This book explores the idea of "intercultural competence", which, despite its current popularity across various discourses, has remained a vague and oscillating concept. Interculture lacks a universal definition and "competence" is not only a cognitive construct but also includes psychological traits such as attitudes, affective aspects and constructions of identity. The essays in this volume approach the complexity of the concept from a number of different angles. These include theoretical models for defining the concept of "intercultural competence", outlining paths for future research; application of the concept in the teaching and learning of foreign languages, cultures and literatures; exploration of institutional and sociocultural influences on mediating intercultural competence; and analysis of the concept's impact on such diverse contexts as international business, religious constructs and notions of selfhood and identity. The volume develops a broad range of perspectives on intercultural competence, providing stimulating new ideas, reflections and models around this important concept. Contents include: (1) Introduction (Arnd Witte and Theo Harden); (2) A Research Agenda for "Intercultural Competence" (Michael Byram); (3) Intercultural Competence in Foreign Language Classrooms: A Framework and Implications for Educators (Darla K. Deardorff); (4) Intercultural Competence: A Phenomenological Approach (Werner Muller-Pelzer); (5) The Perception of Competence: A History of a Peculiar Development of Concepts (Theo Harden); (6) On the Teachability and Learnability of Intercultural Competence: Developing Facets of the "Inter" (Arnd Witte); (7) Does the Revised English MFL Curriculum Give Us Reasons to be Optimistic about Fostering Intercultural Understanding Amongst Key Stage 3 Language Learners? (Gillian Peiser); (8) Intercultural Competence: A Major Issue in Foreign Language Teacher Training? (Clarisse Costa Afonso); (9) How to Teach It? Proposal for a Methodological Model of Intercultural Competence (Claudia Borghetti); (10) Can One Swallow Make the Summer? Teaching Intercultural Competence in an English Writing Course (Mary Georgiou); (11) Adding Another Colour to the Rainbow: An Attempt at Imparting German Cultural Competence in a South African University Context (S. Weber and Rebecca Domingo); (12) Teaching "Intercultural Competence" to "Generation X" (Heidi Zojer); (13) Developing Language Teacher Capability Through Immersion Programmes and the Impact on Student Language Learning, Cultural Knowledge and Intercultural Competence (Annelies Roskvist, Deborah Corder, Sharon Harvey, and Karen Stacey); (14) Measuring Intercultural Competence (Joke Simons and Yunsy Krols); (15) A Framework for Analysing Observation Data: Language Teacher Provision of Opportunities for Learners to Develop Intercultural Competence (Heather Richards, Clare Conway, Annelies Roskvist, and Sharon Harvey); (16) Intercultural Learning in the Study Abroad Context (Kristin Brogan and Muiris O Laoire); (17) An ILP Investigation of Disness Strategies Performed by German Working Professionals (GWP) (Sabrina Mallon-Gerland); (18) Learner Identity Construction, Intercultural Competence and Study Abroad (Lisa Stiefel); (19) Interculturality, Linguistic Culture and Alterity: A Further Look into Intercultural Competence (Theophile Ambadiang and Isabel Garcia Parejo); (20) Towards the Development of Awareness in Intercultural Communicative Competence: A Tandem Exchange Experience (Aine Furlong and Fionnuala Kennedy); (21) What Can Cross-Cultural Conversation Transcript Analysis Contribute to the Development of Intercultural Competence? (Thomas Johnen); (22) Culture? Communication? The Intercultural? A Comparative Study of Basic Concepts in ICC Education in Germany, Japan and the US (Margit Krause-Ono and Sylvia Wachter); (23) "Eat ye, O people": The Role of Food, Religion and Hospitality in Intercultural Relations (Marie Gervais); (24) The Irish are Too Polite: Analysing Stereotype and Identity Dynamics in Student WebChat (Helen O'Sullivan, Gillian S. Martin and Breffni O'Rourke); (25) Aspects of English and German Sociable Selfhood (Rob Philburn); (26) Intercultural Competence: A Mirror for Literature? Some Thoughts on Vaclav Havel's Play "Unveiling/Vernissage" in Two Guises (Marketa Goetz-Stankiewicz); (27) Empathy and Recognition: Two Concepts of Intercultural Learning in Literature Teaching with Rafik Schami's Fable "The Sheep in Wolf's Clothing" (Sieglinde Grimm); and (28) Current Readers and Intercultural Learning (Ana Goncalves Matos).