Analysis Of Intercultural Competence In A Post-Pandemic Telecollaborative Context: A Proposal For University Internationalisation

Abstract

This article examines the impact of teaching Spanish as a foreign language in a post-pandemic context. It does so by analysing a telecollaborative programme with a particular focus on an intercultural approach. The aim is to contrast the development of Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC) in the two modalities, face-to-face and online, in order to identify the scope and fulfilment of the programme’s objectives in the online version. To achieve this aim, a comparative study was carried out using Fantini and Tirmizi (2006)’s scale of intercultural dimensions. The results confirm the positive impact, but also reveal the difficulties and perceptions expressed by learners in a virtual modality, as well as the importance and need for methodological and didactic adaptation. In conclusion, this research provides an analysis that encourages reflection on the intercultural teaching of foreign languages in online mode, paying heightened attention to the promotion of intercultural mediation.