INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE IN EFL CLASSROOMS: INTERACTING .
INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE IN EFL CLASSROOMS: INTERACTINGFACTORS AMONG TEXTBOOKS, TEACHER AND LEARNERSMEHRDAD RASHTCHIA dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of therequirements for the award of the degree ofMaster of Education (TESL)Faculty of EducationUniversiti Teknologi MalaysiaAUGUST 2013
iiiI dedicate this thesis To my mother whose kind and loving heart has always been my schoolroom;To my father who is the greatest man I have ever known;andTo my sister who is my best friend, my guardian angel, my childhoodmemories, and the voice of hope during dark times.
ivACKNOWLEDGEMENTAbove all, I want to thank God for getting me through life these past threeyears. I would also like to thank my parents who not only tolerated my absence, butalso supported me while I was away from home.The journey of my Master level in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)took three years before it got to its destination and during this period I met so manypeople who helped me in many ways to whom, hereby, I want to express mygratitude. First and foremost I want to express my sincere appreciation to myesteemed supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamad Hassan Zakaria for guidance, criticsand friendship. To me he has been an ideal supervisor. His sage advice, insightfulcriticisms, and patient encouragement aided the writing of this thesis in innumerableways.I am also very grateful to my previous teachers who helped me through allstages of learning. I specifically want to thank two of my very special teachers Dr.Babak Kafshchi and Mr. Yasin Daneshfar as all my dreams began with thembelieving in me and inspiring me in thousands ways.I must acknowledge as well the many friends who inspired and supported meand my efforts over these years. Particularly, I need to express my gratitude and deepappreciation to Dr. Sepehr Sadighi, Dr. Mahdi Torabi, Dr. Samira Yadollahi Kakh,Ms. Mitra Abrishm, and Ms. Fatemeh Mirzaei.Furthermore, I like to express my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Arash Bahadoranand Ms. Parisa Sanati who made my desperate moments tolerable. My thanks andappreciation also goes to Dr. Amir Hesam Khavari and his kind spouse Ms. SaraVosughi who constantly provided me with their generous caring and affection.With love and gratitude,Mehrdad Rashtchi
vABSTRAKSebagai kepentingan kecekapan antara budaya semakin diiktiraf oleh pendidik diseluruh dunia, keperluan untuk menilai pelbagai dimensi kecekapan antara budaya jugabertambah. Kajian semasa, mengambil tiga faktor kekal pendidikan iaitu pelajar, guruguru serta buku teks dengan bertujuan untuk menyiasat dan mendapat gambaran tentangstatus dan kualiti kecekapan antara budaya dalam kalangan pelajar Iran. Buku-buku teksyang digunakan di sekolah-sekolah kerajaan tinggi Iran telah dianalisis denganmenggunakan senarai semak dengan kod skim dihasilkan berdasarkan model Cortazzidan Jin (1999) berkaitan pembentangan bahan kebudayaan. Pelbagai dimensi kecekapanantara budaya termasuk: 1. Orientasi kepada pengetahuan dan 2. Empati, yang dikenalpasti oleh Ruben (1976) 3. Menghormati orang lain, 4. Penemuan pengetahuan dan 5.Sikap dikenalpasti oleh Byram (1997) dan 6. Pertalian budaya yang dikenal pasti olehkupka, Everett, & Wildermuth (2007) telah disiasat dalam kumpulan pelajar Iran,menggunakan temu bual kumpulan fokus dan DMIS. Beberapa guru Iran juga telahditemuramah untuk mengetahui peranan mereka dalam memudahkan kecekapan antarabudaya dalam kalangan pelajar. Kajian ini membuktikan bahawa buku-buku teks Iranadalah sangat lemah berkaitan pembentangan budaya dan bahan-bahan kebudayaan.Kajian ini juga menunjukkan bahawa kebanyakan dimensi kecekapan antara budayatidak wujud dalam pelajar Iran dan guru-guru tidak boleh memainkan peranan sebagaifasilitator berkaitan peningkatan kecekapan antara budaya.
