Examining Intercultural Sensitivity in Postgraduate Students of Teaching Chinese as an International Language Programmes : A Case of Universities in Hong Kong, Beijing and Zhuhai

Intercultural sensitivity is a crucial emotional ability for coping with cultural differences in intercultural communication. Improving the intercultural sensitivity of pre-service teachers who are majoring in Teaching Chinese as an International Language is essential for effective teaching of students from multicultural backgrounds in their future careers. To investigate the level of intercultural sensitivity and factors affecting the intercultural sensitivity of postgraduate students enrolled in postgraduate programs of Teaching Chinese as an International Language, this study utilised an adapted version of the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS). The study involved 132 participants from three different universities located in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Zhuhai. The results of the study revealed that the participants' intercultural sensitivity was generally at a medium to high level. However, the participants from Hong Kong exhibited significantly higher intercultural sensitivity than those from Beijing and Zhuhai. Moreover, the study found that various factors, including age, intercultural training, duration of teaching experience, nationalities of students, travelling frequency, duration of living abroad, number of non-Chinese friends, and frequency of contacting non-Chinese friends, had significant effects on intercultural sensitivity. These findings shed light on the importance of intercultural sensitivity in teaching Chinese as an International Language and underscore the need for pre-service teachers to receive intercultural training. Future research could further investigate the factors that impact intercultural sensitivity and explore effective strategies for improving it. Overall, this study highlights the significance of intercultural sensitivity in the context of intercultural communication and teaching in multicultural settings.

Keywords

Intercultural sensitivity, postgraduate students, Teaching Chinese as an International Language

source

International Journal of Chinese Language Education; Jun 2023; Issue No. 13; p.137 - 161

Language

Chinese