to complete their post-workshop
ICC and IS Questionnaires.

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Table 1. Six-Session Intervention Workshops

Session 1 Session 2 Session 3

Communication skills I Communication skills II Communication skills III
• Cognitive component • Communicative component • Sociocultural component
- Knowledge of - Knowledge about the - Knowledge about the
understanding and process of human context.
construction of meanings. communication. - Skills to adapt to the
- Skills for the - Skills for human context.
comprehension and communication, to express, - Attitudes related to
construction of meanings. transmit and receive development in different
- Attitudes related to the messages of a verbal and non- communicative contexts.
understanding and verbal nature.
construction of meanings. - Positive attitudes in the
relationship with the student.
Dynamic 1: Dynamic 2: Dynamic 3:
Importance of the cognitive Communicative activities of Knowing the context – The
component. the teacher small team.

Case study 1: Case study 2: Case study 3:

How much do I value the What are the attitudes in your What are the attitudes with
information received from communication? your students?
the student?
Session 4 Session 5 Session 6
Intercultural Intercultural competences Intercultural competences
competences I II III
• Intercultural awareness • Intercultural ability • Cross-cultural sensitivity
- Understanding of the - Flexibility of behavior. - Self-concept.
distinctive characteristics - Interaction management. - Open mind.
of their culture. - Non-judgmental attitudes.
- Understanding the - Empathy.
characteristics of other - Self-regulation.
cultures. - Involvement in the
interaction.
Dynamic 5: Dynamic 6:
Dynamic 4: Cultural Role Play Socializing the relevant
Knowing the cultural conclusions of intercultural
characteristics of my sensitivity in the intercultural
students. competences of teachers.
Case study 5: Case study 6:
Case study 4: How could you promote Do I consider that open-
How much do I value the effective cross-cultural mindedness favors
distinctive characteristics meetings? intercultural learning?
of my culture compared to
other cultures?

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Data Analysis Procedure

Due to the selection of the mixed-methods design in this study, the
researchers collected both quantitative and qualitative data using questionnaires,
interviews, and observations. The questionnaire data were analysed using SPSS
software program. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency,
etc.) were computed to summarize the data. Inferential statistics (t-test) were
administered to test for significant differences between pre- and post-workshop
scores.
The interview and observation data were also analysed using content
analysis. First, the data were transcribed and then coded using a coding scheme
that was developed based on the research questions. The codes were organized
into categories, followed by the identification of emerging themes. The findings
from the quantitative and qualitative data analyses were triangulated to draw
conclusions about the effectiveness of the intervention workshops in improving
teaching practices.
RESULTS
Addressing the First Research Question
In order to answer the first question, the pre-workshop and post-workshop
ICC scores of the participants were compared through a Paired Samples t-test. The
descriptive statistics of participants’ pre-workshop and post-workshop scores
appear in Table 2.
Table 2. Descriptive Statistics of the Participants’ Scores on ICC Questionnaire
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Skewness
Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic StatisticStd. Error
Pre-Workshop 30 51.00 98.00 79.433 15.046 -.547 .427
Post-Workshop 30 70.00 100.00 89.966 8.417 -.337 .427

As observed in Table 2, the mean and the standard deviation of the

participants ICC scores before the workshop were 79.43 and 15.04, respectively,
and after the workshop were 89.96 and 8.41, respectively.
Table 3 shows the result of Paired Samples t-test. There is a significant
difference between the participants’ scores on the pre-workshop ICC
questionnaire and post-workshop ICC questionnaire (t (29) =-3.211, p=0.00 < .05)
(see Table 3). Accordingly, it can be concluded that the intervention workshops
have a significant positive effect on the EFL teachers’ ICC knowledge.
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Table 3. Paired Samples T-Test (1)

Paired Differences
Mean Std. Std. 95% Confidence
Deviation Error Interval of the
Mean Difference T df Sig. (2-
Lower Upper tailed)
Pair Pre-Workshop - 17.968 3.280 -17.243 -3.823 - 29 .003
1 Post-Workshop 10.533 3.211

