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Abstract Abstract: How English learners’ intercultural competence changes in a study-abroad context remains elusive in current literature. The present study attempted to find out whether short-term study-abroad context and English learners’ language proficiency would affect their intercultural communication apprehension (ICA) and intercultural sensitivity (IS). It was based on ICA and IS questionnaires as well as follow-up interviews with 33 graduates from a Chinese university after their participations in a three-week cultural portfolio program either in the U.S. or in Australia. It was found that the learners’ ICA was significantly reduced after their short-term study-abroad programs but this was not the case with their IS. While these learners’ IS was positively affected by their prior language proficiency, their ICA was not. In addition, there existed a significant negative correlation between ICA and IS as the results indicated that the lower ICA the learners had, the higher IS they boasted. The study reveals that English learners’ intercultural competence in the short-term study-abroad context develops in a different trajectory from that in the long-term context and its relation to ELL’s prior language proficiency is worth further attention.
Key words: study-abroad; language proficiency; intercultural communication apprehension; intercultural sensitivity
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