An exploration of intercultural competence among Japanese: towards a more balanced understanding of emic and etic perspectives

| May 20, 2018

An exploration of intercultural competence among Japanese: towards a more balanced understanding of emic and etic perspectives

 

Willem de Goei

The University of Manchester
Manchester, UK

In an increasingly globalised world, the development of intercultural competence (IC) among Japanese English as a foreign language (EFL) students has gained great importance. However, an adherence to native speaker norms, essentialist views of culture, and an inability of the English education system in Japan to promote the use of English as a tool for intercultural communication pose major challenges to the development of IC in Japan. In order to raise awareness about the way IC may be developed among Japanese EFL students in Japan, this study aims to gain a more balanced understanding of emic and etic perspectives of IC in a Japanese context. After reviewing relevant literature on IC and its development, two narrative interviews with experienced Japanese intercultural communicators were conducted in order to gain a better understanding of what IC means from a Japanese perspective. Through an integrative (inductive and deductive) approach to thematic analysis, the following three main themes were identified as important components of IC revealed in both participants’ narratives: 1) willingness to engage with otherness and ability to see from others’ perspectives; 2) knowledge/awareness of one’s own and other culture(s) and communication style(s) and ability to adjust; and 3) ability to use English actively and confidently as a tool for intercultural communication. Based on a contextualised discussion of the themes; the participants’ restoried narratives; relevant IC literature; and the researcher’s own experience, this dissertation offers some insights into what IC means from a Japanese point of view, as well as presenting tentative suggestions as how to go about developing IC among Japanese EFL students in Japan.

Category: 2018 Thesis, Thesis