Exploring Iranian EFL Teachers’ Perceptions towards Teaching Intercultural Communicative Competence

Table of Contents

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………I

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………1

      1.1. Background……………………………………………………………………………….2

      1.2. Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………………………2

      1.3. Significance of the Study………………………………………………………………….4

      1.4. Definition of Key Terms………………………………………………………………….5

      1.5. Research Aims and Questions……………………………………………………………6

      1.6. Limitations………………………………………………………………………………..7

      1.7. Organization of the Study…………………………………………………………………7

2. Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………..9

      2.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..10

      2.2. Teacher Cognition……………………………………………………………………….10

2.2.1. What Is Teacher Cognition? ………………………………………………………………………..10

            2.2.2. Teacher Cognition and Prior Language Learning Experience…………………….13

            2.2.3. Teacher Cognition and Teacher Education………………………………………..13

            2.2.4. Teacher Cognition and Classroom Practice……………………………………….13

      2.3. Culture and Language……………………………………………………………………14

            2.3.1. What Is Culture? ………………………………………………………………….14

            2.3.2. The Relationship between Language and Culture…………………………………16

      2.4. The Development of Foreign Language Teaching Aims………………………………..16

            2.4.1. Linguistic Competence to Communicative Competence………………………….16

            2.4.2. Shortcomings of Communicative Competence……………………………………19

                        2.4.2.1. Multi-Competent Speaker Instead of Non-Native Speaker……………..20

                        2.4.2.2. English as a Lingua Franca………………………………………………21

            2.4.3. Intercultural Communicative Competence: English as a World Language……….21

      2.5. Need of Intercultural Education and the Importance of Teacher Role………………….22

      2.6. A Synoptic Review of Intercultural Competence Theories and Models………………..24

            2.6.1. Compositional Models…………………………………………………………….25

            2.6.2. Co-Orientational Models………………………………………………………….29

            2.6.3. Developmental Models……………………………………………………………35

            2.6.4. Adaptational Models………………………………………………………………37

            2.6.5. Causal Path Models………………………………………………………………..41

      2.7. Byram’s Perception of Intercultural Communicative Competence……………………..48

            2.7.1. Van Ek’s Communicative Ability…………………………………………………49

                        2.7.1.1. Non-Verbal Communication…………………………………………….51

                        2.7.1.2. Inter-Group and Cross-Cultural Relations………………………………52

            2.7.2. Describing Intercultural Communication and the Intercultural Speaker………….55

                        2.7.2.1. Attitudes…………………………………………………………………56

                        2.7.2.2. Knowledge………………………………………………………………56

                        2.7.2.3. Skills…………………………………………………………………….57

                        2.7.2.4. Relationship between Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes and Other Aspects

of Intercultural Communicative Competence……………………………………58

                        2.7.3. Objectives…………………………………………………………………………59

                        2.7.4. Locations of Learning……………………………………………………………70

                                   2.7.4.1. The Classroom…………………………………………………………..70

                                   2.7.4.2. Fieldwork……………………………………………………………….71

                                   2.7.4.3. Independent Learning……………………………………………………71

                 2.8. International Research Studies………………………………………………………….72

                 2.9. Summary…………………………………………………………………………………73

 

3. Methodology………………………………………………………………………………….74

     3.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………75

     3.2. Research Design………………………………………………………………………….75

     3.3. Participants……………………………………………………………………………….75

     3.4. Instrumentation…………………………………………………………………………..76

              3.4.1. Reliability and Validity…………………………………………………………..80

     3.5. Procedures………………………………………………………………………………..80

     3.6. Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………….80

4. Result………………………………………………………………………………………….82

4.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….83

     4.2. How Teachers Look at Themselves………………………………………………………86

              4.2.1. General Teaching Goals………………………………………………………….86

              4.2.2. Objectives of Foreign Language Education………………………………………88

              4.2.3. Culture Teaching in EFL Teaching Context……………………………………..90

              4.2.4. Teachers’ Familiarity with the Foreign Cultures…………………………………93

     4.3. Teachers’ Perceptions of Culture Teaching Practice……………………………………..94

              4.3.1. Devoted Time to Culture Teaching………………………………………………94

              4.3.2. Willingness to Devote More Time to Culture Teaching…………………………96

              4.3.3. Kinds and Frequency of Culture Teaching Activities Practiced………………….96

              4.3.4. Amount of Time Devoted to Different Cultural Topics………………………….100

     4.4. Teachers’ Opinions regarding Different Facets of Intercultural Communicative Competence……………………………………………………………………………101

