IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i24p16980-d1007218.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of Reading Anxiety of English Professional Materials on Intercultural Communication Competence: Taking Students Majoring in the Medical Profession

Author

Listed:
  • Hung-Chang Liao

    (Department of English, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua City 50007, Taiwan)

  • Sheng-hui Cindy Huang

    (Department of English, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua City 50007, Taiwan)

Abstract

In most medical universities in Taiwan, English-language professional materials are used in professional courses. Thus, a student’s reading ability is very important for understanding the content of English professional materials. The professional knowledge gained will facilitate intercultural communication in their future work setting. In this paper, the authors explored the impact of students’ anxiety when reading English professional materials on intercultural communication competence (ICC). A mixed method was applied. Firstly, sample data from 312 students majoring in the medical profession were investigated to obtain the results of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of two scales: a reading anxiety regarding English professional materials scale (RAEPMS) and an intercultural communication competence scale (ICCS). The RAEPMS, with a total explained variance of 81.67%, included three factors: worry about comprehension, lack of satisfaction with one’s reading ability, and language distance. The ICC, with a total explained variance of 80.02%, included four factors: skill, attitude, awareness, and knowledge. Secondly, sample data from 205 students majoring in the medical profession were obtained to form the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the two scales, and then structural equation modeling (SEM) between RAEPMS and ICCS was created. The results showed that “worry about comprehension” impacts “skills” and “attitudes”; “lack of satisfaction with one’s reading ability” impacts all four ICC factors; and “language distance” impacts “skills”, “awareness”, and “knowledge”. Furthermore, interview results from three teachers were obtained to understand the significant connection between RAEPMS and ICCS. Additionally, pedagogical implementations, based on the interviews’ results, which could decrease reading anxiety and increase ICC were discussed. This paper provides a significant contribution to student education and professional training. The benefit of this research is to think how to design the pedagogy implementation to ensure the education of students and their professional training. Thus, students majoring in the medical profession will be more easily trained to communicate with people of different cultures in their future workplace.

