Measuring the Behavioral Dimension of Intercultural Communicative Competence among Study Abroad Students: Insights from Japanese Speech Style Shifting
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v37i3.878Keywords:
Assessment, Intercultural communicative competence, Japanese speech style shifting, study abroad learningAbstract
Measuring study-abroad (SA) students’ intercultural communicative competence (ICC) has been a challenging task. Simply comparing pre- and post-SA language proficiency test results may not capture the full extent of ICC development. This study explores the behavioral dimension of ICC among SA students by examining changes in Japanese speech style shifting, thereby providing a nuanced understanding of ICC development. The mixed-methods analysis revealed that participants shifted their speech style more actively in post-SA interviews than in pre-SA interviews. Qualitative analysis further indicated that participants’ style shifting in post-SA interviews helped them appear more approachable while maintaining an appropriate level of formality and politeness, which suggests growth in ICC. These findings emphasize the broader applicability of examining speech style-shifting across languages as a measure of the behavioral dimension of ICC in SA programs. The study also discusses pedagogical implications and offers directions for future research on measuring ICC in SA contexts.
Abstract in Japanese
留学（SA）学生の異文化コミュニケーション能力（ICC）の測定は困難な課題である。単に留学前後の言語能力テストの結果を比較するだけでは、ICC の発達を十分に捉えきれない可能性がある。本研究は、アメリカ人留学生の日本語におけるスピーチ・スタイル・シフティング（speech style shifting）の留学前後の変化に着目して、ICCの行動的側面の発達をより詳しく把握することを目的とする。分析の結果、参加者は留学前のインタビューよりも留学後のインタビューでスタイルをより積極的に切り替えていた。さらに質的分析では、留学後のインタビューにおけるスタイル・シフトは、適切なフォーマリティと丁寧さを維持しつつも親しみやすさを高め、ICC の行動的側面の成長を示唆した。これらの結果は、他言語においてもスピーチ・スタイル・シフティングが、留学生のICC発達を行動面から測る指標として有用の可能性を示す。最後に、本研究は教育的示唆を提示し、留学におけるICC測定の今後の研究課題を提案する。
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