Efl students’ perceptions of the use of skype based interaction for enhancing their intercultural intelligence at ho chi minh city university of transport

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
---------------------------

NGO XUAN DIEU

EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE USE
OF SKYPE-BASED INTERACTION FOR
ENHANCING THEIR INTERCULTURAL
INTELLIGENCE AT HO CHI MINH CITY
UNIVERSITY OF TRANSPORT
Major: English Language
Course code: 60220201

HO CHI MINH CITY, DECEMBER 2022


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
---------------------------

EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE USE
OF SKYPE-BASED INTERACTION FOR
ENHANCING THEIR INTERCULTURAL
INTELLIGENCE AT HO CHI MINH CITY
UNIVERSITY OF TRANSPORT
Submitted to the
Faculty of English Language
in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in English Language
Course code: 60220201
By

NGO XUAN DIEU
Supervised by
TRAN QUOC THAO, Ph.D.

HO CHI MINH CITY, DECEMBER 2022


The thesis entitled EFL STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF THE USE OF SKYPEBASED INTERACTION FOR ENHANCING THEIR INTERCULTURAL
INTELLIGENCE AT HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TRANSPORT
was successfully defended and approved on March 2nd, 2023 at Ho Chi Minh City
University of Technology (HUTECH).
Academic supervisor: Tran Quoc Thao, Ph.D.........................................................
(full name, title, signature)
Examination Committee
1. Nguyen Thi Kieu Thu, Ph.D

Chair

2. Le Van Tuyen, Ph.D

Reader 1

3. Duong My Tham, Ph.D

Reader 2

4. Le Thi Thuy Nhung, Ph.D

Member

5. Nguyen Ngoc Tran Chau, Ph.D

Secretary Member

On behalf of the Examination Committee Chair

NGUYEN THI KIEU THU, Ph.D


HCMC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTE
HCMC, December 12th, 2022

MASTER’S THESIS REPORT
Student name: NGO XUAN DIEU

Gender: Male

Date of birth: 01/9/1991

Place of birth: Binh Dinh

Major: English Language

Student code: 1941900002

I- Thesis title:
EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE USE OF SKYPE-BASED
INTERACTION FOR ENHANCING THEIR INTERCULTURAL
INTELLIGENCE AT HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TRANSPORT

II- Objectives and contents:
This study aims at exploring the use of Skype-based interaction (SBI) for
enhancing the intercultural intelligence (ICI) of EFL students at Ho Chi Minh City
University of Transport (UTH), and the objectives are:
➢ To examine EFL students’ attitudes towards the use of SBI for enhancing the
ICI at UTH;
➢ To explore the effects of the use of SBI on enhancing EFL students’ ICI.
III- Starting date: (as stated in the Decision issued by the University)
IV- Completing date: December 12th, 2022
V- Academic supervisor: Tran Quoc Thao, Ph.D.
ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR

TRAN QUOC THAO, Ph.D.

FACULTY DEAN

NGUYEN THI KIEU THU, Ph.D


CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY
I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled:
“EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE USE OF SKYPE-BASED
INTERACTION FOR ENHANCING THEIR INTERCULTURAL
INTELLIGENCE AT HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF
TRANSPORT”
In terms of the statement of requirements for Theses in Master’s programs
issued by the Higher Degree Committee of the Faculty of English Language, Ho Chi
Minh City University of Technology.

Ho Chi Minh City, December 12th, 2022

NGO XUAN DIEU

i


RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS
I hereby state that I, NGO XUAN DIEU, being a candidate for the Degree of
Master of Arts (English Language), accept the requirements of the University relating
to the retention and use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library.
In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s Thesis
deposited in the Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in
accordance with the normal conditions established by the Librarian for the care, loan,
and reproduction for theses.

