This paper revisits the analysis on the effect of cross-cultural awareness and self-efficacy, which are both significant constructs in today’s globalized world. People are expected to have both a high level of self-efficacy and a strong sense of cross-cultural awareness due to the growing frequency of cross-cultural interactions. For fields like education, psychology, and cross-cultural communication, it can be very crucial to comprehend how cross-cultural awareness affects self-efficacy. 60 relevant articles were found after a thorough assessment of the literature on the subject using thematic analysis of the CNKI and Google Scholar databases. Ten major themes were found in the review: 1) the cultivation of cross-cultural awareness, 2) the current situation of students’ cross-cultural awareness, 3) the importance of cross-cultural awareness, 4) the relationship between self-efficacy and academic achievement, 5) the relationship between learning self-efficacy and influencing factors, 6) the relationship between cross-cultural awareness and self-efficacy, 7) the relationship between self-efficacy and cross-cultural adaptation, 8) cultural factors affecting learning self-efficacy, 9) the effect of social environment on individual self-efficacy, and 10) the relationship between cultural expectations and self-efficacy. The findings of this review demonstrate how crucial cross-cultural understanding is to the growth of self-efficacy. The design of educational and training programs aiming at boosting cross-cultural knowledge and self-efficacy will also be significantly impacted by this review.

The study aims to explore the impact of examination-oriented education on Chinese English learners and the importance of cultural intelligence in second language acquisition. Through a questionnaire administered to postgraduate students majoring in English in China, the research discovered that the emphasis on test scores and strategies in China’s higher English education system has led to a neglect of cultural backgrounds and cross-cultural communication. The findings underscore the necessity for reforms in English teaching within Chinese higher education to cultivate students’ intercultural intelligence and enhance their readiness for international careers in the era of globalization.