INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE: INSIGHTS INTO SOCIOLINGUISTIC, DISCOURSE AND STRATEGIC PROFICIENCY OF ESP STUDENTS

Abstract

In this increasingly interconnected world, effective intercultural communication is vital for tackling diverse social and professional contexts. This study explores intercultural communicative competence (ICC), with a specific focus on examining sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic abilities. Using a Google Forms questionnaire, data were gathered from 37 participants across various age groups (18-38 years). It included 37 ESP students from the Faculty of Biotechnical Sciences, at St. Kliment Ohridski University-Bitola, enrolled across various food technology undergraduate, master’s and PhD programs. This sample was selected because it included current and potential future participants in student exchange programs (ERASMUS, CEEPUS), as well as foreign students studying at the faculty, making them particularly relevant for evaluating intercultural communicative competence. The analysis reveal certain perceptions into participants' capacities to adapt speech to different communication contexts, engage in conversations with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, and employ strategic communication strategies when faced with language barriers. This is a supplementary analysis and it provides an investigation of ICC, highlighting how sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic competencies intersect. The findings point out both the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the participants’ ICC, highlighting the need for acquisition of the aforesaid competencies for the efficient conduct of their intercultural communication endeavors, offering recommendations for educators and researchers to improve intercultural communication in the modern world.