Cultural Intelligence among Iranian Foreign Language Undergraduates: An Exploratory Study

Authors
Mahdi Dahmardeh 1
Fatimah Hejaziyan 2
1 Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and Education, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
2 Visiting lecturer at Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences and Hakim Sabzevari University
10.61838/KMAN.IRPHE.32.1.7
Abstract
This descriptive study investigates Cultural Intelligence or Cultural Quotient (CQ) among Iranian undergraduates in their final year of foreign language studies, covering a diverse range of target languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish). A total of 270 participants from public universities in Iran, both male and female, across various foreign language majors, participated in the study. Using an adapted version of Triandis’ (2006) CQ questionnaire, participants' CQ was measured across four dimensions: cultural knowledge, strategy, motivation, and behaviour. Administered in Persian, the study revealed that participants exhibited cultural awareness and a willingness to adapt communication styles. However, areas for improvement were identified, such as the limited verification of cultural knowledge and a tendency towards Iranian cultural superiority. The study found no significant differences in CQ levels across students studying different foreign languages, suggesting that the target language may not be the primary factor influencing CQ development. However, further research is needed to explore the role of individual factors, such as motivation and openness, and to compare language learners with non-language learners to better understand the relationship between foreign language learning and CQ.
Keywords
Cultural Intelligence or Cultural Quotient (CQ)
Foreign Language Learning
Iranian University Students
Cultural Awareness
Cultural Knowledge
Subjects