We also conducted a semi-structured interview with 10 EFL teachers to

obtain their ICC knowledge. The thematic analysis identified the recurring themes
in their responses, and these were subjected to frequency analysis and lastly
tabulated (Table 4).
Table 4. EFL Teachers’ Common Patterns of Answers to the Interview Questions
(ICC Knowledge)
No. Extracted Themes Frequency Percentage
1 I consider myself interculturally competent 10 100
2 ICC is the consciousness of the cultural as well as social 8 80
standards of English
3 Knowledge of other individuals’ cultures raises both 7 70
intercultural and intracultural awareness
4 It is essential to bring in ICC in an EFL course 6 60
5 ICC is essential for successful cross-cultural 4 40
communication
6 It is vital to discuss course materials and content with 3 30
Students

Addressing the Second Research Question

In order to answer the second question, the pre-workshop and post-workshop IS
scores of the participants were compared through a Paired Samples t-test. The
descriptive statistics of participants’ pre-workshop and post-workshop scores are
presented in Table 5.
Table 5. Descriptive Statistics of the Participants’ Scores on IS Questionnaire
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Skewness
Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Std. Error
Pre-Workshop 30 38.00 118.00 75.800 19.729 -.020 .427
Post-Workshop 30 48.00 116.00 87.433 18.635 -.517 .427

As observed in Table 5, the mean and the standard deviation of the

participants’ IS scores before the workshop were 75.80 and 19.72, respectively,
and after the workshop were 87.43 and 18.63, respectively.

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Table 6 shows the result of Paired Samples t-test.

Table 6. Paired Samples T-Test (2)
Paired Differences
Mean Std. Std. Error 95% Confidence Interval T df Sig. (2-
Deviation Mean of the Difference tailed)
Lower Upper
Pair Pre-Workshop - 25.264 4.612 -21.067 -2.199 - 29 .017
1 Post-Workshop 11.633 2.522

As illustrated in Table 6, there exists a significant difference between the

participants’ scores on the pre-workshop IS questionnaire and post-workshop IS
questionnaire (t (29) =-2.52, p=0.01 < .05). It is thus possible for us to conclude that
the intervention workshops had a significant positive effect on the EFL teachers’ IS
knowledge.
A semi-structured interview was also conducted with 10 EFL teachers to
assess their IS knowledge. After the thematic analysis, the recurring themes of the
answers were identified and subsequently subjected to frequency analysis and
lastly tabulated (Table 7).
Table 7. EFL Teachers’ Common Patterns of Answers to the Interview Questions
(IS Knowledge)
No. Extracted Themes Frequency Percentage
1 I consider myself interculturally sensitive 10 100
2 I show respect for different cultures 10 100
3 To improve intercultural awareness, it is essential to 8 80
introduce different cultures in programs
4 IS is to become sensitive to and tolerant of different 7 70
cultures
5 Various seminars may be organized to 6 60
increase cultural awareness among teachers
6 The sources for enhancement of IS are the Internet, 6 60
relatives living abroad, books, friends, and movies.
7 I am not biased against cultures of other countries 5 50

Addressing the Third Research Question

In order to answer the third question, one of the researchers observed 10
classes using an observation checklist; a semi-structured interview was also
conducted with 10 EFL students.

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Table 8. The Results of the Observation Checklist (Effect of ICC Knowledge on

Teachers’ Practice)
No. Items Frequency Percentage Routine/
non-
routine
practice
1 Teacher uses technology to illustrate a 10 100 Routine
cultural topic (e.g. videos, CD ROMs,
power point, and the internet).
2 Teacher promotes students’ 10 100 Routine
understanding of English cultures.
3 Teacher can help students to develop an 10 100 Routine
ability to communicate with people from
other cultural backgrounds.
4 Teacher develops students’ interest in 9 90 Routine
English cultures.
5 Teacher creates a situation with 8 80 Routine
respectful attitude towards other
cultures and cultural difference.
6 Teacher develops awareness and 8 80 Routine
understanding of different values, belief,
and ideologies of both Iranian and
English cultures.
7 Teacher can touch upon both English and 8 80 Routine
Iranian culture in order to help students
to mediate between the two cultures.
8 Teacher asks students to participate in 7 70 Routine
role-play situations in which people from
English speaking countries
communicate.
9 Teacher is familiar with the cultural 7 70 Routine
norms and expectations of English
culture (food, eating manner).

