Teaching the cultural aspect of foreign language education is a complex and sometimes difficult task, especially since English has become an international language used in different settings and contexts throughout the world. Building on the idea that the spread of the English language and its international status in the world has made English an important school subject to develop students’ cross-cultural and intercultural awareness, this paper has studied what research reveals about the influence this has had on cultural representations in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks. Findings from a systematic literature review that analyzed four different international studies on the topic are presented. The study showed that EFL textbooks often present stereotypical and overgeneralized representations of culture and that the cultural aspect of EFL education is not adequately addressed since focus tends to lean towards language proficiency. Results also indicated that though steps are made to include cultural representations from different international contexts, the target culture of countries where English is the first language remains dominant in EFL textbooks. The findings are discussed in correlation with the Swedish national curriculum and syllabus.

Over the course of the last few decades the debate over culture and its relationship to language has remained heated and one can argue, unresolved. It has been underscored that it is not necessarily the question of culture teaching per-se but rather the methods and content of such teaching that remain controversial. Today's world demands that learners are not simply linguistically but also interculturally competent. It has been argued that high levels of intercultural awareness can be achieved with the help of experiential lessons taught in a formal setting that focus on the exploration of self as a cultural being.In this study, three groups of the intermediate learners of German and Russian were invited to participate in a number of cultural lessons based on either culture box highlights or experiential activities. The pre-posttests measured changes in learners' cognitive, behavioral and affective measures of intercultural competence. Results revealed that experiential activities tend to better facilitate the development of learners' intercultural skills and attitudes. Students written responses to critical incidents were analyzed with the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (Bennett, 1993) to assess changes in learners' perspectives and intercultural disposition over the course of the semester. Additionally, learners' experiences with foreign and local cultures were quantified and correlated with cognitive, behavioral and affective measures of intercultural competence. Results showed that not all measures of intercultural competence may be broadened by the individuals' firsthand experiences with other cultures. The relevance of one's previous experiences with `sub-cultures' (states, cities, towns, and communities), i.e. his `mobility' must also be acknowledged.

The purposes of this study was to develop a teaching program about International project-based learning through WebQuest and explore the effectiveness of the teaching program on students' English learning motivation and intercultural awareness. The participants were second-year junior high school students¡]14 boys and 12 girls included¡^, The experiment lasted 5 months (25 classes included). The teaching effects were analyzed both with qualative and quantative methods. The results of this study are summarized as follows: 1. Applying WebQuest in teaching can help students' finish their tasks and know more about the world. 2. The results showed that the teaching program was effective on improving participants' intrinsic learning motivation. 3. The results showed that the teaching program was not effective on improving participants' intercultural awareness. However, their culture acceptance is promoted and they are more involved in world issues. 4. The participants reported high percentage of satisfaction with the WebQuest in English learning. They became more interested in learning English with technology and hope to continue this curriculum.

abstract: This study explores positivist and Indigenous research paradigms as they relate to Indigenous language reclamation. Paradigms, as defined by Kuhn (2012) describe verifiable epistemological approaches that can be utilized in providing solutions for researchers and practitioners. Moreover, in the modern realm of academia, research paradigms are the keystones of research. Nevertheless, when a Eurocentric paradigm such as positivism is utilized in an Indigenous space, it can lead to further colonial trauma. Thus, through an analysis of the philosophical components from the two paradigms this study proposes a paradigmatic pivot in how linguistic students approach research. The purpose of recommending this pedagogical shift is to encourage the academy to normalize the use of Indigenous research paradigms which are intrinsically infused with Indigenous epistemologies and intercultural best practices. Furthermore, to exhibit the expediency and validity of Indigenous research paradigms, this study utilizes Walker’s (2001) Medicine Wheel paradigm to create a self-assessment tool which seeks to assist linguistic students in achieving a more relationally accountable sense of cultural awareness. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Linguistics and Applied Linguistics 2019

