A Research On Intercultural Sensitivity Of Chinese College English Students

Intercultural sensitivity (ICS) is one of the ultimate goals of foreign language teaching, as its practice by foreign language learners can reflect the degree of the success or failure of foreign language education. Fortunately, a growing number of domestic scholars and educators have turned their attention to the related researches, however, among which few were found focusing on the intercultural assessment of the current situation of intercultural sensitivity of learners. Due to the lack of study on the subject, the author conducts an empirical research project to discover that in the physical environment among the Chinese college English students.This thesis examines the current situation of intercultural communication competence of college English students from the affective aspect in their intercultural communication activities. It aims at discover how the students'intercultural sensitivity related with their intercultural communication competence, at showing how to cultivate learners'intercultural communication sensitivity and therefore promote college English teaching.The thesis begins with the reviews of the previous studies of the concepts of intercultural communication competence and intercultural sensitivity, their correlations, interactions and functions in intercultural communication. Some theories and models from foreign and domestic practices concerning intercultural sensitivity are also presented, and the model of Chen and Starosta is selected as the underpinning of the thesis.The study was conducted among college English students of JiLin University. 203 Intercultural Sensitivity Scale sheets were distributed to the students involved, and collected. 189 out of the total were valid and technically assessed by the tool of SPSS 13.0 with the help of computer.The total score of Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) and its five componential factors (interaction engagement, respect for cultural difference, interaction confidence, interaction attentiveness and interaction confidence), the average score of ISS and its five componential factors, and frequency of ISS scores were calculated to demonstrate the current situation of ICS, and principal component analysis was employed to show the most influential factor concerning intercultural sensitivity. The quantitative results showed the moderate level of subjects'intercultural sensitivity. Subjects gain the highest score in interaction engagement, and followed by respect for cultural difference, interaction confidence, interaction attentiveness and interaction confidence. Interaction engagement was the most influential factor to one's intercultural sensitivity. And the other two items, correlation between interaction engagement and respect for cultural difference, were found to be the most significant parts. In order to explain the different levels of competence of the ICS and its five factors and the deficiencies setting in the English classroom, interviews to students and classroom observations were conducted by the author which proved the problems of cultivation of intercultural sensitivity in current teaching and learning..Four suggestions on how to promote students'intercultural sensitivity based on the results of the empirical study were put forward in the thesis from the aspects of avoiding ethnocentrism, avoiding stereotype, enhancing cultural self-awareness and enhancing cultural education.Limitations of this study were also acknowledged at the last part of the thesis, such as the limitation of the scope of the samples; and the corresponding recommendations for further study were recommended as well.