Intercultural communication

1. Intercultural Communicative Competence
Nur Anisa Harahap (K2222064)

2. Byram’s (2021) model of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC)
Attitudes
Knowledge
Skills of Interpreting and Relating
Skills of Discovery and Interaction
Critical Cultural Awareness

3. 1. Attitudes
This is the foundation of ICC. It refers to the learner’s mindset when
encountering different cultures. Byram emphasizes three main traits here:
● Curiosity: A genuine interest in learning about other cultures without
judgment.
● Openness: Willingness to suspend disbelief about other cultures and belief
about one’s own.
● Readiness to experience: Being prepared to step outside one’s comfort
zone and engage with unfamiliar practices or beliefs.

4. 2. Knowledge
This refers to both factual and cultural understanding:
● Knowledge of social groups and their products and practices, in one's
own and in the foreign culture.
● Awareness of how social interaction works in both cultures (verbal and
non-verbal rules, customs, hierarchy, taboos, etc.).
Example: Understanding how keigo (honorific language) is used differently when
speaking to a teacher, friend, or boss in Japanese society.

5. 3. Skills of Interpreting and Relating
This involves the ability to understand and explain cultural references and
behaviors in different contexts:
● Interpreting: Making sense of unfamiliar practices or values from another
culture.
● Relating: Comparing and contrasting these with your own cultural norms in
a meaningful way.
Example: Explaining the cultural value behind bowing in Japan, and comparing it
with handshakes in your own culture.

6. 4. Skills of Discovery and Interaction
This is about learning how to interact effectively in real-time intercultural
situations:
● Discovery: Ability to find out new information about a culture by asking
questions, observing, or researching.
● Interaction: Using that knowledge appropriately during communication,
especially when encountering something unfamiliar or unexpected.
Example: If visiting Japan, knowing how to ask appropriately about local customs
or how to behave during a home visit.

7. 5. Critical Cultural Awareness
Critical Cultural Awareness is the ability to critically evaluate cultural practices,
values, and beliefs that is not only in other cultures but also in one’s own, based
on explicit criteria such as human rights, democracy, and social justice.
This component pushes learners beyond understanding or respecting cultural
differences. It requires them to think deeply and ethically about:
● What values underlie a certain cultural practice?
● How do those values align or conflict with universal human rights?
● Should all cultural practices be accepted simply because they are
“traditional” or “normal” within a society?

8. Learning Material Overview (Japanese Microlearning Course)
Attitude:
Encourages openness and curiosity by introducing unfamiliar customs and
etiquette
Knowledge:
Explains cultural practices (e.g., keigo, bowing) and values (e.g., group harmony)
Interpreting & Relating Skills:
Learners reflect on differences (e.g., indirectness vs. directness in requests)
Discovery & Interaction Skills:
Prepares learners to explore Japanese contexts through
Critical Cultural Awareness:
Promotes reflection on how Japanese norms differ from one’s own and their
implications

9. Attitudes & Knowledge in Japanese Course
Attitudes
● Promotes openness and curiosity toward Japanese customs.
● Encourages non-judgmental acceptance of unfamiliar behaviors (e.g., bowing, indirect
speech).
● Example: Trying out formal greetings like “Ohayou gozaimasu” and bowing, even if
unfamiliar, helps develop respect for cultural norms.
Knowledge
● Introduces cultural facts and practices:
● Politeness levels (keigo)
Group harmony (wa)
Importance of silence and space
● Example: Learning that saying “no” directly is avoided in Japan to maintain harmony
reflects core cultural values.

10. Interpreting, Relating, & Interaction Skills
Skills of Interpreting & Relating
● Encourages learners to compare Japanese and their own communication styles.
● Helps understand why Japanese people are often indirect in speech.
● Example: Comparing the indirect “chotto…” as a polite refusal vs. direct refusal in your
culture.
Skills of Discovery & Interaction
● Prepares learners for real-world interaction:
○ Using polite phrases (e.g., Sumimasen, Onegaishimasu)
○ Observing non-verbal cues
○ Knowing when to bow, be silent, or speak
● Example: Understanding that silence on public transport is expected shows sensitivity to
context.

11. Critical Cultural Awareness
● Encourages reflection on cultural assumptions and values.
● Develops the ability to evaluate practices from multiple cultural perspectives.
● Example: After learning about keigo (formal language), reflecting on how your culture
shows respect—through titles, tone, or informality—builds deeper understanding.
● Promotes respectful questioning like:
○ “Why is this practice valued in Japan?”
○ “How might this be misunderstood by someone from another culture?”

12. Reflection
● By understanding more about Byram 5 key core of intercultural
communicative competence, it can make communication more
meaningful.
● Communication is not just about how we spoke but we have to
understand different people perspective about anything such as their
background culture