An Interdisplinary Study of Intercultural Competence in Language Learning

In today's professional context of globalization, learners of language for specific purposes also need to become "intercultural speakers". This complex intercultural competence includes cultural knowledge as well as "skills and know-how" and "existential competence" and largely depends on the individual and his or her history. I recently conducted an action-research project which showed the importance of personal experience and its verbalization in the acquisition of intercultural competence. With the results obtained I will show why it is essential to integrate disciplines such as anthropology, ethnology, philosophy and neurobiology for a better understanding of the ways this skill is developed. Recent discoveries, especially in neuroscience, may help to uncover new insights into learners' behaviors in this highly individual skill. Today, emotional and social intelligence are both ereas where mirror neurons play their roles. If we want to encourage this skill in language learning, it is essential to adopt a holistic approach