viABSTRACTAs the importance of intercultural competence is increasingly recognized byeducators all over the world, the need for assessing the various dimension ofintercultural competence also grows. The current study, taking the three perpetualfactors of education which are the learners, the teachers as well as the textbooks intoconsideration, aims to investigate and achieve a picture of the status and quality ofintercultural competence in Iranian learners. The textbooks which are used in Iraniangovernment high schools have been analyzed using a checklist with coding schemesdeveloped based on the model of Cortazzi and Jin (1999) regarding the presentation ofcultural material. Also various dimensions of intercultural competence, which areorientation to knowledge, empathy, respect for otherness, knowledge discovery, attitudeand cultural affinity (identified by, among others, Ruben (1976), Byram (1997), andKupka, Everett & Widermuth (2007)) were investigated among a group of Iranianstudents using focused group interview and Developmental Model of InterculturalSensitivity (DMIS). Also a number of Iranian teachers were interviewed in order to findout their role in facilitating intercultural competence in learners. The study proves thatthe Iranian textbooks are very weak regarding the presentation of culture and culturalmaterials. Also this study indicates that most of the dimensions of interculturalcompetence do not exist in Iranian learners and the teachers cannot play the role offacilitator regarding the enhancement of intercultural competence.
viiTABLE OF CONTENTSCHAPTER1TITLEPAGETITLE TRAKvABSTRACTviTABLE OF CONTENTSviiLIST OF TABLESxiiLIST OF FIGURESxiiiLIST OF APPENDICESxivINTRODUCTION11.1 Overview11.2 Background of the Study21.3 Statement of the Problem61.4 Objectives of the Study81.5 Research Questions81.6 Significance of the Study91.7 Scope of the Study101.8 Theoretical Framework101.9 Limitations of the study141.10 Definition of terminology151.11 Summary17
viii23Literature Review182.1 Overview182.2 ELT Textbooks182.3 Language and Culture212.3.1 Theory of Linguistic Relativity222.3.2 Theory of Intercultural Language Learning232.3.3 Theory of Cultural Identity andTheory of Identity management282.3.4 Theory of Anxiety andUncertainty Management (AUM)302.4 Teachers and Intercultural Competence312.5 Assessing Intercultural Competence332.5.1 Behavioral Assessment Scalefor Intercultural Competence332.5.2 Intercultural Sensitivity Inventory342.5.3 The Intercultural Development Inventory342.5.4 The Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory342.5.5 Evaluation of Assessment Tools352.6 Measurement of Intercultural Development - DMIS Model352.7 Summary37Research Methodology383.1 Overview383.2 Research Design383.2.1 Data Collection393.2.1.1 Iranian EFL Textbooks393.2.1.2 Respondents403.2.2 Instruments40
ix43.2.2.1 Evaluation Checklistfor Textbooks Analysis403.2.2.2 Students’ Interview413.2.2.3 Teachers’ Interview413.2.2.4 DMIS Model423.3 Research Procedure443.4 Data Analysis473.4.1 Content Analysis and the Check List473.4.2 Students’ Group Interview493.4.3 Teachers’ Interview503.4.4 Developing codes513.4.5 Validity and Adaption of Instruments523.5 Summary53Findings and Discussion544.1 Overview and Research questions544.2 Findings and Discussion for Textbook Analysis (RQ 1)564.3 Finding and Discussion for Students’ Group Interviewand Individual Response to DMIS Model (RQ 2)634.4 Findings and Discussion for Teachers’ Interview (RQ 3)704.5 Summary73
x5Conclusion and Recommendations755.1 Overview755.2 Summary of Findings755.3 Implications of the Study775.4 Recommendations785.5 Suggestions for Future Research795.6 Summary80References81Appendices A-E90
xiLIST OF TABLESTABLE NO.TITLEPAGE3.1Summary table of Research questions with the respective components433.2Coding themes for analysis of focus group data (student comments)493.3Coding themes for analysis of teacher interview504.1Organization of contents in chapter 4554.2Occurrence of the cultural references in “Reading” section ofIranian EFL textbooks614.3Number of students and thematic code areas654.4Students’ responses to DMIS model65
