An Explanatory Analysis Of English Language Learners' Intercultural Communicative Competence At The Post-Graduate Level In A Public Sector University

Abstract

Intercultural Communicative Competency (ICC) has become an essential element in today’s globalized world especially when communicating with other cultures’ people as it highlights the importance of both linguistic proficiency and the ability to comprehend and engage with many cultural contexts. Therefore, this study investigates the level of ICC among post-graduate English students at Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Pakistan and identifies the factors that facilitate or hinder its development. Guided by Byram’s (1997; 2020) model, ICC was assessed across five components: knowledge, attitude, skills of interpreting and relating, skills of discovery and interaction, and critical cultural awareness. By using a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews from ten MS/MPhil English students and analysed thematically. The major findings of the study reveal varying levels of ICC, ranging from beginner to advanced levels, across the different components, highlighting disparities in students’ cultural knowledge, openness, interpretive skills, and critical awareness. Key facilitating factors include personal attributes such as curiosity and openness, as well as exposure to social media, movies, and culturally rich learning materials. Conversely, hinder factors include limited intercultural classroom diversity, lecture-centered teaching, and psychological barriers such as shyness and lack of confidence. The study underscores that ICC is a progressive, context-dependent process requiring deliberate educational planning, reflective engagement, and institutional support among others. These findings of the study provide insights for integrating intercultural perspectives in English language instruction, aiming to prepare students as competent, culturally aware communicators in a globalized environment.