Using translated Chinese literature to develop multidimensional intercultural competence

Abstract This article examines how translated literature can foster intercultural competence in primary and secondary education. Viewing intercultural competence as a core educational objective, it draws on research from foreign language teaching and comparative literature. The study presents a school contest promoting translated Chinese literature in Barcelona, a city with a significant population of Chinese origin. Held in 2023, we received 411 student submissions across four educational levels from 12 schools. Using a multidimensional model of intercultural competence, the article analyzes the activities designed for the contest and the students’ creative outputs, such as short stories and book trailers. All submissions were manually coded by the four authors according to five intercultural dimensions (cognitive, affective, procedural, critical, and identity) and the analysis was triangulated through group discussion. Results indicate that while all dimensions were present, the critical dimension was least developed, underscoring the need for targeted activities and collaboration with educators.