              4.4.1. Disposition towards Intercultural Competence Teaching………………………102

              4.4.2. Envisaged Intercultural Competence in Practice………………………………..103

                        4.4.2.1. Clear Willingness………………………………………………………105

              4.4.3. Factors Affecting Teachers’ Willingness……………………………………….105

                        4.4.3.1. Willingness and Opinion Variables……………………………………106

                        4.4.3.2. Willingness and Other Variables………………………………………108

5. Discussions, Implications, Conclusions……………………………………………………110

     5.1. Summary of the Findings……………………………………………………………….111

              5.1.1. How Teachers See Themselves…………………………………………………111

              5.1.2. How Teachers Describe Their Classroom Teaching Practice…………………..112

              5.1.3. How Teachers Envisage Intercultural Communicative Competence…………..113

     5.2. Discussion………………………………………………………………………………114

     5.3. Implications for Practice………………………………………………………………..118

     5.4. Recommendations for Further Research………………………………………………..120

     5.5. Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………..120

              5.5.1. Knowledge (Savoirs)……………………………………………………………121

              5.5.2. Skills (Savoir Comprendre and Savoir Apprendre/ Faire)………………………122

              5.5.3. Attitudes (Savoir Etre)………………………………………………………….122

References………………………………………………………………………………………124

Appendices………………………………………………………………………………………136

     Appendix A: Terms in Language Teacher Cognition Research………………………………137

     Appendix B: Background Information………………………………………………………139

 

 

 

 

List of Tables

Table 4.1 Themes and Sub-Themes of the Inquiry………………………………………………84

Table 4.2 Pupil-Oriented and Subject-Oriented Approaches of General Teaching Goals………86

Table 4.3 Teachers’ General Teaching Goals……………………………………………………87

Table 4.4 Possible Objectives of Foreign Language Education…………………………………88

Table 4.5 Teachers’ Perceptions of the Objectives of Foreign Language Education……………89

Table 4.6 Possible Culture Teaching Objectives…………………………………………………91

Table 4.7 Teachers’ Perceptions of Culture Teaching……………………………………….. …92

Table 4.8 Teachers’ Familiarity with Cultural Topics…………………………………………..94

Table 4.9 Distribution of Teaching Time over Language Teaching and Culture Teaching…….95

Table 4.10 Teachers’ Degree of Willingness to Devote More Time to Culture Teaching………96

Table 4.11 Cultural Activities/ Representative Approaches/ Representative Culture

 Dimensions………………………………………………………………………………………98

Table 4.12 Practiced Cultural Activities in Foreign Language Teaching Context………………99

Table 4.13 Teachers’ Perceptions of the Frequency of Dealing with Cultural Topics…………101

Table 4.14 Teachers’ Disposition towards Intercultural Foreign Language Education……….102

Table 4.15 Teachers’ Opinions regarding Intercultural Competence in Practice………………104

Table 4.16 Teachers’ Willingness to Teach Intercultural Communicative Competence………104

Table 4.17 Relationship between Teachers’ Willingness and Opinion Variables…………….105

Table 4.18 Relationship between Teachers’ Willingness and Other Variables………………..108

List of Figures

Figure 2.1Teacher Cognition, Schooling, Professional Education, and Classroom Practice…..12

Figure 2.2 A Postulation of a Hypothetical Model of Intercultural Communicative

Competence………………………………………………………………………………………22

Figure 2.3 Intercultural Education and Intercultural Learning………………………………….23

Figure 2.4 Intercultural Competence Components Model………………………………………26

Figure 2.5 Facework-Based Model of Intercultural Competence……………………………….27

Figure 2.6 Deardorff Pyramid of Intercultural Competence…………………………………….28

Figure 2.7 Global Competencies Model…………………………………………………………29

Figure 2.8 Intercultural Interlocutor Competence Model……………………………………….30

Figure 2.9 Worldview Convergence Model……………………………………………………..31

Figure 2.10 Intercultural Competence Model……………………………………………………32

Figure 2.11 Intercultural Competence Model for Strategic Human Resource Management……33

Figure 2.12 Coherence-Cohesion Model of Intercultural Competence…………………………34

Figure 2.13 Intercultural Maturity Model……………………………………………………….35

Figure 2.14 Developmental Intercultural Competence Model………………………………….36

Figure 2.15 U-Curve Model of Intercultural Adjustment……………………………………….37

Figure 2.16 Intercultural Communities Competence Model……………………………………38

Figure 2.17 Intercultural Communicative Accommodation Model……………………………..39

Figure 2.18 Attitude Acculturation Model………………………………………………………40

Figure 2.19 Relative Acculturation Extended Model…………………………………………….41

Figure 2.20 Model of Intercultural Communication Competence……………………………….42

Figure 2.21 Intercultural Communication Model of Relationship Quality………………………43

Figure 2.22 Multilevel Process Change Model of Intercultural Competence……………………44

Figure 2.23 Anxiety/ Uncertainty Management Model of Intercultural Competence……………45

Figure 2.24 Deardorff Process Model of Intercultural Competence…………………………….46

Figure 2.25 Relational Model of Intercultural Competence……………………………………..47

Figure 2.26 Factors in Intercultural Communication…………………………………………….56

Figure 2.27 Theoretical Model of Intercultural Communicative Competence…………………..69

Figure 4.1 Teachers’ Perceptions of the Objectives of Foreign Language Education……………90

Figure 4.2 Teachers’ Perceptions of Culture Teaching…………………………………………..93