Emerging Technologies for Developing Cross-Cultural Competency

Abstract

In the context of globalization, cross-cultural competence plays a significant role in professional development. This study performs a survey among 650 university students in the area of linguistics. The survey reveals that students understand the importance of cross-cultural competence and that it is developable though online programs. However, they are not always ready to develop cross-cultural competence using formal solutions. To solve this problem, several options are suggested like (1) changing the strategy and methods for improving cross-cultural competence; (2) offering additional sources of information on cross-cultural topics; (3) creating online forums for communication with international students; (4) raising interest in online conferences; and (5) designing in-house programs for the online development of cross-cultural competencies.