IEFInternational Education Forum3083-49022981-8605Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.10.26689/ief.v4i7.15812ArticleAssessing Intercultural Communicative Competence in Business English Classrooms in Chinese Universities: Challenges, Strategies, and the Measurement Gaphttps://artdesignp.com/journal/IEF/4/7/10.26689/ief.v4i7.15812ZhangWanhua2026472026-08-13The development of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) is increasingly recognized as a defining goal of Business English education, yet a persistent gap exists between this ambition and classroom reality in Chinese universities. While prior reviews have cataloged challenges and proposed pedagogical strategies, the field has largely neglected the question of how ICC should be measured—leaving teachers without the evaluative tools needed to know whether their instruction is working. This review reframes that measurement gap as the central problem. Drawing on studies published between 2015 and 2025, the paper first maps three structural challenges to ICC development in Chinese Business English contexts: limited culturally-situated communicative experience, the communicative constraints imposed by high-context norms and face maintenance, and motivational and pedagogical distortions produced by exam-oriented schooling. It then evaluates four teaching strategies—authentic materials and case studies, role-play and simulation, intercultural comparison tasks, and project-based learning—not in isolation but in terms of their compatibility with realistic assessment. The review argues that assessment is not a secondary concern to be addressed after teaching design is settled; it is the architectural constraint that determines whether ICC instruction can be held accountable. The paper proposes a multi-method assessment framework integrating portfolio evidence, rubric-based performance assessment, and validated self-report instruments, and identifies specific priorities for empirical research in the Chinese Business English context.

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