Intercultural sensitivity in young people: Perspectives from diverse Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) learners in an English secondary school classroom

In a globalised world where intercultural competence is increasingly valued, its development in secondary schools remains under-researched, particularly from the often-overlooked perspective of young people. This chapter discusses a five-week intervention in a Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) classroom in England. The study involved 16 students between 13 and 14, who were enrolled in a state-funded, academically non-selective school. Our study examined how experiential learning enhances students’ intercultural competence and its impact on their learning experiences it can have on their learning, through their eyes. To this end, weekly reflective journals were collected to investigate students’ experiences throughout the intervention. Additionally, focus group interviews were conducted before and after the intervention to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the students’ development of intercultural competence. Students’ feedback suggests that the intervention offered an enjoyable and positively enriching intercultural experience beyond language learning and highlighted transferable skills in different subject areas. Interview data indicates that students demonstrated a more in-depth understanding of culture post-intervention as well as advanced sensitivity. They also expressed a desire to teach their native languages to the class and advocated for the reinstatement of weekly culture lessons. Copyright © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Yuan Liang and Zhen Li; individual chapters, the contributors.