xiiLIST OF FIGURESFIGURE NO.TITLEPAGE1.1Theoretical framework132.1Culture in English textbooks192.2A pattern for developing intercultural competence263.1Overview of the research procedure464.1The percentage of the treatment of culture in"New Words" section of Iranian EFL textbooks4.2The percentage of the treatment of culture in"New Words" section of Iranian EFL textbooks (Book 1)4.359The percentage of the treatment of culture in"New Words" section of Iranian EFL textbooks (Book 4)4.659The percentage of the treatment of culture in"New Words" section of Iranian EFL textbooks (Book 3)4.558The percentage of the treatment of culture in"New Words" section of Iranian EFL textbooks (Book 2)4.45860Representation of the cultural references in“Reading” section of Iranian EFL textbooks61
xiiiLIST OF APPENDICESAPPENDIXTITLEPAGEAStudents’ Focus Group Interview91BTeachers’ Interview93CStudent focus group Interview transcript (Group 1)96DSample of teacher Interview100EThe check list prepared for textbooks analysisand Excerpts of Iranian EFL textbooks: New Words section.103
CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTION1.1OverviewCulture has become an increasingly important component of English languageteaching in recent times. There are a number of reasons for this phenomenon whichare related to a view of language that incorporates a wider social and cultureperspective, as well as to the increasingly multicultural use of English. In most of thecountries where English is spoken as a foreign language there are some obstacles thathinder the representation of target language culture. The factors that have the effectsmost on the issue of culture teaching in these countries have roots in social and politicalconventions of that country. This study aims to present a thorough picture of thehistory and current condition of EFL in Iran (where the author has lived and receivedmost of his education) and then this will be followed by a discussion of some of thedifficulties involved in teaching second language culture in Iran. And finally athorough investigation will be carried on regarding the quality and status ofintercultural competence of the learners, teachers as well as the conditions of EFLtextbooks concerning their quality of concentration over the representing culturalissues. Also, this study aims to be the first in the chain of studies that will lead to thedevelopment of an effective framework for enhancing intercultural as well as culturalcompetence of the Iranian EFL learners. In this chapter the background of the study,
2statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions as well as thesignificance and scope of the study will be discussed.1.2Background of the StudyGenerally it is believed that not only language is a part of culture, but also playsa very significant role in it. It is also believed that without the existence of language,the survival of culture would not be possible. Language concurrently reflects culture,and is shaped and influenced by it. In a more general sense, language is also thesymbolic representation of a people, as it encompasses their cultural and historicalbackgrounds, as well as their approach to life and their ways of living and thinking.Brown (1994:165) describes the two as follows: “A language is a part of aculture and a culture is a part of a language; the two are intricately interwoven so thatone cannot separate the two without losing the significance of either language orculture.” In short, culture and language are inseparable. As a result of this integration,mutual understanding and intercultural competence are more important than ever todaybecause through them we can address some of the most dangerous problems ofcontemporary societies. There is a need for education which helps citizens to livetogether in culturally diverse societies. The ability to understand and communicatewith each other across all kinds of cultural divisions is a fundamental prerequisite formaking such societies work. We all need to acquire intercultural competence whichaccording to Sercu (2010) is “conceived of as a general humanistic educational goal”.For this reason, intercultural education, which aims to develop and enhance this ability,can make an essential contribution to peaceful coexistence.Traditionally, the first attentions towards intercultural competence appearedout of investigations into the experiences of westerners working abroad in the 1950s,
