intercultural competence

Meanings

1. 1noununcountableformal

   The ability to communicate and work effectively with people from different cultures.

   Grammar: Uncountable; do not use 'a' or a plural. You can say 'a high level of intercultural competence'.

   Patterns

   • develop intercultural competence
   • intercultural competence in something
   • a level of intercultural competence

   Studying abroad helps students develop intercultural competence.

   Employers value intercultural competence when hiring for global teams.

   The course aims to build intercultural competence through case studies and role plays.

2. 2noununcountableformalspecialist

   A set of skills, attitudes, and knowledge that allow someone to understand and respect cultural differences.

   Grammar: Still uncountable, but often used with 'a sense of' or 'a high degree of' to talk about amounts.

   Patterns

   • a sense of intercultural competence
   • intercultural competence training

   Intercultural competence includes being open to other viewpoints and adapting your behavior.

   The workshop focuses on intercultural competence for healthcare workers.

Common combinations

develop intercultural competence

Language learners develop intercultural competence by interacting with native speakers.

intercultural competence training

The company provides intercultural competence training for employees sent overseas.

a high level of intercultural competence

Her high level of intercultural competence made her a natural choice for the international project.

assess intercultural competence

Researchers assess intercultural competence using surveys and interviews.

Synonyms and how they differ

cultural awareness

Focuses more on knowing that differences exist; 'intercultural competence' also includes the skills to act effectively.

cross-cultural competence

Very similar, but 'cross-cultural' often emphasizes comparison between cultures, while 'intercultural' emphasizes interaction between them.

global competence

A broader term that includes intercultural skills along with global knowledge and issues.

Opposites

Word family

intercultural adjective

Relating to interaction between different cultures.

competent adjective

Having enough skill or knowledge to do something well.

competence noun

The ability to do something well.

Commonly confused: intercultural competence or intercultural communication?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “intercultural competence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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