Teaching and Developing Intercultural Competence in Learners: Case of First-Year EFL Students at the University of Tlemcen

Abstract

The present extended essay deals with an important aspect of English language teaching (ELT). It strives to shed light on the teacher’s role in developing intercultural competence (ICC) in Algerian EFL learners at tertiary level. It also attempts to examine the teachers’ familiarity with the key concepts underlying the intercultural approach used to enhance intercultural competence. To achieve this goal, the study will make use of three research instruments a structured interview with teachers’ classroom observation and a questionnaire to students. The use of techniques to foster intercultural competence is of paramount importance in an EFL setting. The literature closely related to the intercultural competence approach advocates the use of a set of techniques. These techniques can easily be implemented in the classroom; they proved to be very efficient. This extended essay is in favour of comparing aspects of the target culture and aspects of the learners’ culture. This contact between the British culture and the Algerian culture will be of great benefit and interest in the development of intercultural competence.