Problematising intercultural communication competence in the pluricultural classroom: Chinese students in a New Zealand university

Holmes, P.

Abstract

This study juxtaposes current approaches to intercultural communication compe-tence (ICC) with Chinese students' learning and communication experiences in a New Zealand pluricultural classroom. Fifteen first-year Chinese university students were interviewed and participated in focus groups. The findings indicated that the Chinese students' rules for communication - face negotiation, and maintaining roles, harmony and relationships - were not compatible with the New Zealand rules for competent classroom communication. Therefore, there is a need for a critical turn that is culture- and context-specific, and exposes power relations when theorising and investigating ICC.

Citation

Holmes, P. (2006). Problematising intercultural communication competence in the pluricultural classroom: Chinese students in a New Zealand university. Language and Intercultural Communication, 6(1), 18-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708470608668906

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2006
• Deposit Date: Oct 13, 2010
• Journal: Language and Intercultural Communication
• Print ISSN: 1470-8477
• Electronic ISSN: 1747-759X
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 18-34
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14708470608668906
• Keywords: Intercultural communication competence, Chinese students/learners, International education, Chinese communication.