Ho Chi Minh City, December 12th, 2022

NGO XUAN DIEU

ii


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my sincere thanks to those who have supported,
encouraged, and assisted me in completing my thesis.
First of all, I would like to express my special appreciation and thanks to Dr.
Tran Quoc Thao, my supervisor, for his great patience, careful guidance, insightful
advice, and constant encouragement throughout the whole research process. Without
his support and guidance, this thesis would never have been completed.
Secondly, I am grateful for the assistance and support of all lecturers and staff

members of the Faculty of English Language of Ho Chi Minh City University of
Technology, particularly Dr. Nguyen Thi Kieu Thu, as the Dean of the Faculty of
English Language, as well as some staff members of the Institute of Postgraduate
Studies, who have helped me greatly to complete this master's course.
Thirdly, I would like to express my thanks to the school board staff, including
the principal and the vice principals at Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport,
who have given me encouragement, support in time and finances, and permission to
implement this thesis there. I thank all of the research participants, my students, who
have contributed to this study.
Last but not least, my deepest and sincerest gratitude goes to my family for their
unconditional love, understanding, and help. I would like to dedicate this dissertation
to my beloved family, who have provided me with strong spiritual and material
support.

NGO XUAN DIEU

iii


ABSTRACT
In the age of technological advancements, the emergence of Skype, a form of
social networking site, has been considered to significantly contribute to education in
general and EFL students’ intercultural intelligence in particular. Skype has been
extensively used in numerous ESL/EFL contexts to enhance intercultural
intelligence. In the context of Vietnam, however, Skype-based interaction for
promoting EFL students’ intercultural intelligence seems controversial. This study,
therefore, endeavors to examine EFL students’ attitudes towards the use of Sky-based
interaction for enhancing intercultural intelligence and explore EFL students’
perceptions of the effectiveness of using Sky-based interaction for enhancing their
English language learning and intercultural intelligence at Ho Chi Minh City

University of Transport. This study involved 170 EFL students answering
questionnaires and 10 EFL students responding to interviews. The quantitative data
collected from students' responses to the questionnaire survey were analyzed with the
SPSS software version 26.0, whereas content analysis was employed to analyze the
qualitative data obtained from the semi-structured interview. The findings revealed
that although research participants were conscious of the considerable benefits of
intercultural intelligence and showed positive affection for Sky-based interaction,
they still faced a dilemma about using Sky-based interaction to enhance intercultural
intelligence. Such preliminary findings are hoped to contribute to a better
understanding of the significant influence of the use of Sky-based interaction on
intercultural intelligence and shed light on further research in the current context and
other similar ones.
Keywords: attitude, perception, Skype, Sky-based interaction, intercultural
intelligence, EFL

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY....................................................................... i
RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS ...........................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...................................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................... ix
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. x
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS................................................................................... x
TABLE OF NUMBER OF WORDS ....................................................................... x
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 1
1.1. Background to the Study .................................................................................. 1
1.2. Statement of the Problem ................................................................................. 3

1.3. Aims and Objectives of the Study.................................................................... 3
1.4. Research Questions .......................................................................................... 4
1.5. Scope of the Study ........................................................................................... 4
1.6. Significance of the Study ................................................................................. 4
1.7. Definition of Key Terms .................................................................................. 5
1.8. Organization of the Study ................................................................................ 6
CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................... 8
2.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 8
2.2. Culture in English Language Teaching and Learning ..................................... 8
2.3. Intercultural Intelligence (ICI) ....................................................................... 10
2.3.1.

Definition of ICI .................................................................................. 10

2.3.2.

Components of ICI .............................................................................. 11

2.3.3.

The Importance of ICI in Communication .......................................... 14

2.4. Activities for Teaching and Learning ICI ...................................................... 15
2.5. The Effectiveness of the Use of Skype-Based Interaction for Enhancing
ICI ........................................................................................................................ 18
2.6. Attitudes towards the Use of Skype-Based Interaction ................................. 20

v

2.6.1.

Definition of Attitudes ........................................................................ 20

2.6.2.

Components of Attitudes ..................................................................... 21

2.7. Perceptions of the Use of Sky-Based Interaction for Enhancing ICI ............ 22
2.8. Previous Studies ............................................................................................. 23
2.8.1 Foreign Studies................................................................................................. 23
2.8.2 Vietnamese Studies .......................................................................................... 24
2.9. Conceptual Framework .................................................................................. 25
2.10. Summary ...................................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 3 - METHODOLOGY ........................................................................ 29
3.1. Introduction .................................................................................................... 29
3.2. Research Design ............................................................................................. 29
3.3. Research Site .................................................................................................. 30
3.4. Sample and Sampling Procedures .................................................................. 31
3.5. Research Instruments ..................................................................................... 34
3.5.1. Questionnaire .......................................................................................... 34
3.5.2. Semi-Structured interview ...................................................................... 35
3.6. Data Collection Procedures ............................................................................ 35
3.7. Data Analysis Procedures .............................................................................. 36
3.8. Methodological Issues ................................................................................... 37
3.8.1. Reliability ............................................................................................... 37
3.8.2. Validity ................................................................................................... 37
3.8.3. Ethics ..................................................................................................... 38
3.9. Summary ........................................................................................................ 38
CHAPTER 4 - RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ................................................. 39

