This book examines the concept of «intercultural competence» from the perspective of analysing theoretical challenges and practical issues. Despite its ongoing popularity across various discourses, «intercultural competence» has remained a necessarily vague and oscillating concept that lends itself to continual rethinking and redefinition. The essays in this volume approach the complexity of the concept from a number of different angles. The essays range from theoretical considerations of redefining and expanding the concept in terms of hitherto neglected dimensions and ideas; critically contextualising issues of assessing intercultural competence; analysing the virtual dimension of intercultural competence for the development of critical digital pedagogies; application of the concept for the teaching and learning of foreign/second languages, including for migrant learners; the impact of study abroad on developing intercultural and democratic literacy; analysis of the concept in classroom practice across different cultures; and querying the concept for its lack of teachability. The volume develops a broad range of new perspectives on intercultural competence, providing stimulating new ideas, considerations and reflections around this oscillating, yet relevant concept.

Arnd Witte is Professor of Modern Languages at the School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Maynooth University, the National University of Ireland Maynooth. He has published widely in the area of foreign language learning and intercultural communication, with a particular focus on the development of intercultural competence. Theo Harden is Professor Emeritus at University College Dublin and Professor of German at the Departamento de Línguas Estrangeiras e Tradução at the Universidade de Brasília. He has published widely in the area of foreign language teaching and learning and translation studies.