31960s, and early 1970s. These studies were encouraged by apparent cross-culturalcommunication problems that hindered interactions between individuals fromdifferent backgrounds. According to Sinicrope, Norris, & Watanabe (2007), by the endof 1980s, the perspectives for intercultural competence studies expanded to includestudying in a foreign country, worldwide business, cross-cultural training, emigrantsliving overseas, and immigrant acculturation. During the years, investigations onintercultural competence used assessments of individuals’ personalities, attitudes,motives and values, usually through surveys, short self-reports or open-endedinterviews (Sinicrope, Norris, & Watanabe, 2007). The main aim and concentration ofintercultural communicative competence assessment has been centered on four maingoals: “(1) to explain overseas failure, (2) to predict overseas success, (3) to developpersonnel selection strategies, and (4) to design, implement and test sojourner trainingand preparation methodologies” (Ruben, 1989: 230). Today, intercultural competenceresearch encompasses a wide range, from medical training to international schools,from permanent residency in foreign cultures to short study abroad programs. Theintentions for research also vary widely, from the selection of appropriate participantsfor sending abroad to cross-cultural mediation to the determination of learningoutcomes associated with a variety of educational experiences.Mastering a foreign language involves enhancing various skills, includinglanguage proficiency, grammatical competence, communicative competence, as wellas an alteration in the learners’ attitudes towards one’s own or another culture. For somany researchers, cultural competence which according to Thanasoulas (2001), is “theknowledge of the conventions, customs, beliefs, and systems of meaning of anothercountry” is undeniably an essential aspectin foreign language learning, and manyteachers have considered it as their objectives to include the teaching of culture intothe foreign language class. It can be claimed that the concept of communicativecompetence which emphasizes the role of context and the circumstances under whichlanguage can be used accurately and appropriately, “fall short of the mark when itcomes to actually equipping students with the cognitive skills they need in a secondculture environment” (Straub, 1999: 2). So it can be said that culture andcommunication are inseparable because as Thanasoulas (2001: 8) claims: “culture notonly dictates who talks to whom, about what, and how the communication proceeds,
4it also helps to determine how people encode messages, the meanings they have formessages, and the conditions and circumstances under which various messages mayor may not be sent, noticed, or interpreted. Culture.is the foundation ofcommunication.”In Iran, the context in which this study takes place, for many of the Englishlanguage learners, learning cultural issues had been considered as merely backgroundinformation in foreign language learning (Aliakbari, 2004). This attitude hasinfluenced many aspects of the learners’ language learning concept including intercultural competence of students as well as design of the curriculum to be taught inlanguage classes. Obviously this view contrasts the current situation that puts moreemphasis and attributes great importance to culture learning and according to Sercu(2010) the aim of culture teaching has changed from prompting familiarity with theforeign culture. However there are issues that change and influence the notion ofculture learning in language classes and affect it drastically and out of its natural trend.The change and emergence of cultural materials for Iranian learners is also associatedwith changes in social and political environment of the country as culture learning ispart of that complex.EFL in Iran has experienced so many drastic ups and downs in recent years andsocial and political changes have contributed to this alteration a great deal (Aliakbari,2004). English language education history in Iran can be split into two periods: beforethe Islamic Revolution of 1979 and after it. Before the revelation due to the closerelationship of the Shah’s regime with western countries and specially United Sates,language schools were dominated by native-speaker instructors and the market wasreplete with authentic material, needless to say that the trend of target cultureacquisition was headed toward a direction which was totally in contrast with what it istoday, after the Islamic revolution (Bakhash, 1990). With the change in social andpolitical norms, the educational system also changed and became a conservative,centralized educational system in which all decisions are taken by the authorities incharge in the government, and schools and teachers have to conform to the expectedrules and regulations; in fact, there is no room for them to make their voices heard.