As illustrated in Table 8, all the items of the observation checklist were

regarded as routine practices of Iranian EFL teachers. Based on the results of the
observations, it can be stated that the knowledge about ICC had influenced EFL
teachers’ practice.
Table 9 presents the results of the effect of teachers’ IS knowledge on their
classroom practice. All the items of the observation checklist were regarded as
routine practices of Iranian EFL teachers (see Table 9). Accordingly, based
classroom observations, teachers’ knowledge about IS appears to have influenced
their EFL practice.

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Table 9. The Results of the Observation Checklist (Effect of IS Knowledge on

Teachers’ Practice)
No. Items Frequency Percentage Routine/non-
routine practice
1 Teacher knows what to say when 10 100 Routine
students question about other
cultural interaction.
2 Teacher illustrates how students 10 100 Routine
should act with people from
different cultures.
3 Teacher gets happy easily when 10 100 Routine
they come up with situation to
explain English culture.
4 Teacher respects the values of 10 100 Routine
people from different cultures.
5 Teacher acts naturally with 10 100 Routine
different cultural questions.
6 Teacher finds it easy to disclose 10 100 Routine
themselves to students’ questions
about different cultures.
7 Teacher finds it easy to talk about 10 100 Routine
cultural differences.
8 Teacher is sensitive to their 10 100 Routine
culturally-distinct counterparts’
subtle meanings during talking
about English culture.
9 Teacher has a feeling of enjoyment 10 100 Routine
towards teaching cultural
differences.

Tables 10 and 11 present the findings of a semi-structured interview

conducted with 10 EFL students (i.e., one student per teacher) to obtain their views
about the effects of ICC on teachers’ practices and IS Knowledge on teachers’
practice respectively.
Table 10. EFL Students’ Common Patterns of Answers to the Interview Questions
(Effects of ICC Knowledge on Teachers’ Practice)
No. Extracted Themes Frequency Percentage
1 Teacher fosters our understanding pertaining to different 10 100
cultures and countries.
2 Teacher makes us familiar with different culture-related 8 80
norms of English such their food, traditions, values, and
beliefs.
3 Teacher mostly asks us to take part in different role-play 7 70
activities in which English culture is stressed.

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Table 11. EFL Students’ Common Patterns of Answers to the Interview Questions
(Effect of IS Knowledge on Teachers’ Practice)
No. Extracted Themes Frequency Percentage
1 Teacher talks about cultural differences in the class 10 100
2 Teacher shows us how we should act with different 10 80
individuals and tourists from English countries.
3 Teacher talks politely about the traditions and standards 8 80
of individuals from English countries
4 Teacher gets happy when we discuss culture-related 6 60
issues.

Based on the results of the students’ interviews (see Tables 10 and 11),
knowledge about ICC and IS seems to have influenced EFL teachers’ practice.

DISCUSSION
The first research question was intended to ascertain whether intervention
workshops had any significant effect on Iranian EFL teachers’ knowledge of ICC,
and the results as shown in Table 2 and Table 3 indicate that the effect was
significant. It is possible to justify the findings on the premise that the workshops
have raised the participants’ awareness of the importance of ICC when coming into
contact with people from different cultural backgrounds. This partly explains why
teachers need to ensure that students in FL classes acquire ICC and that ICC be
included in their instructions and class activities (see e.g. Sercu, 2006) as part of a
more integrated and holistic approach to FL teaching. The intervention workshops
on ICC have allowed the participants to recognise the need to transform their
acquired knowledge on ICC into classroom practice (Garrido & Alvarez, 2006).
From a more practical perspective, the results could be attributed to the fact that
the workshops provided an opportunity for teachers to engage in reflective
activities, collaborate with peers, and learn new information about ICC.
Additionally, the workshops likely helped to increase the teachers' motivation and
confidence in teaching ICC-related topics.
It is also important to consider the cultural context of the participants in this
study. Iranian society is diverse, with various ethnic groups, religions, and
languages. ICC is, therefore, highly relevant to Iranian EFL teachers as they
encounter learners from different cultural backgrounds. The workshops likely
provided a forum for the teachers to discuss their experiences and share strategies
for dealing with cultural differences in the classroom.

