The effect of intercultural sensitivity on English language achievement of high school learners

The present descriptive study aimed to discover the effect of intercultural sensitivity on the learners' English language achievement at a private high school in İstanbul. A mixed-methods research design was used for the study. The female students' number was 68, and the male's students' number was 55. A total of 123 participants participated in the study by using purposeful sampling. The "Intercultural Sensitivity Scale" developed by Chen and Starosta was used to obtain the quantitative data. The obtained data were analyzed by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of the study showed that the effect of intercultural sensitivity on EFL learners' achievement at that school is significant. Qualitative data was gathered by an interview consisting of five questions which was conducted with 24 students in total. The participants' intercultural sensitivity in terms of their English language achievement is not significantly different. However, the results showed that as the learners' intercultural sensitivity level increased, so did their proficiency level, which is consistent with the researcher's assumption at the beginning of the study. Besides, the results showed that female and male participants' intercultural sensitivity levels did not vary significantly in terms of gender. The result indicates that female and male participants have similar intercultural sensitivity levels. Additionally, the results revealed that the learners' time spent abroad and experience with different cultures have a significant effect on their English achievement.