Suggested Citation

  • Hung-Chang Liao & Sheng-hui Cindy Huang, 2022. "The Impact of Reading Anxiety of English Professional Materials on Intercultural Communication Competence: Taking Students Majoring in the Medical Profession," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:24:p:16980-:d:1007218
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/24/16980/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/24/16980/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wilhelm Barner-Rasmussen & Mats Ehrnrooth & Alexei Koveshnikov & Kristiina Mä;kelä, 2014. "Cultural and language skills as resources for boundary spanning within the MNC," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(7), pages 886-905, September.
    2. Sharma, Subhash & Mukherjee, Soumen & Kumar, Ajith & Dillon, William R., 2005. "A simulation study to investigate the use of cutoff values for assessing model fit in covariance structure models," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 58(7), pages 935-943, July.
    3. Ying Zhang & Ying Zhang, 2022. "A Mixed-Methods Study of Computer-Mediated Communication Paired With Instruction on EFL Learners' Pragmatic Competence," International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching (IJCALLT), IGI Global, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, January.
    4. Marschan, Rebecca & Welch, Denice & Welch, Lawrence, 1997. "Language: The forgotten factor in multinational management," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 591-598, October.
    5. Barner-Rasmussen, Wilhelm & Aarnio, Christoffer, 2011. "Shifting the faultlines of language: A quantitative functional-level exploration of language use in MNC subsidiaries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 288-295, July.
    6. Van Vaerenbergh, Yves & Holmqvist, Jonas, 2014. "Examining the relationship between language divergence and word-of-mouth intentions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(8), pages 1601-1608.
    7. Henry Kaiser, 1974. "An index of factorial simplicity," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 39(1), pages 31-36, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alfredo Jimenez & Jonas Holmqvist & Diego Jimenez, 2019. "Cross-Border Communication and Private Participation Projects: The Role of Genealogical Language Distance," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 59(6), pages 1009-1033, December.
    2. Helene Tenzer & Siri Terjesen & Anne-Wil Harzing, 2017. "Language in International Business: A Review and Agenda for Future Research," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 815-854, December.
    3. Nurmi, Niina & Koroma, Johanna, 2020. "The emotional benefits and performance costs of building a psychologically safe language climate in MNCs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    4. Harzing, Anne-Wil & Pudelko, Markus, 2013. "Language competencies, policies and practices in multinational corporations: A comprehensive review and comparison of Anglophone, Asian, Continental European and Nordic MNCs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 87-97.
    5. Michalski, Marina P. & Śliwa, Martyna, 2021. "‘If you use the right Arabic…’: Responses to special language standardization within the BBC Arabic Service’s linguascape," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(5).
    6. Mohd Helma Rusyda & Nor Ba’yah Abdul Kadir & Wan Nur Khairunnisa Ismail & Siti Jamiaah Abdul Jalil & Nurul-Azza Abdullah & Arena Che Kasim & Suzana Mohd. Hoesni & Mohd Rizal Abdul Manaf, 2022. "Identifying the Psychometric Properties of the Malay Version of the WHOQOL-BREF among Employees with Obesity Problem," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-13, June.
    7. Ting Liu, 2018. "The Review of Language Studies in International Business: Suggestions and Future Directions for Japan," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 18-30, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    8. Golesorkhi, Sougand & Mersland, Roy & Piekkari, Rebecca & Pishchulov, Grigory & Randøy, Trond, 2019. "The effect of language use on the financial performance of microfinance banks: Evidence from cross-border activities in 74 countries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 213-229.
    9. Tenzer, Helene & Pudelko, Markus, 2017. "The influence of language differences on power dynamics in multinational teams," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 45-61.
    10. Jihad Ait Soussane & Mohamed Yassine Fakhouri & Ayoub Sabir Almaslouhi & Zahra Mansouri, . "Does language affect the location choice of developing-economy MNEs? The case of Moroccan outward FDI," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    11. Hokkinen, Maria & Barner-Rasmussen, Wilhelm, 2023. "Refugees' language learning and career aspirations: An agentic lens," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(5).
    12. Vesa Peltokorpi, 2023. "The “language” of career success: The effects of English language competence on local employees’ career outcomes in foreign subsidiaries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(2), pages 258-284, March.
    13. Jiménez, Alfredo & Bayraktar, Secil, 2021. "Hello! Namaste? Within-country linguistic diversity and infrastructure projects in emerging markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 86-97.
    14. Tian, Xiaocong, 2022. "The art of rhetoric: Host country political hostility and the rhetorical strategies of foreign subsidiaries in developing economies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(5).
    15. Tzu-Yun Hung & Hung-Chang Liao & Ya-huei Wang, 2021. "Development and Validation of a Chinese Version of a School-to-Work Transition Anxiety Scale for Healthcare Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-15, July.
    16. Moser, Roger & Kuklinski, Christian Paul Jian-Wei & Srivastava, Mohit, 2017. "Information processing fit in the context of emerging markets: An analysis of foreign SBUs in China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 234-247.
    17. Lauring, Jakob & Klitmøller, Anders, 2015. "Corporate language-based communication avoidance in MNCs: A multi-sited ethnography approach," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 46-55.
    18. Futris, Ted G. & Schramm, David G. & Richardson, Evin W. & Lee, Tae Kyoung, 2015. "The impact of organizational support on the transfer of learning to practice," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 36-43.
    19. Lillemo, Shuling Chen, 2014. "Measuring the effect of procrastination and environmental awareness on households' energy-saving behaviours: An empirical approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 249-256.
    20. Pan, Jing Yu & Liu, Dahai, 2022. "Mask-wearing intentions on airplanes during COVID-19 – Application of theory of planned behavior model," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 32-44.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:24:p:16980-:d:1007218. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.