EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WRITTEN COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE AND CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE (CQ): A CASE STUDY OF EFL LEARNERS IN MACAO

Although Macau students received years of English lectures as compulsory, the outcome could be more favorable when applied to English written performance. In that written communication requires the individual to consider audience perception of the message, a challenge for ESL writers, this study explores whether different forms of feedback can enhance one’s cultural intelligence.The current study looked into the effect of incorporating peer involvement and instructor feedback in written communication, gaining insight into cultural nuances. In order to attain the objective, data were gathered through the utilization of an action research methodology employing a mixed-method design. Grade twelve local students attended a six-week six-week intervention consisting of two cycles. The focus of the intervention nurtured essay writing; the topics of which were inspired by popular musical lyrics, and involved a drafting process that incorporated feedback both from peer editing and the instructor.. The data collected throughout the study involved analysis of written samples (scores of draft and final version) using a paired samples t-test. In addition, students completed a pre-test and post-test survey of the cultural intelligence instrument (CQ), which measured their performance across four domains. There were statistically significant differences between cognitive CQ and motivational CQ between the scores attained before and directly after the intervention.. This study's findings suggest that the written communication of ESL students may be enhanced by adjusting . These findings enriched our understanding of how peer editing and teacher feedback with songs affected the outcomes of second language learners.