I know how to behave appropriately in multiple contexts”: Vietnamese L2 learners’ perceptions of intercultural intelligence enhancement via Skype-mediated course

Abstract

The emergence of technology has facilitated the process of training L2 learners to be fluent in the target language and intelligent in the target culture. Nevertheless, L2 learners in different contexts still fail to function appropriately and effectively in multicultural contexts although they possess a good level of language proficiency. This mixed-methods study aims to explore Vietnamese L2 learners’ perceptions of intercultural intelligence (ICI) enhancement via Skype-mediated course (SMC). One hundred and seventy 170 Vietnamese L2 learners partook in responding to the questionnaire, and ten of them were invited to participate in the semi-structured interview. The questionnaire-based data were processed by the SPSS software in terms of descriptive statistics, while the interview-based data were thematically analyzed. This study unpacked that Vietnamese L2 learners perceived that the SMC was effective in enhancing their ICI. Specifically, they believed that they could improve not only their language competence but also their intercultural metacognition, cognition, affection, and behavior. It is hoped that these preliminary findings would contribute to the body of literature in terms of the use of Skype to enhance learners’ ICI and suggest pedagogical implications for the enhancement of learners’ ICI.