4.1. Introduction .................................................................................................... 39
4.2. Results ............................................................................................................ 39
4.2.1. EFL Students’ Attitudes towards the Use of SBI for Enhancing ICI .... 39
● EFL Students’ Cognitive Attitudes towards the Use of SBI for Enhancing
ICI ................................................................................................................ 40

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● EFL Students’ Affective Attitudes towards the Use of SBI for Enhancing
ICI ................................................................................................................ 43
● EFL Students’ Behavioral Attitudes towards the Use of SBI for Enhancing
ICI ................................................................................................................ 44
4.2.2. EFL Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the Use of SBI on
Enhancing ICI ................................................................................................... 46
● EFL Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the Use of SBI on
Enhancing ICI in terms of Language skills.................................................. 47
● EFL Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the Use of SBI on
Enhancing ICI in terms of Cognition ........................................................... 48
● EFL Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the Use of SBI on
Enhancing ICI in terms of Metacognition ................................................... 50
● EFL Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the Use of SBI on
Enhancing ICI in terms of Affection ........................................................... 51
● EFL Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the Use of SBI on
Enhancing ICI in terms of Behavior ............................................................ 52
4.3. Discussions ..................................................................................................... 53
4.3.1. EFL Students’ Attitudes towards the Use of SBI for Enhancing ICI .... 54
4.3.2. EFL Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the Use of SBI on
Enhancing ICI ................................................................................................... 55
4.4. Summary ........................................................................................................ 57

CHAPTER 5 - CONCLUSION .............................................................................. 58
5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 58
5.2 Summary of the Main Findings of the Study ................................................. 58
5.3 Implications of the Study ............................................................................... 59
5.4 Limitations of the Study ................................................................................. 60
5.5 Recommendations for Further Studies ........................................................... 61
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 62
APPENDICES ......................................................................................................... 74

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APPENDIX A .......................................................................................................... 74
APPENDIX B .......................................................................................................... 80
APPENDIX C .......................................................................................................... 86
APPENDIX D .......................................................................................................... 88

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1: Participants’ General Information ........................................................... 32
Table 3.2: Interviewees’ General Information .......................................................... 33
Table 3.3. Methods of data analysis in relation to the research questions and
instruments ................................................................................................................ 36
Table 3.4. Reliability Statistics ................................................................................. 37
Table 4.1: EFL students’ attitudes towards the use of SBI for enhancing ICI ........ 40
Table 4.2: EFL students’ cognitive attitudes towards the use of SBI for enhancing ICI
................................................................................................................................... 40
Table 4.3: EFL students’ affective attitudes towards the use of SBI for enhancing ICI

................................................................................................................................... 43
Table 4.4: EFL students’ behavioral attitudes towards the use of SBI for enhancing
ICI.............................................................................................................................. 45
Table 4.5: EFL students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the use of SBI on
enhancing ICI ............................................................................................................ 47
Table 4.6: EFL students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the use of SBI on
enhancing ICI in terms of Language skills ............................................................... 48
Table 4.7: EFL students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the use of SBI on
enhancing ICI in terms of Cognition ......................................................................... 49
Table 4.8: EFL students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the use of SBI on
enhancing ICI in terms of Metacognition ................................................................. 50
Table 4.8: EFL students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the use of SBI on
enhancing ICI in terms of Affection ......................................................................... 52
Table 4.9: EFL students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the use of SBI on
enhancing ICI in terms of Behavior .......................................................................... 53

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1: Conceptual Framework........................................................................... 27

