Document Type : Original Article
Author
Department of General Studies, Islamic Azad University, Ardestan Branch, Ardestan, Iran
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Personality types of learners have determining role in their achievements. Many
researchers concentrate on noncognitive moderators such as personality traits to trace the barriers
in learning. This study attempts to find out what kinds of personality types enable learners to be
more competent in intercultural context.
METHODS: To conduct the study 236 students were randomly selected from Ardestan and Khorasgan
Universities. Two questionnaires were used to collect the data. The first one was a researcher’s
made questionnaire to assess learners’ intercultural competence; based on Bennett’s Intercultural
communicative Model of intercultural communicative competence (ICC); and intercultural competence
assessment Model of ICC, consisting four behavioral dimensions, tolerance for ambiguity, flexibility,
respect for otherness, and interaction. The second questionnaire wasMyers‑Briggs Type Indicator to
identify learner’s personality type. The means, standard deviations, t‑scores, and significance levels
of behavioral dimensions were calculated to interpret the data.
RESULTS: The analysis of the results revealed that greater general competence in cultural adjustment
is associated with greater extroversion personality. Students with thinking and judging personalities
were more tolerant for ambiguities of foreign cultures than those with feeling and perceiving personality
types. The data of respect for otherness were very similar to tolerance for ambiguity, and students
with sensing personality preference were more competent in interacting with foreign cultures than
intuitive ones.
CONCLUSION: The findings indicated the personality types play opportunity or threat roles for FL
learners in intercultural understanding. Therefore, to promote efficiency in education, it is vital to
explore the learners’ cognitive and noncognitive health conditions.
Keywords
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