Developing Intercultural Communicative Competence Through Multicultural Short Stories Among Chinese EFL Learners

Authors

  • Aifang Xu

    Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia

    Faculty of English Language and Culture, Xi'an Fanyi University, Xi’an 710105, China
  • Norhakimah Khaiessa Ahmad

    Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
  • Siti Nadhirah Rahman

    Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11419
Received: 31 July 2025 | Revised: 11 August 2025 | Accepted: 20 August 2025 | Published Online: 21 October 2025

Abstract

This study examines the influence of reading multicultural literature (ML) texts on the development of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) among Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Despite the increasing importance of ICC in language education, Chinese students often lack direct intercultural experiences. To address this gap, this study investigates how reading multicultural short stories can improve learners' cultural knowledge, interpretive skills, intercultural attitudes, and critical awareness. Fifteen participants were first-year English majors at a Chinese university who engaged with four multicultural texts through an inquiry-driven, spiral reading approach. A qualitative design was utilized, collecting data from reflective journal entries and follow-up semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted following Byram's (1997) ICC model. The findings revealed a three-phase developmental trajectory of ICC aligned with the KWL framework (Know–Want to Know–Learned). Phase 1 showed surface-level awareness and initial curiosity; Phase 2 demonstrated increasing empathy, openness, and interpretive skill; Phase 3 reflected critical cultural reflection and integrated intercultural understanding. Additionally, an iterative spiral model illustrated how each literary text encouraged deeper ICC development through recursive interpretation, emotional engagement, and ethical insight. The study emphasizes the transformative potential of ML to promote meaningful intercultural learning in EFL contexts. It provides pedagogical implications for integrating literature-based methods into curriculum design to develop reflective, empathetic, and globally competent communicators.

Keywords:

Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC); Multicultural Literature (ML); Chinese EFL Learners; Cultural Awareness; Literature-Based Instruction

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How to Cite

Xu, A., Ahmad, N. K., & Rahman, S. N. (2025). Developing Intercultural Communicative Competence Through Multicultural Short Stories Among Chinese EFL Learners. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(11), 460–477. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11419

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 11 (November 2025): In progress

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 Aifang Xu; Norhakimah Khaiessa Ahmad, Siti Nadhirah Rahman

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.