This article explores the role of connotative lexical semantics in enhancing intercultural communicative competence (ICC) within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. The connotative meanings of words—those shaped by culture, emotion, and social context—often pose challenges for EFL learners, who may understand denotation but struggle with underlying cultural implications. Drawing on contemporary linguistic and pedagogical theories, the paper argues for the integration of connotative semantic awareness into EFL instruction to prepare learners for authentic intercultural interactions. Several methods and classroom strategies are proposed to develop both linguistic and cultural sensitivity, aiming to align language teaching with the demands of globalized communication.

Connotative semantics, intercultural communicative competence, EFL pedagogy, lexical meaning, cultural awareness, pragmatic competence, contextualized vocabulary learning

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