Intercultural	
  Teaching	
  Competence	
  (ITC)	
  
	
  
	
  

Excerpts	
  from:	
  
Dimitrov,	
   N.,	
   Dawson,	
  D.,	
  Meadows,	
  K.,	
  Olsen,	
  K.	
  (2014).	
  Developing	
  the	
  Intercultural	
  Competence	
  of	
  Graduate	
  Students.	
  
Canadian	
  Journal	
  of	
  Higher	
  Education	
  special	
  issue:	
   Preparing	
  International	
  Graduate	
  Students	
  for	
  the	
  Canadian	
  
Global	
  Workplace.	
  	
  44(3),	
  86-­‐103.	
  
	
  

“Intercultural	
   teaching	
   competence	
   (ITC)	
   is	
   the	
  ability	
  of	
  instructors	
  to	
  interact	
  with	
  students	
  in	
  a	
  
way	
   that	
   supports	
   the	
   learning	
   of	
   students	
   who	
   are	
   linguistically	
   and	
   culturally	
   different	
   from	
   the	
  
instructor	
   or	
   from	
   each	
   other	
   and	
   that	
   is	
   effective	
   and	
   appropriate	
   in	
   the	
   context	
   of	
   teaching	
  
(Fantini,	
   2009).	
   ITC	
   includes	
   the	
   ability	
   to	
   communicate	
   with	
   minimal	
   loss	
   or	
   distortion	
   (Fantini,	
  
2009),	
  meaning	
  that	
  students	
  receive	
  and	
  understand	
  the	
  messages	
  and	
  meaning	
  that	
  the	
  instructor	
  
intends	
   to	
   communicate	
   to	
   them.	
   It	
   is	
   a	
   set	
   of	
   skills	
   that	
   allows	
   TAs	
   to	
   establish	
   meaningful	
  
relationships	
  with	
  students,	
  peers,	
  and	
  faculty	
  and	
  enables	
  TAs	
  and	
  their	
  students	
  to	
  work	
  together	
  
to	
   achieve	
   common	
   learning	
   goals	
   (Fantini	
   2009;	
   Spitzberg	
   &	
   Chagnon,	
   2009).	
   ITC	
   enables	
   TAs	
   to	
  
bridge	
   cultural	
   and	
   linguistic	
   differences	
   in	
   the	
   classroom	
   as	
   well	
   as	
   to	
   communicate	
   successfully	
  
across	
  disciplinary	
  cultures	
  (Dimitrov,	
  2012).	
  
	
  
The	
   concept	
   of	
   Intercultural	
   Teaching	
   Competence	
   was	
   developed	
   by	
   combining	
   existing	
   concepts	
  
from	
   two	
   distinct	
   research	
   literatures.	
   ITC	
   combines	
   elements	
   of	
   intercultural	
   competence	
   models	
  
(Chagnon,	
   2009;	
   Deardorff,	
   2006)	
   and	
   work	
   in	
   the	
   intercultural	
   communication	
   literature	
   on	
  
interculturally	
   competent	
   teaching	
   (Bennett,	
   2011;	
   Deardorff,	
   2009)	
   with	
   research	
   in	
   the	
   fields	
   of	
  
educational	
   development	
   and	
   educational	
   psychology	
   on	
   effective	
   teacher	
   behaviours	
   (Brookfield	
  
1995;	
   Murray,	
   1997),	
   teaching	
   assistant	
   competencies	
   (Shannon,	
   Twale,	
   &	
   Moore,	
   1998;	
   Smith,	
  
2001),	
  and	
  inclusive	
  teaching	
  (Ouellett,	
  2005).	
  	
  
	
  
Intercultural	
  Teaching	
  Competence	
  is	
  similar	
  to	
  general	
  intercultural	
  competence	
  in	
  the	
  sense	
  that	
  it	
  
has	
   attitudinal	
   components	
   (e.g.,	
   tolerance	
   for	
   ambiguity,	
   openness	
   to	
   difference)	
   as	
   well	
   as	
  
knowledge	
   components	
   (e.g.,	
   knowledge	
   of	
   cultural	
   differences	
   in	
   classroom	
   interactions)	
   and	
  
behavioural	
   components	
   (e.g.,	
   the	
   ability	
   to	
   use	
   culturally	
   appropriate	
   feedback	
   strategies;	
  
