Enhancing Intercultural Communicative Competence and Oral Cultural Expression: A Two-Phase Ipa Framework Using Film-Based Critical Incidents and Theme-Based Activities

This paper presents a method that combines the Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA) framework with critical incidents from films to enhance intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and language proficiency in oral cultural expression, addressing challenges in culture and language learning in EFL contexts. IPA's three communicative modes—interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal—integrate assessment, instruction, and learning. Films serve as a rich source of cultural examples, which are then analyzed using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) to explore cultural conflicts and resolution strategies. IPA thematic units based on the critical incidents discussed were designed to further reinforce and assess students’ communication skills throughout the process. The participants include 24 non-English majors who enrolled in the course Discussion of Cultural Issues. Quantitative data, including ICS scale scores and IPA rubric scores, analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test and qualitative data from reflective reports, film presentation content, and interviews, analyzed through thematic analysis, demonstrate significant improvements in ICC and oral proficiency in conveying cultural ideas. These findings effectively address the challenges in culture and language teaching. Qualitative feedback further supports the approach, and the paper concludes with recommendations for integrating it into language teaching practices. Article visualizations: