Cultural barriers and intercultural competence of international students at a private university in Bangladesh: a qualitative study

Abstract

The aim of the study is to explore Cultural Barriers and Intercultural Competence of International Students at a Private University; especially, in an ESOL context such as Bangladesh where the country is predominantly monocultural. When foreign students come to Bangladesh for studying, they require intercultural competence to cope with this culture and it is important to explore foreign students’ competence, challenges, and most used competence. The study has chosen qualitative multiple case study approach where the main source of data collection is interview and participants’ responses. The interview sessions have been organized with 7 participants. The results of the interviews have shown that the foreign students face intercultural challenges in language, communication, food habit, and also in the mode of teaching. Again, these foreign participants are more comfortable to make friends and communicate with them to overcome their challenges. Therefore, the study is significant to fill the gap of knowledge in the field of intercultural competence especially in Bangladeshi context.