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ICC

: Intercultural Communicative Competence

ICI

: Intercultural Intelligence

IC

: Intercultural Communication

SBI

: Skype-based interaction

UTH

: Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport

SPSS

: Statistical Package for the Social Science

ICT

: Internet and Information and Technologies

EFL

: English as a Foreign Language

ESP

English for Specific Purposes

TABLE OF NUMBER OF WORDS

Chapter 1

1,889 words

Chapter 2

6,046 words

Chapter 3

2,677 words

Chapter 4

5,049 words

Chapter 5

1,099 words

Total

16,760 words

x


CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background to the Study
In the epoch of globalization, it is obvious that English has been used and
considered an official international language or a lingua franca for communication by
people of diverse and multilingual backgrounds (Tran Quoc Thao, 2017). Moreover,
language and culture are widely recognized as being interdependent and closely
related (Zhang, 2010). As Agar (1994) states that culture is in language, and language
is filled with culture. That implies that language is an indispensable part of culture
and also a form of cultural expression. Kramsch (1998) also refers to language as a
reflection, embodiment, and symbol of cultural reality. People of different cultural
backgrounds will obviously have various forms of intercultural communication (IC).
In order to determine intercultural intelligence’s (ICI) critical importance for EFL
students, James and Shammas (2013) emphasize that language students in a culturally
diverse society are able to communicate and expand intercultural knowledge, selfawareness, and identity in relation to other cultures at a realistic and professional
level.
Today, there is no doubt that education is one of the most beneficial aspects of
human beings’ lives. Education is not just to read and write but it is a process of
learning new life skills and increasing our knowledge gained from books and practical
life (Ajisoko, 2020). In fact, education actually enables us to lead happier and more
successful lives. In the currently globalized context, the reality of English’s
importance as an international language and a lingua franca cannot be forgotten or
ignored, and it has been used for cross-cultural communication around the world
(Tran Quoc Thao & Dang Van Hung, 2014). Notably, the English language, as
defined by Ajisoko (2020), is skill-based learning that requires different methods and
techniques. He also asserts that modern education is significantly influenced by

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various scientific discoveries and rapid technological advances. Furthermore, the use
of the Internet and information and communication technologies (ICTs) is the latest

approach to tackling difficulties and challenges in language teaching and learning
activities beyond the traditional classroom.
In the era of technological advances, e-learning, also known as online learning
or electronic learning, is becoming increasingly popular among academic institutions
and organizations. As regards e-learning, Tamm (2019) identifies that it has
enormous benefits over conventional teaching and learning techniques. Many of these
give teachers and students the option to create teaching and learning activities in
virtual classrooms, allowing them to select their own teaching and learning
environments and benefit from self-paced learning or personalized learning.
Additionally, e-learning is also more affordable since it removes the geographic
restrictions that are typically connected to conventional classrooms and education.
Nowadays, there are several prominent online educational apps and software
for learning foreign languages in general and the English language in particular, such
as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, ZoomCloud Meeting, Google
Classroom, Google Hangout, Google Meet, Skype, Microsoft Teams, etc. Among
these online educational apps and software, Skype, a Web 2.0 tool, has become a
popular and effective application for online communication through videoconferencing tools and information exchange via a chat window. The great advantage
of these services is that they are free to use and accessible via various gadgets such
as computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones (Hashemi & Azizinezhad, 2011).
Likewise, Skype has been used in a variety of levels of classrooms and provides many
teaching and learning opportunities (Blankenship, 2011; Foote, 2008; Messner, 2009,
2010). Obviously, teachers can register and collaborate with other teachers, or experts
around the world to design useful lessons and interesting activities for students to
participate in. Other advantages of using Skype found by Melnyk (2016) include
students being allowed to interact and share different items with other students,

