Two decades of technology-assisted intercultural communicative competence development: A comprehensive bibliometric review

Due to the significant growth on technology-assisted intercultural communicative competence(ICC) development research over the past two decades, it is crucial to conduct a comprehensive review to track trends, provide up-to-date information, and monitor changes in technology and its applications. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Scopus database, analyzing 553 articles written by 160 researchers from 67 countries, covering the period from 2001 to 2023. The findings reveal an upward trend in the number of published articles in this research domain. The field covers 24 subject areas, with Social Sciences, Computer Sciences, and Arts and Humanities being the most prominent. Extensive research has been conducted globally, with the United States, Spain, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan being the top five highly cited countries or regions. Among the journals in this field, “Language Learning and Technology” stands out as the most highly cited over the past two decades. The analysis of the keywords map reveals changes in keywords throughout time. Additionally, the term map of title and abstract identifies four primary clusters of research areas: “Technology and Interculturality,” “Application in Teaching,” “Evaluation Methods and Effects,” and “Technology, Language, and Communication.” Finally, the paper presents recommendations for future research aimed at advancing technology-assisted intercultural teaching.