Studying abroad as a factor contributing to intercultural dialogue competence.

This assignment discusses how studying abroad can help students develop intercultural dialogue competence. In order to understand how this occurs, it is first necessary to have a clear understanding of what intercultural dialogue competence entails.

Intercultural dialogue competence has been defined as "the ability to interact effectively in cross-cultural situations" (Byram & Feng, 2009, p. 9). To be competent in intercultural dialogue, individuals need to be able to understand and appreciate the differences between cultures, and at the same time, recognise the commonalities that exist between them. Furthermore, individuals need to be able to build positive relationships with people from other cultures and communicate effectively with them.

Studying abroad is an experience that can provide individuals with opportunities to develop all of these skills. Being in a new country and culture, students are forced to confront their own cultural biases and learn about the customs and values of others. In addition, they need to be able to communicate effectively with people from different cultures in order to get by on a day-to-day basis. By doing so, they develop an understanding of how to interact with people from other cultures and build positive relationships with them.

In conclusion, studying abroad can play a significant role in helping individuals develop intercultural dialogue competence. It provides students with opportunities to learn about other cultures and understand how to interact with people from those cultures. As such, it is an experience that should be encouraged for all students who want to develop their intercultural communication skills.

Reference

Byram, M., & Feng, G. (2009). Constructing intercultural competence in practice. Language Teaching, 42(1), 9-21. doi:10.1017/S0261444808003161