Integration of Foreign Culture in English Instruction: Iranian EFL Learners and Teachers' Views in Academic Context
Subject Areas : Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation
آذر باقری مسعودزاده
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اکرم شکریان بهزادی
2
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Keywords: EFL learners, English Instruction, Academic Context, EFL Teachers Foreign Culture,
Abstract :
This study focused on the integration of foreign culture in English instruction in an academic context. More specifically, it analyzed the Iranian university EFL students' and teachers' views towards the integration of foreign culture in English instruction. Moreover, the possible difference between the participants' views towards the integration of foreign cultures was assessed. In doing so, 30 English EFL university teachers and 40 B.A. students were selected from four universities in Kerman (Bahonar, Azad, Payame Noor, & Institute of Higher Education). In order to collect data, a related questionnaire developed by Han (2010) was employed to examine the participants' views. After completing the questionnaires, the acquired data were analyzed by conducting descriptive statistics and the t-test of two independent groups. The results emerged from data analysis indicated that a great percentage of students asserted that learning foreign cultures was significant for them. It was necessary for them to get information about the target culture and spend more time on it. The university teachers remarked the same views as learning foreign cultures was important for them. It was essential for them to provide information and to spend more time on foreign culture teaching. The results of the study revealed no significant difference between the participants' views towards the integration of foreign culture in English instruction. Findings will contribute to the theoretical research gap in the field of culture and foreign language teaching and can serve as a guide to lead teachers and learners to the desired cultural goals of a specific language course.
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