Intercultural competence, Intercultural sensitivity, and Language Pedagogy: Perspectives of Iranian Novice and Experienced EFL Teachers

Subject Areas :

Sina  Khalili ¹ (English Language Department, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran)
Mohammad  Mohammadi ² (English Language Department, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran)

Received: 2022-07-18 Accepted : 2022-09-30 Published : 2022-12-01

Keywords: Intercultural Sensitivity,  Cultural Awareness, EFL Teachers’ Beliefs, Intercultural Communicative Competence,

Abstract :

Intercultural competence and intercultural sensitivity have drawn the attention of a myriad of scholars in the fields of language teaching, communication, culture, gender, and ethnicity. This is the rationale behind the current research aiming at investigating EFL teachers’ beliefs concerning the concepts of intercultural communication competence (ICC) and intercultural sensitivity (IS) and how such concepts are promoted in their real practices in English classes. To this end, utilizing a qualitative design, a sample of 20 EFL teachers (11 experienced and 9 novice teachers) from different language institutes in West Azerbaijan province were selected. A semi-structured interview and a three-session observation were conducted as data-gathering tools. The results of the data analysis indicated that even though Iranian EFL teachers were familiar with the concepts of IS and ICC and they knew that language and culture are not isolated terms, they ignored culture in the classes due to some regularities imposed on them by society. As a matter of fact, for teachers, the concept of language is the top priority while culture plays a second fiddle. The study has some pedagogical implications for EFL teachers and learners in overcoming cultural differences to improve the level of language proficiency.

References:

Agarwal, C., & Chakraborty, P. (2019). A review of tools and techniques for computer-aided pronunciation training (CAPT) in English. Education and Information Technologies, 24(6), 3731-3743.

Aldera, A. S. (2017). Teaching EFL in Saudi Arabian context: Textbooks and culture. Journal
of Language Teaching and Research, 8(2), 221–228.

Álvarez, L. F. C. (2020). Intercultural communicative competence: In-service EFL teachers build understanding through study groups. Profile Issues in Teachers Professional Development, 22(1), 75-92.

Ayu, M. (2020). Evaluation of Cultural Content on English Textbook Used by EFL Students in Indonesia. JET (Journal of English Teaching), 6(3), 183-192.

Bhawuk, D. P., & Brislin, R. (1992). The measurement of intercultural sensitivity using the concepts of individualism and collectivism. International journal of intercultural relations, 16(4), 413-436.

Boudouaia, A., Wint War Htun, K., Al-Qadri, A. H., Saroh, Y., & Beddiaf, A. (2022). Intercultural sensitivity of English language teachers in Algeria. Cogent Education, 9(1), 2042034.

Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Multilingual Matters, Clevedon.

Byram, M. (2013). Foreign language teaching and intercultural citizenship. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 1(3), 58-69.

Chen, G. M., & Starosta, W. J. (1997). Chinese conflict management and resolution: Overview and implications. Foreign Language Annals, 39(4), 579-594.

Deardorff, D. (2009). The other within: The genius of deformity in myth, culture & psyche. North Atlantic Books.

Derenowski, M. (2011). Strangers in paradise: The role of target language culture in foreign language teaching materials. In J. Arabski and A. Wojtaszek (eds.), Aspects of culture in second language acquisition and foreign language learning (pp. Berlin: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Dong, Q., Day, K. D., & Collaço, C. M. (2008). Overcoming ethnocentrism through developing intercultural communication sensitivity and multiculturalism. Human Communication, 11(1), 27-38.

Jedynak, M. (2011). The attitudes of English teachers towards developing intercultural communicative competence. In J. Arabski and A. Wojtaszek (eds.), Aspects of culture in second language acquisition and foreign language learning.  Berlin: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Habib, A. (2014). An analysis of cultural load in English textbooks taught in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. NUML Journal of Critical Inquiry, 12(2), 72-88.

Cortazzi, M., & Jin, L. X. (1999). Cultural mirrors: Materials and me thods in the EFL
classroom. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Culture in second language teaching and learning (pp.
196-219). Cambridge University Press.

Errington, F., & Gewertz, D. (2004). Yali's question: Sugar, culture, and history (Vol. 2002). University of Chicago Press.

Moore, Z. (2006). Technology and teaching culture: What Spanish teachers do. Foreign Language Annals, 39(4), 579-594.

Mostafaei Alaei, M., & Nosrati, F. (2018). Research into EFL teachers’ intercultural communicative competence and intercultural sensitivity. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 47(2), 73-86.

Pourakbari, A. A., & Chalak, A. (2015). Intercultural sensitivity: An empirical study of Iranian EFL learners. International Journal of English Language Education. 3 (2), 1-13.

Rivkin, J., & Ryan, M. (2017). Literary theory: An anthology. John Wiley & Sons.

Sarwari, A. Q., & Abdul Wahab, M. N. (2017). Study of the relationship between intercultural sensitivity and intercultural communication competence among international postgraduate students: A case study at University Malaysia Pahang. Cogent Social Sciences, 3(1), 1310479.

Saricoban, A., & Oz, H. (2014). Research into pre-service English teachers’ intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in the Turkish context. The Anthropologist, 18(2), 523-531.

Shin, J., Eslami, Z. R., & Chen, W.-C. (2011). Presentation of local and international culture
in current international English-language teaching textbooks. Language, Culture and
Curriculum, 24(3), 253–268.

Soodmand, A. H., Ranjbar, M., Youssefi, N. & Afshar, N. (2018). Evaluation of Iranian new EFL textbooks prospects 1-3 and Vision One. Journal of Educational Measurement & Evaluation Studies, 8(21), 107-139.

Su, K. Y., Watanabe, A., Yeh, C. H., Kelsoe, G., & Kuraoka, M. (2016). Efficient culture of human naive and memory B cells for use as APCs. The Journal of Immunology, 197(10), 4163-4176.

Valdes, J. M. (1986). Culture bound: Bridging the culture gap in language teaching (Vol. 25). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Young, T. J., & Schartner, A. (2014). The effects of cross-cultural communication education on international students' adjustment and adaptation. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 35(6), 547-562.