Understanding the interrelations between cultural empathy, intercultural communication competence, and the psychosocial adjustment of international students in Canada: A longitudinal examination

Abstract

International education offers transformative potential for personal and professional growth. Yet, navigating a new culture can be challenging due to language barriers and cultural differences. This longitudinal research delves into the potential of cultural empathy in promoting adjustment-related well-being of international students, particularly through enhancing their intercultural communication competence (ICC). Drawing upon the Process Model of Intercultural Competence and the Integrated Model of Intercultural Communication Competence, the current study (1) examines the interrelations of English Proficiency, Behavioral Flexibility, Ease of Interactions, Communication Effectiveness, and Communication Appropriateness as factors underlying a higher-order construct of communicative competence; and (2) explores the cross-temporal associations between cultural empathy, the five factors of ICC, and the psychosocial adjustment of international students to their host country. Students from a western Canadian university (N = 213) participated in the current study, who were surveyed three times over a 7-month period. The findings from confirmatory factor analysis underscore the integral role of interaction comfort, as well as effective and appropriate intercultural communication in fostering ICC. The random-intercept cross-lagged panel models reveal differential associations between cultural empathy, psychosocial adjustment, and the ICC factors, highlighting the merits of examining ICC in its constituent elements, as well as the importance of harbouring empathic, effective, and appropriate intercultural communication in cultivating positive intercultural experiences for international students. Together, the present findings provide insights for (1) advancing research on intercultural competence, and (2) developing initiatives in building a more empathic and inclusive global community that welcomes and supports international students in their sojourn.