Promoting Intercultural Competence in English Language Teaching: A Productive Bilingualism Perspective

2019 ◽  
pp. 199-219
Author(s):  
Xuan Zheng ◽  
Yihong Gao
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching

scholarly journals Culture and complexity through English as a lingua franca: rethinking competences and pedagogy in ELT

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Will Baker
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Language Pedagogy ◽  
Nation States ◽  
Meaningful Category

AbstractEnglish as a lingua franca (ELF) research highlights the complexity and fluidity of culture in intercultural communication through English. ELF users draw on, construct, and move between global, national, and local orientations towards cultural characterisations. Thus, the relationship between language and culture is best approached as situated and emergent. However, this has challenged previous representations of culture, particularly those centred predominantly on nation states, which are prevalent in English language teaching (ELT) practices and the associated conceptions of communicative and intercultural communicative competence. Two key questions which are then brought to the fore are: how are we to best understand such multifarious characterisations of culture in intercultural communication through ELF and what implications, if any, does this have for ELT and the teaching of culture in language teaching? In relation to the first question, this paper will discuss how complexity theory offers a framework for understanding culture as a constantly changing but nonetheless meaningful category in ELF research, whilst avoiding essentialism and reductionism. This underpins the response to the second question, whereby any formulations of intercultural competence offered as an aim in language pedagogy must also eschew these simplistic and essentialist cultural characterisations. Furthermore, the manner of simplification prevalent in approaches to culture in the ELT language classroom will be critically questioned. It will be argued that such simplification easily leads into essentialist representations of language and culture in ELT and an over representation of “Anglophone cultures.” The paper will conclude with a number of suggestions and examples for how such complex understandings of culture and language through ELF can be meaningfully incorporated into pedagogic practice.

scholarly journals Teaching Culture through Reading Literature in English Language Teaching

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-203
Author(s):  
Leonarda Lovrović ◽  
Cathy-Theresa Kolega
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
University Education ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Teaching Culture

English as a lingua franca (ELF) has become a standardized mode of communication between diverse sociocultural groups. Besides linguistic competence, English language learners should possess adequate intercultural competence to establish successful social relations worldwide. Therefore, one of the main objectives of English language teaching (ELT) has become the development of intercultural speakers (Byram 1997; Kramsch 1998). One way of achieving this is by using literature in the classroom because learners interpret literary texts from their personal experience and are thus engaged both at a cognitive and an emotional level. Their individual interpretations can nevertheless also lead to generalizations and enforcement of stereotypes about foreign cultures. Hanauer (2001) has developed a method called focus-on-cultural understanding to expose learners to different interpretations. The study explores whether his method can be successfully applied in the context of Croatian university education. The method has proven to be effective for raising learners’ cultural awareness, which could lead to further development of their intercultural competence.

scholarly journals Viewpoints of Intercultural Competence Development in English Language Teaching / Learning Classroom

Verbum ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 95-105
Author(s):  
Roma Kriaučiūnienė ◽  
Auksė Šiugždinienė
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Language Studies ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Teaching Learning

The article presents an analysis of viewpoints on the development of intercultural competence in the English language teaching/learning classroom. Intercultural competence, acknowledged as the key component of foreign language studies, increases the need to adapt teaching methods and materials to raise learners’ cultural awareness. The following research problem is formulated: how schoolchildren’s intercultural competence is developed at schools during English language classes and what the preconditions of its improvement are. Based on the survey carried out at secondary schools and gymnasiums, the article presents the findings on the ninth and tenth formers’ viewpoints regarding the extent to which cultural activities are incorporated into their English language classroom. The respondents’ answers indicated that the present practices for the development of intercultural competence in the English language classroom are not sufficient. A conclusion is made that the English language teaching/ learning process should be more purposefully aimed at developing all the dimensions of learners’ intercultural competence.

scholarly journals Intercultural Competence in ELT Contexts: A Study of EFL Teachers’ Perceptions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelhak Bouslama ◽  
Fawzia Bouhass Benaissi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Cultural Mediators

Intercultural competence (IC) has been promoted by many educationalists as the most exalted type of competence in modern foreign language teaching (FLT). Among the difficulties to incorporate IC into FLT can be due to the fact that teachers may not have sufficient knowledge on the concept. To test this hypothesis, we attempt to answer the following question: how do Algerian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers perceive the concepts of culture and IC as well as the objectives of the intercultural approach (ICA) in English language teaching (ELT) contexts? The present study proceeds to analyze teachers’ knowledge, perceptions and understanding of the concepts of culture, IC and the ICA and seeks to identify any potential deficiencies that may hinder effective IC teaching. The main aim of the study is then to help teacher trainers establish training programs that address more efficiently targeted teachers’ needs with regard to IC teaching. This paper will hopefully assist in improving the implementation of IC into FLT classrooms. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with eight teachers and then analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that many EFL teachers displayed a lack of theoretical understanding concerning the ICA and its objectives, which may well impact negatively on their IC teaching practices. Teacher educators therefore need to focus more on updating EFL teachers’ on both the theoretical and practical levels that learners are today expected to grow as cultural mediators equipped with a set of skills rather than as native-like proficient language users.

scholarly journals Integrated Components of Intercultural Competence in English Language Teaching at College: Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-80
Author(s):  
Muh Hesan ◽  
Slamet Setiawan ◽  
Ahmad Munir
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
College Level ◽  
Intercultural Integration

In this global world, foreign language teaching has been demanded to be intercultural teaching which means that cultural teaching should be integrated in language teaching as well as language competence, in English language teaching for instance. On the ground that the importance of foreign language teaching and learning is largely for purpose of international communication, and intercultural knowledge has crucial role in successful communication. Therefore, this paper reports on a qualitative case study which investigates two English teachers’ practice of integrating intercultural competence in English language teaching at college level. Specifically, this paper provides analysis of intercultural components embedded in teachers’ practice of intercultural integration in teaching English. The data were collected through observation, and unstructured observational notes were employed. The observational data were analysed following sub-processes, are familiarizing, reducing, identifying and classifying, interpreting, and presenting. The result indicates that both English teachers’ understand the objective of English language teaching that teaching language is also teaching the culture as it is showed in their teaching process an intercultural integration, which includes some intercultural components such as attitudes, knowledge, and skills.

scholarly journals Perceptions of EFL teachers towards using intercultural approach in ELT

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 94-106
Author(s):  
Arjun Singh Negi
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Course Development ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Content Selection ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Phenomenological Research Design

Teaching English has shifted from teaching literature to teaching language in cultural contexts. Teaching English in a cultural context improves intercultural competence but also needs to incorporate the local culture of the learners to enhance awareness and eliminate ethnocentricism. Intercultural approach tries to develop intercultural competence in the learners. Intercultural competence means following one's own culture and respecting others' cultural viewpoints. I have used phenomenological research design to find out perceptions of EFL teachers towards using intercultural approach in English language teaching. The finding indicates the need of practicing intercultural approach in English language teaching though the implementation is not quite easy. This research has also indicated that there is the hegemony of western culture in the course development and content selection. Still there are many problems in promoting local cultures and developing intercultural competence. To implement intercultural approach successfully, there should be radical changes in policy level, practice level, and pedagogical level, for the policy making, course development, content selection, classroom delivery and even in evaluation scheme.

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