Development Of Non-english Majors’ Intercultural Communication Competence Through English Movies

With the rapid development of globalization and the increasing exchanges between the outside world and China in recent years, intercultural communication has become very important in our daily life. In addition, the English Curriculum Requirements(2007) suggests that developing students’ intercultural communication competence as a major teaching objective in present college English teaching. Many English researchers and teachers have realized the importance of cultivating students’ intercultural communication competence. English films as a kind of rich teaching materials can create an authentic environment of English learning and present various cultures to students by dynamic pictures. Many scholars have achieved a lot in developing students’ intercultural communication competence by applying English films in English teaching, but most of them are non-empirical research. Therefore, in this paper, the author will discuss the application of English films in English teaching to cultivate non-English majors’ intercultural communication competence by empirical research.On the basis of the input hypothesis, the dual coding theory and constructivism theory, the author combines English films and related culture contents of English textbook in English teaching and makes an experiment study. The study focus on the following two questions:(1) Can non-English majors’ intercultural communication competences be improved by using English film teaching?(2) Can English films change non-English majors’ attitudes towards intercultural communication?To test the effectiveness of English film teaching approach in enhancing learners’ intercultural communication competence, the author carried out an experiment study for one semester. 108 freshmen of two parallel classes from Landscape Architecture major in Institute of Life and Science in Linyi participated in this study. They were randomly divided into control class(CC) and experimental class(EC) with traditional teaching and film teaching approach.The results of this study show that there are significant differences in intercultural knowledge, intercultural awareness, intercultural skill and intercultural attitude. It can be concluded that the application of English films in English teaching is an effective and feasible way to boost non-English majors’ intercultural communication competence. The results of questionnaire also indicate that English films can change students’ attitude towards intercultural communication.The implications from the study are: intercultural communication competence can be development through combine English films and related culture contents of English textbook. In addition, English teachers should boost their own intercultural communication competence and pay attention to choosing films within learners’ linguistic competence, designing classroom activities and creating realistic language situation to arise and cultivate students’ interests and autonomous learning ability in college English teaching. However, it has to be admitted that some limitations still existing in present research in terms of small samples and short teaching period. Therefore, the author hopes that foreign language teachers can take these factors into consideration in their further English teaching so as to improve learners’ intercultural communication competence.