scholarly journals The Intercultural Identities of Nonnative English Teachers: An Overview of Research Worldwide

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dadi Chen ◽  
Dineke E.H. Tigelaar ◽  
Nico Verloop

Nonnative-English-speaking teachers who teach English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) can play an important role in the promotion of intercultural competence and often have an advantage over native-English-speaking ESL/EFL teachers because they once were language learners and more aware of the difficulties that students can encounter. Therefore, a better understanding is needed of nonnative ESL/EFL teachers in language-and-culture teaching contexts. Research on how these teachers view themselves in relation to two or more cultural groups, i.e., teachers’ intercultural identities is useful in this respect, but has been scarce. In the present study, we systematically reviewed 21 studies on the intercultural identities of nonnative ESL/EFL teachers. Our study provides insight in key characteristics of these teachers’ intercultural identities, factors in the formation of these teachers’ intercultural identities, inconsistencies in studies to date, and directions for further research.

Author(s):  
T. Reva

Studies on intercultural sensitivity as an affective aspect of intercultural competence have been gaining increasing attention in today’s globalized world where representatives of different countries and cultural groups are supposed to function effectively and supportively in various spheres of life. This paper has reported some of the research results indicating the level and specifics of intercultural sensitivity of the Russian students attending Chinese universities. Building students’ intercultural sensitivity is an essential aspect of the Chinese language and culture teaching experience. Practical recommendations have been provided for increasing the students’ level of intercultural sensitivity in order to reduce stress and avoid conflict situations in multinational educational organizations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mark Treve

The present study explores teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Asia, their attitudes toward teaching English, the roles of teaching the English language, motivations, benefits, implications, and the reason they are highly recognized in non-English speaking countries. The researcher applied the qualitative method through semi-structured interviews with (n=4) Ghanaian teachers working in three countries in Asia as EFL instructors; their strengths and weaknesses were investigated. The result of semi-structured interviews revealed that Ghanaian teachers' primary role in Asia is to teach English and literacy skills. Moreover, the reasons they chose to work in Asia are higher salaries and better working conditions. Their inability to speak the local language and culture diversity were their weaknesses. Native and Non-native English teachers' preferences, which directly/indirectly affect English teaching, are discussed.  The respondents' positive attitude toward English teaching overseas is also investigated and presented. This empirical study revealed the globalization of English in the 21st century.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Mahdjouba Chaouche

In a rapidly globalized world, EFL teachers are increasingly urged to incorporate intercultural competence in language classes. This paper is concerned with the incorporation of the teaching of culture into the foreign Language classroom. The main premise of the present paper is that effective communication is not limited to linguistic competence and language proficiency and that apart from enhancing communicative competence, cultural competence can also lead to empathy and respect toward different cultures as well as promote objectivity and cultural perspicacity. In fact, teaching a foreign language carries a novel culture which includes one’s religion, gender and a set of beliefs. Yet; though language and culture are so closely interwoven into each other that one cannot be conceived without the other, language is still taught as a separate phenomenon from culture and classroom activities are bereft of any instruction of foreign cultures. It is to be noted that much research into the incorporation of culture in language learning remains to be done so that the pedagogical principles of culture teaching may be articulated and applied effectively to the development of materials, and curricula. Thus, the purpose of this paper is first, to explain the ideas and theory which define what is involved in the intercultural communicative competence, and second, to demonstrate what intercultural competence would mean in practice for teachers and learners in language classrooms in an Algerian context and how to make it easily accessible in practical ways.


Author(s):  
Natalia Lutai ◽  
Tetiana Besarab ◽  
Kate Mastruserio

The article еnlightens some problems in the field of teaching culture withinthe frames of foreign language studies curricula. It is also stated that in accordance with the standards of basic foreign language competences this aspect is still neglected to some extent in the classroom. The article provides a concept of intercultural communicative competence though some researchers find it too vague. In addition, some discrepancies between the new approach to teaching culture and traditional methods, beliefs and discourses related to teaching culture have been analyzed and discussed. The authors have carried out a critical analysis of results of numerous studies of the cultural component of in the field of culture teaching so as to reveal their drawbacks and advantages and to propose possible ways of solving this issue. As some researchers claim in order to develop intercultural competence amidst students of foreign languages departments teachers are to broaden their knowledge of language and culture interaction to avoid stereotyped approaches. Because of new tendencies in teaching culture not only besides philological or literatural issues, they have to deal with such disciplines as semiotics, anthropology, history, sociology and other sciences in the process of discussing culture to master their skills and respond to new challenges.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-194
Author(s):  
Lea Meriläinen

Abstract Present-day English manifests ongoing changes in the frequency and semantic range of the progressive form, which presents a challenge for foreign language learners. This study examines the frequencies and semantic functions of the progressive in the Louvain International Database of Spoken English Interlanguage with the aim of finding out to what extent learners are adopting the ongoing changes. This study analyses the effects of an exposure-rich learning environment by comparing learners from countries where English is used in varying degrees outside formal educational contexts and by examining intra-corpus variation between learners who have vs. have not spent time in English-speaking countries. The results reveal that exposure to English in the home country explains some of the variation in the progressive frequencies, but most of all it shows in the extent to which the learners have adopted its new semantic uses. By contrast, stay in English-speaking countries was not found to be an influential variable for all learner groups.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Jafar Zamanian ◽  
Mahnaz Saeidi

<p>Intercultural approaches to language learning and teaching are strongly advocated and implemented in ESL contexts. However, little empirical research has addressed the extent to which such approaches are actually operationalized in EFL contexts and what the roles of the teachers are. This study investigated perceptions, practices and problems of 100 Iranian EFL teachers regarding raising students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) awareness. Based on a mixed-method design, using questionnaire, observation, and interview, the findings indicated an apparent disparity between teachers’ perceptions about ICC and their current classroom practices. Teachers also identified and discussed a lack of training, time, and support to raise language learners’ ICC awareness. This study provides strong empirical evidence supporting the claim that it is difficult for EFL teachers to integrate culture into their teaching in order to develop learners’ intercultural competence.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luu Thi Huong

This study aimed at examining matches or mismatches between teachers’ and students’ preferences regarding different types of corrective feedback in EFL (English as a foreign language) speaking classrooms at a Vietnamese university. Observation and two parallel questionnaires adapted from Katayama (2007) and Smith (2010) were used to gather data from five EFL teachers and 138 English-majored students. Multiple findings pertaining to each research question were revealed. Overall, results indicated that while there were some areas of agreement between teachers and students, important mismatches in their opinions did occur.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 766
Author(s):  
Lina Guan

The quality of foreign language college English teachers will affect the quality of college English teaching. This article investigated 80 college foreign language teachers of SiChuan Province and writer found college English teachers had great pressures. They were eager to get the in-service training and they should be taught how to have self-development. Teachers should co-operate each other and break the isolation among them.


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