IC You, IC Me, Let’s discuss some ICC!

Welcome back dear readers!

I truly hope you’re all enjoying my comedic titles because they’re not stopping…….ever….

Anyway onto today’s blog! Today we shall be looking at Intercultural Communicative Competence, or just ICC if you’re in a hurry. What it is, is it good or bad, and what benefits it has to the average language learner like you and me.

So what is ICC? Well according to TeachingEnglish.org (https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/intercultural-communicative-competence) ICC can be defined as follows; “Intercultural communicative competence, or ICC, refers to the ability to understand cultures, including your own, and use this understanding to communicate with people from other cultures successfully.” 

So to put it simply, if you can understand cultures, then you can use this knowledge to communicate effectively with other people. Doesn’t sound too complicated right? Well let’s look at some of the analysis and theories grounding it. One of the main pieces of research around ICC is Bryam’s model of 1997. In this he states the five main skills/characteristics needed for successful ICC also known as the 5 savoirs. They are as follows;

• Savoir Comprendre – Discovery/Interaction skills
• Savoir Faire – Interpreting/Relating Skills
• Savoir Etre – Attitudes
• Savoir S’engager – Critical Cultural Awareness
• Savoir – Knowledge

When we look at these skills in terms of the definition above, they really do make sense. You must first have knowledge and awareness of culture, you must be able to interact with and interpret this knowledge, and finally, you must have a good attitude for communication to be a success.

So what impact does this have on language learners and language education? The late 90s and early 00s saw a surge in the emphasis on ICC and cultural awareness in language education as globalisation moved to the forefront of societal awareness. (Bennett, 1993; Byram, 1997, 2008; Deardorff, 2006, 2009).

As a learner of numerous foreign languages, I can attest to the fact that language learning has definitely made me more aware and knowledgeable about other cultures and peoples. This also con-inside with Bryam’s testimony that “It is a widely held assumption among teachers and educational policy makers that foreign language learning creates greater tolerance and understanding of foreign people and their cultures or ways of life”. (Byram, 1991: 11)

What do you all think? Let me know your thoughts about ICC and its potential advantages for language learners in the comments below!

Until next time!

Amee x