Assessing Intercultural Language Learning

How can intercultural language learning be accounted for in foreign language teaching? By means of new assessments, the author investigates the development of language competences central to ICC in relation to learning opportunities as experienced by German learners of English. Audiovisual media were found as a major input factor in developing ICC.

Although Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) has become a key objective in foreign language (FL) education, curricula offer little in how language teachers can promote ICC through language instruction. This book responds to the challenge of how intercultural language learning can be accounted for more profoundly in FL teaching. By means of innovative intercultural assessments, the author investigates the development of three language competences central to ICC in relation to learning opportunities as experienced by German learners of English. Audiovisual media were found to be a major input factor in the development of intercultural language abilities. The book ends with a discussion of how audiovisual media can be implemented in secondary and tertiary FL and teacher education.

Contents: Intercultural Communicative Competence Intercultural Language Learning Second Language Pragmatics Pragmatics Assessment Sociopragmatic Comprehension Multiple Choice Discourse Completion Tasks Discourse Competence Skype Role Plays Audiovisual Media Input Teacher Education.