The concept of Intercultural Communicative Competence in language learning

As we know, learning a language gives people many opportunities and advantages, but also increases their “cultural portfolio†allowing them to navigate various cultural and linguistic landscapes. As a matter of fact, it seems very interesting to recall what the Italian film director Federico Fellini affirmed, “A different language is a different vision of life†, because it opens up new visions and perspectives on our own world and the others’. Mastery in foreign languages is considered as a key element for people to be more flexible and “linguistically†adaptable, to gain new points of view and benefit from cultural diversity. In other words, it is not merely exchanging information and it is far more than a knowledge of words and how to combine them to form correct sentences. Mastery in foreign languages is much more than that: it involves linguistic appropriateness and cultural relevance, too. It becomes clear the significant role of cultural elements in learning a foreign language and that linguistic competence is strictly linked to intercultural communicative competence: when we communicate with people, we also immerse ourselves in their culture. The purpose of this paper is to discuss around this question: is the primary aim of teaching foreign languages to develop communicative competence and a correct language in learners or also appropriate for various cultural situations?