Forced-Migrant Women’s Intercultural Communicative Competency Development in German as a Second Language

The development of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) has become a central component of successful second language (L2) use and social participation for all L2 learners. This is especially relevant for minoritized groups and forced migrants (i.e., refugees), as the social spaces they navigate produce challenges that traditional L2 learners may not face, and the stakes for their ability to effectively communicate are extremely high, including accessing food, medical care, and housing, and understanding their rights and responsibilities in a brand new environment. For these learners, appropriate communication is an existential feature of life. This study investigates how the development of ICC among forced migrant women living in Germany influenced the success of their interactions with German speakers. Data were collected within the framework of the InQua – Integrative Qualifikation für Frauen als Multiplikatorinnen project through surveys that examined participants’ ability to navigate everyday communicative tasks and to reflect on the impact of their growing cultural knowledge of German society. The findings indicate that increased cultural awareness and its integration into communicative strategies improved interactional outcomes, enabling participants to achieve their communicative goals. The results underscore the importance of ICC development as a critical resource for migrants’ language learning, integration, and social participation.