| Abstract | This study examines the impact of the SMILE project on the development of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) among 29 university students from Chuo University, Thammasat University, and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Through three virtual collaborative sessions in November 2025, participants engaged in structured intercultural dialogues on traditions and future aspirations, followed by written reflections after each session. Drawing on Byram’s Model of ICC as the theoretical framework, the study analyzes how students navigated the domains of Knowledge (KNOW), Attitudes (ATT), Interpreting/Relating (INT), Discovery and Interaction (DISC), and Internal Shifts (SHIFT). The findings show that sharing personal “future dreams” served as a critical bridge, enabling students to use discovery skills to identify shared human universals and reach deeper relational understanding. Beyond enhancing English fluency and communicative confidence, the project catalyzed greater global motivation and reduced cultural ethnocentrism. The results indicate that structured reflective practice in a virtual environment provides essential opportunities for developing the professional and multicultural awareness necessary during the formative stages of global citizenship in the Asian context. |
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