A Comparative Study On Cross Cultural Sensitivity Between Chinese International Education And English Majors

Cross cultural communication ability is a core competency that international Chinese language teachers must possess.Cross cultural sensitivity is at the emotional level of cross-cultural communication,which directly affects an individual’s ability to successfully engage in cross-cultural communication.Therefore,it is necessary to attach importance to the cultivation of cross-cultural sensitivity.Cross cultural sensitivity has the following five dimensions: interactive participation,respect for cultural differences,interactive confidence,interactive enjoyment,and interactive focus.This study,based on the Cross Cultural Sensitivity Scale(ISS)developed by Chen&Starosta,conducted a cross-cultural sensitivity survey on 205 Chinese international education majors and 203 English major students from dozens of universities,including Nanning Normal University,Guangxi University,and Dalian International Studies University.English major students were compared,To address two main issues: 1.What is the cross-cultural sensitivity level of students majoring in Chinese International Education and English? Is there a difference in the five dimensions of cross-cultural sensitivity between the two professional groups? And how to improve the cross-cultural sensitivity of students majoring in Chinese international education?By collecting 408 valid cross-cultural sensitivity survey questionnaires,descriptive analysis and independent sample T-test were conducted on the collected data.The results showed that: 1.The cross-cultural sensitivity of students majoring in Chinese international education and English is at a medium to high level,but the average cross-cultural sensitivity of students majoring in Chinese international education is slightly higher than that of students majoring in English.2.The two groups of students showed similar characteristics in the five dimensions of cross-cultural sensitivity,with higher scores in communication participation and respect for cultural differences,and the weakest scores in communication confidence.3.There is a significant difference in respecting cultural differences between students majoring in Chinese international education and those majoring in English.4.The study also found that educational background,whether to offer cross-cultural communication courses,whether to participate in cross-cultural communication activities,overseas experience,English proficiency,and foreign internships have a significant impact on cross-cultural sensitivity.Based on the above findings,this study answers the questions of the previous two hypotheses,and based on the survey data results and analysis,the article proposes three levels of suggestions on how to improve the cross-cultural sensitivity and communication ability of students majoring in Chinese international education,namely at the school and college level,cross-cultural course teachers level,and Chinese international education students level.