In this thesis, we propose an innovative approach to promote the acquisition of Intercultural Competence (IC) among Chinese learners of Portuguese foreign language. We consider the literary text as an indispensable resource in the foreign language classroom, capable of triggering the necessary 'changes' in attitude towards alterity; these changes are fundamental for the construction of said competence. Throughout this research work, the literary text will function as a catalyst for 'transformational' learning, driving the acquisition of intercultural skills. This happens because the literature will encourage learners to cross cultural borders, to explore and discuss challenging themes, and to develop the ability to think critically about the world around them. We propose a model of critical intercultural pedagogy that challenges and stimulates learners to develop new thoughts, to reflect critically, and to deal with feelings of discomfort in the interaction with alterity. The thesis presents the didacticization of five short stories, following the validation of the model through a pedagogical intervention applied to one of them. These stories, originating from different countries and periods, present a mosaic of issues, such as racism, oppression, colonial times, the condition of the elderly and women, discrimination, prejudice, violence, and social injustice, all themes that serve as catalysts in intercultural learning. Through collaborative, dialogic, and problematizing learning, and by using the aesthetic reading of literary texts, this model will allow teachers, as intercultural mediators, to encourage learners to work together in a process of questioning, dialoguing, and critically reflecting about their own identities and the identities of the Other.