VDM Verlag Internet-based development of cultural knowledge and awareness: Attitudes, obstacles and potential in Chinese Higher Education

It is widely recognised that foreign language teaching is incomplete without Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC). With increasing adoption of Internet technology in China, the Internet might be used to improve Chinese student's ICC. However, little research has been conducted to determine Chinese learner's attitudes towards integrating ICC into English learning via the Internet. Furthermore, few empirical studies have explored the elements likely to facilitate or impede the adoption of Internet-based, ICC-focused English learning in Chinese Higher Education (HE), where access is controlled and the learning culture is distinctive. Based on the data collected from hundreds of Chinese students, the findings suggest that they held very positive attitudes towards improving their ICC via the Internet. The findings also reveal the extent to which different factors could impact on Internet-based cultural learning in a Chinese university. The advantages of using the Internet for improving cultural knowledge, as identified in this study, suggest that Internet-based, ICC-focused English learning could play a useful role in Chinese HE. About the Author PhD. Her main research interests are technology- enhanced language learning, and intercultural communication. She is currently a lecturer at Milton Keynes College and a consultant for the Open University in the UK.