2


teachers, or experts like lessons, useful information, bright ideas, valuable

experiences, and diverse cultures.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
In the context of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport (UTH), it has been
observed that a majority of EFL students from different faculties and institutes (such
as Information Technology, Transportation Engineering, Mechanical Engineering,
Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Transport Economics, Maritime, etc.) struggle
to understand and remember English specialized vocabulary in ESP courses.
Moreover, reality shows that they fail to interact in English with their classmates,
lecturers in particular, and people from different cultures around the world in general.
Over time, they also have a concerning propensity to become passive and
embarrassed English learners. Additionally, it is believed that most of them lack the
necessary intercultural intelligence to interact in cross-cultural settings. Due to the
aforementioned problems, EFL students are unable to satisfy and meet the learning
standards set by Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport.
Furthermore, it is undeniable that the 21st century has seen significant
technological advancements in the sphere of education. As a result, it is necessary to
replace ineffective traditional methods of language teaching and learning with ones
that are more effective through the employment of effective technological tools.
Skype-based interaction is one of the online educational applications and software for
efficiently promoting the acquisition of foreign languages in general, the English
language in particular, and specifically, developing intercultural intelligence.
1.3. Aims and Objectives of the Study
This study aims at exploring the use of Skype-based interaction for enhancing
EFL students’ intercultural intelligence at Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport
(UTH), and its objectives are:
➢ To examine EFL students’ attitudes towards the use of Skype-based
interaction for enhancing the intercultural intelligence at UTH;

3

➢ To explore EFL students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the use of
Skype-based interaction on enhancing intercultural intelligence.
1.4. Research Questions
In order to accomplish the aforementioned purposes in the current study, the
following research questions are created as follows:
1. What are EFL students’ attitudes towards the use of Sky-based interaction
for enhancing the intercultural intelligence at UTH?
2. What are EFL students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the use of Skybased interaction on enhancing the intercultural intelligence at UTH?
1.5. Scope of the Study
This study was carried out at Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport (UTH)
which is a state university under the Ministry of Transport and is one of the most
prestigious multidisciplinary training universities for the transportation industry in
the South of Vietnam. In conjunction with the purposes, the study, therefore,
attempted to explore using SBI for promoting EFL students’ ICI at UTH. Through
the use of SBI at UTH, the researcher specifically targeted EFL students from various
academic years, including freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors with an
intermediate English level in English 6 classes participating in a ten-week course
(totaling 2.5 hours/topic/once a week).
Accordingly, among many instruments and measuring strategies, a
questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were used by the researcher to collect
data as part of a mixed-methods strategy (quantitative and qualitative).
1.6. Significance of the Study
It is expected that the preliminary findings of this study may contribute to a
comprehensive understanding of the significant effects that Sky-based interaction has
on enhancing EFL students’ intercultural intelligence and will shed light on future
studies in this field and other comparable ones.
Within the scope of this study, in an intellectual effort to raise strong awareness
of the Sky-based interaction’s substantial roles in enhancing English language
4

learning and intercultural intelligence among EFL students at UTH, this study
endeavored to explore the effectiveness of Sky-based interaction’s effectiveness in
enhancing English language learning and intercultural intelligence, followed by the
current perspectives of EFL students at UTH. It finally focuses on suggesting some
pedagogical implications for enhancing EFL students’ English language learning and
intercultural intelligence in the context of UTH. This study is ultimately expected to
have enormous contributions to the change of the intercultural intelligence’s current
situations in English language learning among EFL students at UTH. Another
advantage of the study is that it will serve as guidance for educators and a resource
for a number of further studies in this area.
1.7. Definition of Key Terms
In order to help readers better perceive the content of this study, some key terms
are clarified as follows:
❖ Attitude refers to a person’s evaluation, beliefs, feeling, and predisposition
towards a particular object, person, event, or situation. It represents an individual's
overall mindset and the way they approach and respond to various aspects of life. In
the current study it refers to EFL students’ attitudes towards the use of SBI for
enhancing ICI at UTH.
❖ Culture is defined as a particular group of people's way of life, particularly
their prevailing practices and beliefs, at a specific time.
❖ ICC refers to the capacity to carry out communication actions in a culturally
varied setting that negotiate each other's cultural identities (Chen and Starosta, 1999).
❖ ICI refers to the abilities for intercultural self-awareness, identity, and
understanding in relation to others’ culture to prevent intercultural conflicts.
❖ Skype is a free communication software developed in 2003 by Niklas
Zennstrom and Janus Friis that enables users to conduct online calls and video
conferences as well as send instant messages.