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Findings from the interviews, as shown in Table 4 support the results of the
questionnaire. The first perception commonly shared by EFL teachers was that
they considered themselves interculturally competent English teachers. These
findings are in line with those of Tajeddin and Rezanejad (2018) and Mostafaei
Alaei and Nosrati (2018), who reported that the participants enjoyed a high level
of ICC. The results also showed that most of the EFL teachers believed ICC, regarded
as the consciousness of the cultural and social standards of English and also the
knowledge of other people’s cultures, would raise both intercultural and
intracultural awareness. Similarly, Sercu, Mendez Garcia, and Castro Prieto (2004)
stated that the more acquainted educators are with foreign language culture they
taught, the more enthusiastic they naturally were to stimulate ICC in their students.
Most of the teachers were also in favour of introducing ICC into an EFL course, and
argued that ICC was essential for successful cross-cultural communication. In other
words, Iranian teachers believed that the priority and focus should be on English
culture, which is in agreement with Luk (2012), and Tajeddin and Rezanejad
(2018), who maintained that culture should be taught in English classes.
The second research question sought to ascertain whether intervention
workshops had any significant effect on Iranian EFL teachers’ knowledge of IS. The
results as, shown in tables 5 and 6, indicated that conducting intervention
workshops had a significant, positive effect on Iranian EFL teachers’ knowledge of
IS. One possible explanation is that during the intervention workshops the
participants recognised that they were different, and as pointed out by Bennett
(1986), IS improved with the recognition of being different; this attitude would
enhance the efficiency of intercultural communication. Another plausible reason
could be that the intervention workshops make the participants more aware of
intercultural notions, such as beliefs, values, or languages. According to Haberman
(1991), training educators that provide some coaching can basically raise language
teachers’ awareness of different cultures and help them position themselves
appropriately when interacting with people from different cultures. It is also
believed that the changes in various programmes related to higher education as
well as the anticipated experiences of educators can have emotional impact on the
IS level of instructors (Kazazoglu & Ece, 2021). Likewise, the influence of
educational programmes that gave a great deal of significance to IS level of

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language teachers by enhancing the consciousness towards diversity and culture

programmes has been highlighted (Chen & Starosta, 1997).
Findings from the interview as shown in tables 7 support the results of the
questionnaire in this respect. The perception commonly shared by EFL teachers
was that they considered themselves interculturally sensitive and their attitude
was respectful towards different cultures. The results also revealed that most of
EFL teachers were of the opinion that IS involved sensitivity to and tolerance of
different cultures, and that to improve intercultural awareness it was essential to
introduce different cultures in programs. The findings are in agreement with those
of Mostafaei Alaei and Nosrati (2018), Estaji and Rahimi (2018), and Kazazoglu and
Ece, (2021), who reported that the participants enjoyed a high level of IS.
In addition, the results indicated that most of the teachers were in favour of
seminars to increase cultural awareness among teachers and also that they
asserted that among the sources for the enhancement of IS where the Internet,
relatives living abroad, books, friends, and movies. Finally, the participants
declared that they were not biased against the cultures of other countries. The
findings are in line with those of Martin (2012), Arcagok and Yılmaz (2020), and
Boudouaia, et al. (2022). Overall, the findings of the interviews illustrate that EFL
instructors were able to appreciate and comprehend cultural differences, and
promoted proper and efficient conduct in intercultural interaction (see e.g., Chen
and Starosta, 2000). They displayed culture-friendly behaviours and qualities,
which would contribute to their success in intercultural communication, including
being considerate, and empathetic, and having the capability to perceive socio-
interpersonal associations, and displaying self-confidence and self-monitoring.
The inquiry of the third question aimed to examine the extent to which EFL
teachers' practice was impacted by their understanding of Inter-Cultural
Communicative Competence (ICC) and Intercultural Sensitivity (IS), as determined
through empirical observation and student interviews. The outcomes gleaned
from the data obtained through tables 8 and 9 concerning observations, together
with tables 10 and 11 regarding student interviews,demonstrate that EFL teachers'
knowledge of ICC and IS had exerted a discernible influence on their instructional
practice. One possible justification may be student interest and motivation, the
support of curricula, appropriate textbooks and materials, and the prominence of
ICC and IS in teachers’ view. It is also argued that teachers’ beliefs have a great