Deardorff,	
   2006).	
   ITC	
   goes	
   beyond	
   general	
   intercultural	
   competence	
   models	
   in	
   that	
   it	
   identifies	
  
specific	
  teacher	
  skills,	
  behaviours,	
  and	
  teaching	
  approaches	
  that	
  facilitate	
  learning	
  in	
  the	
  context	
  of	
  
the	
   culturally	
   diverse	
   classroom.	
   The	
   existing	
   literature	
   on	
   interculturally	
   competent	
   teaching	
   has	
  
focused	
   primarily	
   on	
   social	
   science	
   classrooms	
   (Deardorff,	
   2009)	
   where	
   instructors	
   facilitate	
  
discussions	
  about	
  identity	
  involving	
  topics	
  such	
  as	
  race,	
  privilege,	
  class,	
  and	
  equity	
  (e.g.,	
  in	
  history,	
  
sociology,	
  or	
  political	
  science	
  courses).	
  In	
  this	
  article,	
  we	
  examine	
  ITC	
  across	
  all	
  disciplines	
  and	
  also	
  
explore	
   the	
   skills	
   that	
   TAs	
   need	
   in	
   diverse	
   labs,	
   tutorials,	
   and	
   classrooms	
   in	
   engineering,	
   science,	
  
medical	
  sciences,	
  and	
  other	
  disciplines	
  outside	
  the	
  social	
  sciences.	
  Based	
  on	
  the	
  synthesis	
  of	
  the	
  two	
  
research	
  literatures	
  above,	
  	
  
	
  

The	
  skills	
  of	
  an	
  interculturally	
  competent	
  teacher	
  include	
  the	
  ability	
  to:	
  
	
  
1. Model	
   and	
   encourage	
   perspective	
   taking	
   in	
   their	
   classroom.	
   For	
   example,	
   recognize	
   when	
  
students	
  approach	
  global	
  issues	
  from	
  monocultural	
  perspectives,	
  and	
  encourage	
  students	
  to	
  
consider	
  the	
  same	
  issue	
  from	
  a	
  variety	
  of	
  perspectives	
  by	
  asking	
  questions	
  and	
  expressing	
  a	
  
diversity	
  of	
  opinions	
  in	
  class	
  (Bennett	
  &	
  Bennett	
  2004;	
  Bond,	
  Qian,	
  &	
  Huang,	
  2003).	
  
	
  
2. Model	
   and	
   encourage	
   non-­‐judgemental	
   approaches	
   to	
   discussing	
   cultural,	
   social,	
   or	
   other	
  
types	
  of	
  difference.	
  For	
  example,	
  encourage	
  students	
  to	
  first	
  describe	
  and	
  interpret	
  cultural	
  
differences	
  in	
  gender	
  roles	
  or	
  health-­‐care	
  practices	
  before	
  evaluating	
  them	
  (Bennett,	
  2011;	
  
Harlap,	
  2008).	
  
3. Facilitate	
  discussion	
  among	
  students	
  with	
  a	
  variety	
  of	
  communication	
  styles.	
  For	
  example,	
  
recognize	
   differences	
   in	
   turn	
   taking;	
   manage	
   interruptions;	
   and	
   perceive	
   and	
   comprehend	
  
high-­‐context	
  and	
  low-­‐context,	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  circular	
  and	
  linear	
  contributions	
  from	
  students	
  (Hall,	
  
1986;	
  Wieland,	
  1991).	
  
4. Model	
  tolerance	
  for	
  ambiguity	
   when	
   students	
   with	
   a	
   variety	
   of	
   learning	
   and	
   communication	
  
styles	
  contribute	
  to	
  class	
  discussions,	
  and	
  help	
  learners	
  deal	
  with	
  uncertainty.	
  For	
  example,	
  
rephrase	
   circular	
   contributions	
   for	
   linear	
   learners,	
   demonstrate	
   patience	
   with	
   longer	
   or	
   high-­‐
context	
   comments	
   in	
   class,	
   and	
   validate	
   student	
   responses	
   (Bennett,	
   2011;	
   Paige,	
   1993,	
  
1996).	
  
5. Create	
   an	
   inclusive	
   learning	
   environment	
   that	
   recognizes	
   the	
   barriers	
   students	
   face	
   in	
  
participating.	
   For	
  example,	
  in	
  some	
  students’	
  home	
  cultures,	
  women	
  may	
  only	
  speak	
  when	
  
the	
   men	
   are	
   finished	
   talking,	
   or	
   students	
   only	
   contribute	
   when	
   they	
   are	
   called	
   upon	
   to	
   do	
   so	
  
(Eland,	
  2001).	
  
