Intercultural competence development in English language curricula at tertiary level in Vietnam

The goals of English language education have been shifted towards including intercultural competence rather than language competence alone as a result of globalization, internationalization and technological advancement. This is because the mere mastery of a foreign language cannot ensure the success of communication and interaction, either in oral or written mode, in multicultural settings. It is, indeed, the attitudes, knowledge and skills of cultures that enable foreign language users to avoid cultural conflicts and build mutual understanding. In most curricula of English Studies in higher education in Vietnam, culture and literature are viewed as separate components and addressed in separate courses. Given that culture and literature are believed to be inseparable, this study aims to argue for the role of literature-in-English in fostering cultural awareness and intercultural competence at tertiary level. It first attempts to critically review the concepts of culture and literature and their relations, and then discusses the contributions and challenges brought by the teaching of literature-in-English to the enhancement of intercultural competence. Recommendations for practices of teaching literature towards fostering intercultural competence are also provided. It is hoped that curriculum developers, teachers and learners will have better awareness of the benefits of literature, particularly to intercultural competence development.