The relationship between university students' exposure to foreign culture and global competency

Abstract

The growing interdependency among nations around the world has called the needs for individuals to be globally competent. The so-called Koreans' 'crazy wave' toward learning English and studying abroad is one of the prominent reflections of this phenomenon. However, only a limited number of studies have investigated the relationship between ones' exposure to foreign culture and their levels of global competency. The current study attempts to identify global competency and assess the relationship between university students' exposure to foreign culture and their level of global competency. One hundred twenty one students at 'A' university located in Seoul participated in the online survey. The data were analyzed with SPSS 17.0, using frequency analysis, correlation analysis, and independent-sample t-test. Only partial aspects of global competency showed a significant relationship with students' exposure to foreign culture. While the levels of global understanding and English proficiency were all positively related to all types of students' exposure to foreign culture, the levels of intercultural sensitivity varied depending on the types of exposure to foreign culture. The ways to promote university students' general level of global competency are discussed based on the findings of the current study.