6. Expect	
   and	
   accept	
   difference,	
   and	
   appreciate	
   differences	
   in	
   the	
   relationships	
   between	
  
teachers	
   and	
   learners	
  across	
   cultures.	
  Such	
  differences	
  may	
  include:	
  differing	
  expectations	
  
regarding	
   the	
   amount	
   of	
   power	
   distance	
   between	
   teachers	
   and	
   students;	
   or	
   differing	
  
expectations	
  with	
  respect	
  to	
  learner	
  initiative	
  (Cryer	
  &	
  Okorocha,	
  1999;	
  Dimitrov,	
  2009),	
  as	
  
well	
  as	
  differences	
  in	
  students’	
  orientation	
  to	
  rules	
  and	
  rule	
  following	
  (Nisbett,	
  2004).	
  	
  
7. Provide	
   feedback	
   across	
   cultures	
   in	
   a	
   variety	
   of	
   ways.	
   Effective	
   facilitators	
   adjust	
   their	
  
feedback	
   style	
   to	
   the	
   needs	
   of	
   learners	
   and	
   recognize	
   the	
   way	
   feedback	
   is	
   offered	
   and	
  
received	
  in	
  the	
  learners’	
  cultures	
  or	
  learning	
  styles	
  (Laroche,	
  2003).	
  
8. Tailor	
   messages	
   to	
   audiences	
   with	
   different	
   levels	
   of	
   linguistic	
   ability	
  and	
  limit	
  the	
  use	
  of	
  
jargon	
   and	
   colloquialisms	
   that	
   may	
   interfere	
   with	
   a	
   given	
   audience’s	
   understanding,	
  
especially	
  in	
  interdisciplinary	
  contexts	
  (Cushner	
  &	
  Mahon,	
  2009).	
  
9. Explain	
   unspoken	
   assumptions	
   of	
   one’s	
   own	
   culture	
   and	
   discipline	
   to	
   students	
   from	
  
different	
   cultural	
   backgrounds,	
   and	
   mentor	
   them	
   during	
   their	
   transition	
   to	
   Canadian	
  
academia.	
   For	
   example,	
   articulate	
   the	
   value	
   of	
   academic	
   integrity	
   and	
   highlight	
   cultural	
  
differences	
   in	
   citation	
   and	
   referencing,	
   or	
   create	
   assignments	
   that	
   take	
   into	
   account	
   the	
  

discomfort	
   that	
   students	
   from	
   Confucian	
   educational	
   cultures	
   experience	
   when	
   asked	
   to	
  
critique	
  the	
  ideas	
  of	
  others	
  (Watkins	
  &	
  Biggs,	
  1999).	
  
10. Design	
   assessments	
   that	
   recognize	
   and	
   validate	
   cultural	
   differences	
   in	
   writing	
   and	
  
communication	
  styles,	
  such	
  as	
  the	
  use	
  of	
  inductive	
  or	
  deductive	
  logic	
  and	
  circular	
  rather	
  than	
  
linear	
  reasoning	
  in	
  student	
  essays	
  (Eland,	
  2001;	
  Fox,	
  1994).	
  
11. Identify	
  risk	
  factors	
  for	
  particular	
  types	
  of	
  learners.	
  Examples	
  of	
  risk	
  factors	
  are	
  loss	
  of	
  face,	
  
loss	
   of	
   group	
   identity,	
   conflict	
   avoidance,	
   and	
   risk	
   of	
   self-­‐disclosure	
   related	
   to	
   culture,	
  
religion,	
  sexual	
  orientation,	
  and	
  socio-­‐economic	
  background	
  (Bennett,	
  2011;	
  Paige,	
  1993).	
  
12. Create	
   opportunities	
   for	
   interaction	
   among	
   learners	
   that	
   allow	
   them	
   to	
   learn	
   from	
   each	
  
other,	
   share	
   different	
   perspectives,	
   and	
   share	
   the	
   wealth	
   of	
   cultural	
   knowledge	
   they	
   bring	
   to	
  
class	
  (Arkoudis	
  et	
  al.,	
  2013).	
  
13. Develop	
  an	
  awareness	
  of	
  one’s	
  own	
  culture	
  and	
  cultural	
  identity,	
  how	
  these	
  are	
  perceived	
  
by	
   cultural	
   others,	
   and	
   how	
   they	
   influence	
   cross-­‐cultural	
   interactions—for	
   example,	
   the	
  
potential	
  influence	
  of	
  a	
  perceptual	
  lens	
  created	
  by	
  one’s	
  sexual	
  orientation,	
  race/whiteness,	
  
privileged	
   socio-­‐economic	
   status,	
   or	
   ability	
   to	
   speak	
   a	
   dominant	
   language	
   (Harlap,	
   2008,	
   J.	
  
Bennett,	
  2011).