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❖ Effectiveness: is the measure of how well something achieves its intended
goals or desired outcomes. In the current study it refers to EFL students’ perceptions
of the effectiveness of the use of SBI on enhancing ICI at UTH.
1.8. Organization of the Study
This study has five distinct chapters as follows:
Chapter 1- Introduction
There are 8 sections in this chapter. Specifically, the introduction section
presents the background of study and the outstanding importance of Skype-based
interaction in educational activities. Next, the statement of the problem explains the
convincing reasons why the study is conducted. The aims and objectives of the study
are all included in the next section. Following this, the research questions are
developed to assist the researcher in examining and exploring EFL students’ attitudes
and perceptions towards the effectiveness of using SBI on enhancing their
intercultural intelligence. Additionally, the following sections, including the scope of
the study, significance of the study, the definition of key terms, and the organization
of the thesis are provided.
Chapter 2 – Literature Review
This chapter aims to provide some theoretical contexts and prior research in
both international and Vietnamese contexts relating to EFL students’ attitudes
towards the use of SBI and their perceptions of the effectiveness of using SBI that
have great impacts on EFL students’ intercultural intelligence. The conceptual
framework of the study is offered along with a summary at the end of chapter.
Chapter 3 – Methodology
This chapter describes the research methodology along with the research design,
research site and participants of the study. Next, research instruments of the study are
employed in the study. Also covered in this chapter are the procedures for data
collection and analysis. After this section, the issues of validity, reliability, and ethics

are discussed.

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Chapter 4 – Results and Discussion
The questionnaire and semi-structured interview, the two primary instruments,
are analyzed and reported on in this chapter together with the data they collected.
This chapter also discussed the findings in relation to the two research questions that
were formulated. A summary at the end of chapter is additionally provided.
Chapter 5 – Conclusion
In this chapter, the main findings of the study are briefly summarized, as well
as some pedagogical implications for students, teachers, and administrators. The
following section of this chapter also lists a few limitations of the study that could
not be avoided along with providing positive recommendations for further research.

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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Introduction
This chapter makes a great effort to offer a critical evaluation and analysis of
the literature pertinent to the thesis’s main point. Aspects of culture in English
language teaching and learning are introduced in the first section, along with the
connection between culture and language and its significance in both processes.
Secondly, several aspects of intercultural intelligence’s definitions, components, and
substantial roles in communication are presented. Then, activities for ICI intercultural
intelligence teaching and learning are discussed and reviewed. The next subsection

describes the attitudes and perceptions towards the effectiveness of utilizing Skypebased interaction on enhancing intercultural intelligence. Following that, previous
studies on the topic and its conceptual framework are depicted. Finally, the summary
of the chapter is shown.
2.2. Culture in English Language Teaching and Learning
It can be said with confidence that the term “culture” is a highly complicated
and broad conception that must be accurately defined. Thus, there has been a
multitude of interpretations of culture so far and each one seems to focus on and
provide perceptions into the distinctive phenomena of culture (Tran Quoc Thao &
Dang Van Hung, 2014). Several scholars have attempted to define culture as a set of
attributes such as knowledge, concepts, beliefs, values, norms, customs, traditions,
rituals, and behavior patterns shared by particular members of a society and passed
on to the next generation (e.g., Tylor, 1958; Banks, 1988; Kim, 2003). In addition,
culture sets the context of each person’s cognitive and affective behavior, which
shapes individuals’ attitudes and perceptions, and may have a significant impact on
daily activities like hobbies (Kuo & Lai, 2006). As regard to language, Wardhaugh
(2002) considers language is more than just understanding actual sounds, words, and

8


sentences; it is also the knowledge of principles, ideas, and methods for using sounds,
words, and sentences to express and do things. Kim (2003) states that language is
considered the communication system that uses codes and symbols that people use to
convey their thoughts, feelings, knowledge, and to preserve, recall, arrange, and
organize information. While it is widely admitted that language is the most powerful
means of communication in the world, language is a reflection of a society’s thoughts
and behaviors (Gao, 2006).
Undeniably, the relationship between culture and language is inextricable and
interdependent. Regarding the profound impact of culture on language, according to
Kuo and Lai (2006), culture affects people's behavior and linguistic skills in addition

