AN EXPLORATION ON STUDENTS’ SELF EVALUATIONS OF INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY DEVELOPMENT IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING

Importance of intercultural communication increases as international and transnational relations are intensified. thus, it becomes as a requirement that people must be open and ready to interact with others from different cultures. in this respect, aiming to equip university students with intercultural communication skills which they will need both in their daily and professional lives, intercultural communication training began to be included in course programs. this study evaluates the intercultural sensitivity exercise, which is carried out at intercultural communication course in izmir university of economics. students’ self evaluation texts, which they have written during in-class activity based on bennett’s development model of intercultural sensitivity were thematically analyzed. most of the participants point out that they perceive themselves on the acceptance stage of intercultural sensitivity and remain reluctant to pass to the adaptation stage. in the light of these findings, practical suggestions are presented for developing intercultural communication training with different techniques.