Integrating Intercultural Awareness and Competence into the English Syllabus: A Curricular Program for Omar Al-Mukhtar University Students

Abstract

This research study is aimed at developing an English curriculum and materials for university students based on the Intercultural Language Learning model (IcLL) to enhance students' cultural awareness and Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC). This study, therefore, aims to discover the level of students' intercultural competence and awareness before and after integrating ICC into the curriculum of an English-speaking course designed for English department students. The quantitative data was collected from pre- and post-ICC questionnaires, while the qualitative data was obtained from students' focus-group interviews which address students' attitudes and perceptions of learning about their own culture and diverse cultures in this increasingly globalized world. The findings of this study showed significant changes in students' levels of ICC after the implementation of the intercultural curricular program.