Problems in the development of intercultural competence: An exploration through cultural portfolios

Abstract

This study explores the difficulties in the development of intercultural communicative competence (Byram, 1997) in a group of college students enrolled in advanced Spanish courses. Through a cultural portfolio focused on Latin America, the study examines the tensions and discontinuities in the acquisition of intercultural skills. The analysis of the emergent discourses in the portfolios shows that only a minority of the students questioned their stereotypes while the majority affirmed their ethnocentric opinions. The results highlight the limitations in the development of intercultural competence in the classroom, and emphasize the need of including a critical perspective in intercultural learning, especially, when the object of study are minority languages and cultures.