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 Teachers’ Intercultural Communicative Competence and Intercultural Sensitivity

influence on their decisions with respect to course content, lesson planning, and
classroom practice (Gilakjani & Sabouri, 2017).
Findings from class observations did not occur with the study undertaken by
Zamanian and Saidi (2017), and Young and Sachedv (2011), whose results showed
that EFL instructors were unwilling or unable to put their knowledge of ICC and IS
into practice. From a positive perspective, it can be argued that the findings of
interviews provide empirical support for the impact of the knowledge about ICC
and IS on the actual classroom practice of EFL teachers. The results are in
accordance with those of Arcagok and Yılmaz (2020), who concluded that teachers
made use of their knowledge about ICC and IS in their actual practices in their
classrooms. They were also supported by the findings drawn from the research of
Mostafaei Alaei and Nosrati (2018), and Estaji and Rahimi (2018). The results of
this study went beyond the simple investigation of beliefs and knowledge of
teachers and contributed to the knowledge regarding how intervention can act as
a page-turning tool in teacher education and make changes in epistemological sites
of teacher education and language learning in Iran and international settings.
Studies in cultural and communicative aspects of language leaning and teaching
such as Ghajarieh and Salami (2016), and Ghajarieh et al. (2019) mostly describe
the epistemological sites without proposing intervention.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

In general, the findings of this study derived from the examination of different
data sets show that cultural literacy plays a pivotal role in empowering teachers,
enhancing their knowledge regarding interculturality. To answer research
questions, one can say that workshops had significant effects on raising the
awareness of participating teachers regarding ICC and increasing their sensitivity.
Such findings were further corroborated by observations and interviews. The
study's outcome suggests that workshops can be a valuable tool in fostering ICC
among teachers. The workshops, as shown by the results, have increased the
teachers' awareness regarding the importance of ICC, which can assist them in
better understanding their students' diverse cultural backgrounds. They have also
helped the teachers to recognize their unconscious biases, beliefs, and assumptions
about other cultures and to be more reflective and mindful when engaging with
them.

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Amir Ghajarieh, Samaneh Safiyar

The success of workshops reported in this study ultimately indicates the

significance of professional development and life-long learning, which has been
emphasized by the latest trends in teacher education. Such interventions would
facilitate cascade learning in which senior teachers and teacher educators inform
their colleagues about and approaches they have learnt in the workshops.
The findings of the present study point to a number of possible implications
for the future. Educators and administrators in teacher development centers are
recommended to pay more attention to EFL teachers’ knowledge of ICC and IS. In
addition, they are recommended to incorporate ICC and IS into the curriculum to
provide and equip pre-service EFL teachers with a higher level of ICC and IS
knowledge and practice. These findings can also raise EFL teachers’ awareness of
ICC and IS, and encourage them to seek opportunities to bring culture into the
classroom and incorporate it in their teaching to raise their students’ cultural
awareness of people with whom they interact, including their own culture and
identity.
Teachers need to be trained to be able to develop a greater understanding
of ICC and IS and the practical knowledge needed to include them in EFL
classrooms and develop students’ ICC and IS. For this reason, teacher trainers need
to acquaint teachers with these concepts and with the importance of EFL teachers’
knowledge and practice of ICC and IS in their pedagogical practice. Since the
findings indicate that the workshops had a significant and positive impact on EFL
teachers’ knowledge and practice of ICC and IS, it is recommended that teacher
training centers and universities organize some groundwork conferences in order
to familiarize the EFL teachers with both the theoretical and practical foundations
of ICC and IS development.
In addition, in order to make teachers’ knowledge and practice of ICC and
IS indispensable constructs in teacher education, it is necessary to engage
instructors and teachers in teacher preparation programs that focus mainly on
nurturing the abilities and insights of EFL teachers to merit exponential
achievement and accomplishment and consequently greater learner contentment.
It is also suggested that syllabus designers and material developers can immensely
affect and also direct the language teaching and learning processes (Nation &
Macalister, 2010). Accordingly, syllabus designers and material developers can

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 Teachers’ Intercultural Communicative Competence and Intercultural Sensitivity

provide different culture-related strategies in their syllabuses to develop further

EFL teachers’ knowledge and practice of ICC and IS.
Acknowledgments
The researchers would like to gratefully acknowledge the participants of the study
who attended all workshops and contributed to the discussions held at the end of
each workshop.

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