References

Alahdadi, S., & Ghanizadeh, A. (2017). The dynamic interplay among EFL learners' ambiguity tolerance, adaptability, cultural intelligence, learning approach, and language achievement. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 5(1), 37-50. https://www.sid.ir/en/VEWSSID/J_pdf/51013520170103.pdf
Ang, S., & Van Dyne, L. (2008). Conceptualization of Cultural Intelligence: Definition, Distinctiveness, and Nomological Network In S. Ang, & L. Van Dyne (Eds.), Handbook of Cultural Intelligence: Theory, Measurement, and Applications. In (pp. 3-15). M. E. Sharpe. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=3759550
Azizi, Z., Fatemi, A. H., Pishghadam, R., & Ghapanchi, Z. (2015). Investigating the relationship between Iranian EFL learners' cultural intelligence and their home cultural attachment. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(3), 575-585. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3s1p575
Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46(1), 5-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/026999497378467
Bunch, G. C. (2013). Pedagogical language knowledge: Preparing mainstream teachers for English learners in the new standards era. Review of Research in Education, 37(1), 298-341. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X12461772
Byram, M. (1988). Foreign language education and cultural studies. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 1(1), 15-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318809525025
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Multilingual Matters. https://books.google.com/books/about/Teaching_and_Assessing_Intercultural_Com.html?hl=fr&id=0vfq8JJWhTsC
Chen, G. M., & Starosta, W. J. (2000). Communication and global society: An introduction
In G. M. Chen & W. J. Starosta (Eds.), Communication and Global Society. In (pp. 1-16). New York: Peter Lang. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600820050085732
Crowne, K. A., & Lo, K. (2023). Reexamining social intelligence, emotional intelligence, and cultural intelligence, for congruence and divergence: does social intelligence still exist?
In Handbook of cultural intelligence research. In (pp. 45-58). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800887169.00012
Dahmardeh, M., & Kim, S. (2020). Cultural Competence: Interculture, Transculture, and Metaculture. EPISTEME, 23, 155-179. https://e-episteme.org/journal/view.php?doi=10.38119/cacs.2020.23.7
Dahmardeh, M., & Muhammadi, P. (2023). Analysis of intercultural competence and gender representation in Iranian EFL coursebooks. Journal of Foreign Language Research, 13(2), 45-62. https://doi.org/10.22059/jflr.2022.352261.1000
Deardorff, D. K. (2006). Identification and Assessment of Intercultural Competence as a Student Outcome of Internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10, 241-266. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315306287002
Dewaele, J. M. (2010). Multilingualism and affordances: Variation in self-perceived communicative competence and communicative anxiety in French L1, L2, L3 and L4. IRAL-International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 48(2-3), 105-129. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral.2010.006
Earley, P. C., & Ang, S. (2003). Cultural intelligence: Individual interactions across cultures. Stanford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780804766005
Fantini, A., & Tirmizi, A. (2006). Exploring and Assessing Intercultural Competence. World Learning Publications. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1815&context=csd_research
Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social Psychology and Second Language Learning: The Role of Attitudes and Motivation. London: Edward Arnold. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0083787
Gedik Bal, N. (2022). Cultural Intelligence of English Language Learners and Their Perceived Strengths and Weaknesses in Intercultural Communication. Teaching English as a Second Language Electronic Journal (TESL-EJ), 26(2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.26102a3
Grosch, I., Boonen, J., & Hoefnagels, A. (2023). Cultural intelligence and the role of international classroom composition: Insights from Dutch higher education. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 96, 101866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2023.101866
Hofstede, G. (1984). Cultural Dimensions in Management and Planning. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 1, 81-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733682
Karimi, F., & Hashemi, M. (2019). The relationship between cultural intelligence and students' attitudes toward studying abroad. Journal of Research and Planning in Higher Education, 25(2), 45-62.
Kramsch, C. J. (1998). Language and Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=1894705
Lee, J. S., & Lee, K. (2020). Role of L2 Motivational Self System on Willingness to Communicate of Korean EFL University and Secondary Students. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 49, 147-161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-019-09675-6
Livermore, D. (2011). The cultural intelligence difference: master the one skill you can't do without in today's global economy. American Management Association. https://davidlivermore.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/CQ-Difference-Chapter-1.pdf
May, S. (2022). Sociolinguistic and political theory perspectives on language rights
In The Handbook of Linguistic Human Rights. In (pp. 39-54). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119753926.ch3
Mohammadi, M., & Rahimi, A. (2020). The impact of cultural intelligence on academic performance among Iranian university students. Journal of Research and Planning in Higher Education, 26(1), 33-50.
Nault, D. (2006). Language learning in intercultural contexts. Palgrave Macmillan.
Paige, R. M., Cohen, A. D., Kappler, K., Chi, H. T., & Lassegard, J. (2004). Developing cultural intelligence in SLA classrooms. In (Vol. 16, pp. 361-378).
Petrov, A., Petrov, A., & Ivanova, V. (2018). SMART GUIDE - The Internet of Cultural Things
In Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference on "Blue Economy and Blue Development". In (pp. 32-36). Burgas Free University. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=830350
Rahmani, S., & Zarei, A. (2021). The role of cultural intelligence in the internationalization of Iranian universities. Journal of Research and Planning in Higher Education, 27(3), 77-94.
Sternberg, R. J., Co, C., Siriner, I., Soleimani-Dashtaki, A., & Wong, C. H. (2023). Cultural Intelligence Deployed in One's Own vs. in a Different Culture: The Same or Different? Journal of Intelligence, 11(11), 212. https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/11/11/212
Triandis, H. C. (2006). Cultural Intelligence in Organizations. Group & Organization Management, 31(1), 20-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601105275253
Ullah, A. A. (2022). The culture of migration in Southeast Asia: Acculturation, enculturation and deculturation. Journal for Cultural Research, 26(2), 184-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/14797585.2022.2097881
Valdes, J. M. (1986). Culture Bound: Bridging the Cultural Gap in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press. https://teslcanadajournal.ca/index.php/tesl/article/download/546/377/0
Zhang, Y., & Li, X. (2019). The relationship between intercultural communicative competence and foreign language learning anxiety: A meta-analysis. System, 83, 114-125.
 

  • Receive Date 18 October 2024
  • Revise Date 07 March 2025
  • Accept Date 06 June 2025
  • Publish Date 01 March 2026