Effectiveness of Intercultural Competence to Enhance Reading Comprehension Ability of EFL Learners

Abstract

This special project mainly focuses on investigating the effectiveness of intercultural competence to develop and enhance reading comprehension of English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners in second language (L2) classrooms. Three areas will be explored in relation to the effectiveness of L2 learners’ intercultural familiarity to their reading ability. First and foremost, the relationship between intercultural competence (ICC) and reading comprehension will be discussed by reviewing several related studies. Based on the ICC modal proposed by Deardorff (2006), the components of intercultural competence are: awareness and knowledge, skills, and attitudes are the key factors to influence EFL learner’s ICC. Finally, three factors: EFL learners, non-native Chinese teachers and schools and communities will be taken into account to improve EFL learns’ ICC. As EFL learners, communicating with more and more foreigners online or offline can be one of the useful methods.