Cultural contexts and interactions in intercultural communicative competence: English literature comprehension among university students in Pakistan-administered Kashmir

Cultural contexts and interactions in intercultural communicative competence: English literature comprehension among university students in Pakistan-administered Kashmir

The research investigates the exposure of undergraduate English literature students at universities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to Western culture concerning their comprehension of English literary texts. This exposure delineates the significance of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in fostering intercultural communication between students and the literary texts within their degree programme curriculum. Additionally, the study examines the relationship between the embedded cultural aspects in English literature and the reading comprehension of undergraduate students in AJK. Understanding this exposure aids in identifying contributing factors that shape intercultural communication in English literature comprehension within AJK. The theoretical framework guiding this investigation is the Model of Intercultural Reader (MIR) developed by Hoff (2017), applied within partially ethnographic settings to explore the pedagogical and cultural contexts of AJK that influence participants’ educational experiences in studying English literature. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study utilises purposive sampling and various data collection tools, including assessments of ICC of Western cosmological beliefs, questionnaires, and focus group discussions. Quantitative data undergo analysis using statistical tests in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), while qualitative data undergo manual thematic analysis. The findings underscore the necessity of intercultural competence for effective communication between readers and literary texts. However, due to resistance towards Western culture in AJK, the current ICC level of the undergraduate English literature students appears less successful in developing intercultural communication. The assessment reveals a potentially underdeveloped ICC among participants, revealing a gap in their engagement with diverse cultural perspectives. Additionally, community and familial influences heavily shape students’ academic goals, often prioritising linguistic proficiency over intercultural understanding. Notably, the study identifies a prevalent trend where students view English literature primarily as a tool for language acquisition, rather than a pathway for critically evaluating English literary genres. Moreover, English literature teachers’ reluctance to explore Western cultural themes mirrors conformity to community standards, potentially hindering students’ intercultural engagement within the educational context at AJK universities. This study offers an original contribution to English literature teaching in non-native settings by emphasising the importance of ICC theory in teaching foreign language literary texts for successful intercultural communication with English literary text.

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