to changing their values and habits. Correspondingly, learning a language involves
not only researching the alphabet, the sounds of letters and forms, the meaning, the
grammatical structures, or word patterns, but also analyzing societal behavior and
cultural values (Krasniqi, 2019). It is possible to pinpoint the fact that language
simultaneously reflects culture and is shaped by it. A language is a constituent of a
culture and vice versa, according to Brown (2007), who describes their intertwined
relationships between culture and language. Their relationships are closely entwined,
making it impossible to separate them without diminishing the importance of either
language or culture. In other words, language is used as a medium for social
interaction that facilitates the development of cultures (Choudhury, 2013).
Particularly, in the field of teaching and learning English as a second language,
the interrelationship between culture and language have become a topic of debate and
discussion. It is obvious that culture has a tremendous impact and should be taught in
language classes. Mahmoud (2015) contends that incorporating cultural knowledge
and values into language teaching and learning is an essential prerequisite for
developing language proficiency. It is significant to note that a learner's culture
influences whether they will think about learning a foreign language. Similar to how
Tomalin (2008) views the teaching of cultural competencies as an integral aspect of
language instruction, culture is referred to as the fifth language competence in
9


addition to the other four. He also makes the point that the fifth language competence
teaches students how to change the way they use English in order to learn about,
comprehend, and appreciate the beliefs, customs, and unique characteristics of
diverse cultures that may differ from their own.
Notwithstanding, it is admitted that teaching culture is unquestionably a difficult
endeavor. A broader perspective has been adopted by Graves (1996), who points out
that a teacher who views culture as a crucial component of a syllabus should
incorporate two additional components into the instructional materials along with the

cultural knowledge, namely the development of behavioral skills and sensitivity in
cross-cultural interactions as well as the raising of awareness of cultures' roles in
contributing to human interaction. What is more, as Cakir (2006) notes, teachers
should be attentive to learners’ attitudes and values so that they will not lose their
motivation. Generally, teachers should provide targeted cultural awareness activities
in a foreign language course because, according to Tomlinson and Masuhara (2004),
this enhances not only the course’s educational benefits but also the students’ foreign
language competence.
2.3. Intercultural Intelligence (ICI)
2.3.1. Definition of ICI
It is possible that the terms of cultural intelligence, intercultural sensitivity,
intercultural competence, intercultural understanding, or intercultural communicative
competence (ICC) seem to have been commonly investigated by previous studies. So
far, notwithstanding, regarding the notion of intercultural intelligence (ICI), there has
been little research about this term. Urnaut (2014) defines the concept of intelligence
referred to intellectual capacity and considered as a general cognitive problem, in
particular solving skills or mental abilities involved in thinking, the perception of
relationships and analogies, the quick calculation and learning. Regarding
intercultural intelligence, Urnaut also defines the term as a set of capabilities to work
efficiently in various cultural settings. In addition, Peterson (2004) describes
intercultural intelligence as the capacity to engage in a variety of cultural behaviors
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by the use of language or interpersonal skills as well as aptitudes like flexibility or
ambiguity tolerance that are suitably adapted to individuals' unique perspectives,
competences, cultural values, and attitudes toward the world through communicative
activities.
To a large extent, the concept of intelligence is often used concurrently with
competencies or intellectual abilities (Navaitienė et al., 2013). The intercultural

intelligence may be defined as a set of attitudes of openness, curiosity, and respect;
the capacity to observe, understand and learn about one’s own culture as well as other
cultures; skills of adapting and empathy; and awareness and knowledge about
similarities and differences that enable an individual to manage relationships
adequately and effectively with people of different linguistic and cultural
backgrounds (e.g., Portera, 2014; Tran Quoc Thao, 2015).
In the multicultural communication context, the term “intercultural
communicative competence” (ICC) becomes extremely popular among EFL learners.
ICC can be interpreted as an individual's capacity to communicate adequately and
sufficiently with others from dissimilar cultural and linguistic backgrounds using a
specific language for communication other than the individual’s native language
(e.g., Tran Quoc Thao, 2015; Idris & Widyantoro, 2019).

To

sum

up,

an

understanding of the term “intercultural intelligence” helps to explore more about
intercultural intelligence’s important roles in enhancing students’ intercultural
competence and language competence in cross-cultural communication.
2.3.2. Components of ICI
It is strongly asserted that living and working in an intercultural environment
requires an in-depth understanding of various sets of values, rules, and behaviors that
can facilitate productive connections and interactions with others from varied cultural
contexts (Sousa et al., 2019). In addition, for most language communication activities
in organizations, it will be more challenging to be successful in this global village

without profound intercultural knowledge (Pikhart, 2014).

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