5Educational institutions are considered to be the mere conveyers or performers of thegovernments' central policies. During this period, the EFL textbooks also havechanged and the cultural elements underwent big changes and revisions. Since then noserious study investigated the culture teaching in Iranian national schools’ EFLtextbooks, and this might be because authorities, learners and teachers thought theyare on the right track and moving away from western culture is the proper decision.But about a decade ago Aliakbari (2004) investigated the state of culture in the Iranianhigh-schools’ EFL textbooks. The study revealed that the EFL textbooks which arecurrently used in Iranian national high schools are not helpful in developingintercultural competence and cultural understandings of students.Furthermore there is another crucial issue regarding integrating the culturalmaterial in EFL classes and that is the role of both teachers and learners. Due to theundeniable nature of culture which is variable, controversial and different, the teachingof cultural items is very difficult and at the same time delicate job for most of the EFLteachers. According to Byram & Risager (1999), teachers can enhance the sense ofopenness in students. However an immense and confusing dilemma lies in front of theteachers. As Kramsch (2004) states, teachers need to find suitable methods for teachingculture, and yet they are obliged to look for ways of dealing with their society whichimposes its own cultural beliefs and values.As the research shows in most of the contexts the lack of training for teachersis the root of the problem. The teachers should be trained and supported by their societybecause according to Dei, et al.(2000), these instructors bring alternative ways ofknowing that can provide the students with greater points of access in developingbroader worldviews. Learners’ role, in contrast seems to be lees important andcontributing in the course of culture acquisition. In a common EFL class, studentsusually come from different cultural backgrounds and everyone has his own specificpurpose of learning the language. For instance they may want to enter a high-rankinguniversity or get a well-paid position in a company and they may not necessarily beinterested to be culturally competent or have any desire to communicate crossculturally. The other issue that seems to be hindering the appropriate culture teaching
6in some EFL classrooms is the vagueness and inconsistency between what differentteachers believe is more culturally relevant to the students’ needs and
"New Words" section of Iranian EFL textbooks (Book 4) 60 4.6 Representation of the cultural references in “Reading” section of Iranian EFL textbooks 61 . xiii LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX TITLE PAGE A Students’ Focus Group Interview 91 B Teachers’ Interview 93 C Student focus group Interview transcript (Group 1) 96 .
Intercultural Competence Intercultural competence . is the capability to accurately understand and adapt behavior to cultural difference and commonality. Intercultural competence . reflects the degree to which cultural differences and commonalities in values, expectations, beliefs, and practices are effectively bridged, an inclusive .
Moodle, Mastery Quizzes 20 % Less than 75 % of all classrooms 75 –79 % of all classrooms 80 –84 % of all classrooms 85 –89 % of all classrooms 90 % of all classrooms A5: Presence and use of classroom - embedded 21st Century learning Moodle 15 % Less than 50 % of all classrooms 50 –69 % of all classrooms 70 –80 % of all classrooms 81 .
intercultural communication, adaptation to other cultures, intercultural learning. This concept is defined on the intersection of the concept of culture and competence (Figure 1). Developing Intercultural Competencies using activities with different media 40 Figure 1. Elements, which form the intercultural
In the last decades, Intercultural Competence was reintroduced as Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) as the result of its impact on foreign language teaching (López-Rocha & Arévalo-Guerrero, 2014). The distinction between the two needs to
intercultural competence—an individual’s or group’s ability to function effectively across cultures—is one way to address this need.2 Intercultural competence is the capacity to shift perspective and behavior so as to bridge cultural differences in order to reach identified goals.
Intercultural competence was operationalized as a multidimensional notion comprising the communication effectiveness, adaptation, social integration, knowledge of the target culture, and language competence. Findings of regression analysis highlighted that only the social integration and adaptation components could predict the degree of .
Change, Globalization, Informatization, And Intercultural Communication, Communicating in culturally diverse work-place, Gateways to Effective Intercultural Communication. Learning Objectives To define intercultural communication To know the significance of intercultural communication in today's world of globalization.
First course (on tables) Breads/rolls of many types (white, sour, rye, sesame, olive/caper, Italian season) Flavoured butters (honey, garlic, italian others .) Preserves (apple, pear, blackberry, salal) Two scalded milk cheese, one sweet, one savory Stout/Portwine cheese fondue Then: Soups/Stews - one beef/barley, one borshch and one bean pottage 2nd course Salmon Pie (head table gets .
