在不同的文化中，字面相似的語詞往往有不同的意涵。因此，以英文為第二語言的學習者應該注意，在中文和英文裡，某些語詞表面上似乎指同一事物或概念，其實指的是兩回事。本研究採用質的研究法以評量學生跨文化的英語溝通能力。受評量者計95 名，皆為應用外語系五專五年級學生。本研究給予受評量者測驗，測驗題目計有24 個選自比喻、聯想、典故、隱喻及婉轉語的英文語詞，這些語詞在中文和英文裡，字面似乎指同一事物或概念，其語意卻大不相同。測驗之後，作者另以5 個問題訪談所有受測學生，以進步了解學生的意見及學習問題所在。此研究結果發現，以英文為第二語言的學習者學習比喻、聯想、典故、隱喻及婉轉語的英文語詞，能提升其跨文化溝通能力。

ESL learners should notice words are usually particularly cultural meanings in variety cultures because words in both languages appear to refer to the same object or concept on the surface, but actually refer to quite different things. To assess students’ English competence to go in intercultural communication, “Qualitative Approach” was applied in this study. The subjects were 95 seniors from the five-year program in the Department of Applied Foreign Languages. They took a test with 24 selected English terms from metaphors, associations, allusions,
connotations and euphemisms. After the test, the researcher interviewed all the subjects. The result of this study shows learning English terms from metaphors,associations, allusions, connotations and euphemisms can promote ESL learners’intercultural communicative competence.