This study examines the role of literature in developing intercultural awareness among year 5 pupils within the context of English Language Teaching (ELT) in Sweden. As cultural diversity in classrooms increases, this study explores how literature functions as a medium to comprehend diverse cultural narratives and enhance empathy. Employing a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative questionnaires, qualitative interviews and focus group discussions, the study evaluates both the direct and deeper impacts of multicultural literature on pupils’ intercultural awareness. Key findings indicate that literature’s effectiveness in developing intercultural awareness largely depends on appropriate text selection and its integration into teaching practices. Challenges include teachers’ difficulty in assessing pupils’ intercultural awareness, which hampers the implementation of effective educational strategies. Additionally, the results highlight the varying levels of pupils’ engagement, influenced by their own cultural backgrounds. Pupils with diverse cultural experiences tended to show greater empathy and interest in cultural narratives, whereas those less exposed to cultural diversity were more likely to be disengaged. The findings suggest that targeted selection of literature and strategic curriculum integration are essential for maximising the educational benefits of literature in promoting intercultural awareness. Furthermore, the findings highlight the importance of teacher preparedness in choosing and presenting literature that not only resonates with pupils but also enriches their learning experience, as well as further integrating the literature reading through discussions to improve the development of intercultural awareness.

Recent surveys of international business professionals indicate that foreign language abilities and cultural sensitivity are important competitive advantages in today's globalized economy. The current study interviewed 71 practicing global professionals currently working in cross border transactions in diverse fields. Biographic, demographic and second language data were collected, including information on experiences and opinions on the use and importance of foreign language and cultural awareness abilities in the professional world. Research questions include: (1) Who are the global professionals applying L2 abilities at work? (2) How do they apply these abilities? (3) What are the profiles of advanced and non-advanced proficiency users? (4) How important are linguistic abilities and how much of a competitive advantage do they represent? (5) What language strategies and communication strategies are used? (6) What are the most common beliefs on the role of foreign languages and culture awareness in business? (7) How well do intercultural communication models explain the culture views and experiences reported by working professionals? Results indicate that learners with self-reported advanced proficiency regularly apply the four language abilities (listening, reading, speaking and writing) at work, albeit in varying degrees, depending on the level of complexity of the task (phone, email, face-to-face meeting, etc.). For the majority of informants, foreign language and culture abilities are considered important for professional effectiveness. For those who reported advanced foreign language abilities, they also exhibited a greater appreciation for increased exposure to foreign language learning, had received more foreign language instruction, and had more experience working and living abroad. Those advanced in foreign language abilities were also more likely to be non-native speakers of English, have earned a university degree while using an L2, had family or community connections to the target language, have emigrated, or have a spouse with a different L1. The study also ranks and identifies the informants' strategies used to deal with language and culture issues. Participants' anecdotes were analyzed in light of current cultural analysis models applied in International Business Communications. Suggestions are presented for curricula changes to improve foreign language proficiency in professional settings. / text

Cette recherche transdisciplinaire est à la croisée de la didactique des langues, de l’interculturel, des sciences du langage et des Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication pour l’Enseignement. En nous appuyant sur les théories autour de la communauté de pratique, des stratégies d’écrit interactif, de la conscience interculturelle, et du parler bilingue, cette thèse tente de démontrer comment une communauté d’apprentissage se développe, quelles sont les pratiques interculturelles et bilingues utilisées par les membres de la communauté pour co-construire des connaissances dans un cadre de webcollaboration. Pour cette expérimentation, nous avons choisi le jumelage de classes distantes réunissant un groupe d’étudiants en France apprenant le chinois et un groupe d’étudiants en Chine apprenant le français. Le cadre pédagogique était basé sur un scénario actionnel et un projet collaboratif. Nous avons conçu à cet effet une plateforme d’échanges comprenant un blogue et un forum où les participants pouvaient interagir. L’analyse de notre corpus était à la fois quantitative et qualitative. Notre objectif était de décrire l’émergence d’une communauté d’apprentissage, les différents niveaux de conscience interculturelle, ainsi que les réflexions et les pratiques bi-plurilingues. / This transdisciplinary research is at the intersection of language teaching, intercultural studies, linguistics and information and communication technologies for education. Drawing on theories around community of practice, strategies for interactive writing , intercultural awareness, and bilingual communication, this thesis attempts to demonstrate how a learning community develops, what are the intercultural and bilingual practices used by the members of the community to co-construct knowledge in a context of webcollaboration.For this experiment, we chose a class e-twinning with a group of students learning Chinese in France and a group of students learning French in China. The pedagogical framework was based on an action-based scenario and a collaborative project. We designed for this purpose an exchange platform including a blog and a forum where participants could interact. The analysis of our corpus was both quantitative and qualitative. Our purpose was to describe the emergence of a learning community, the different levels of intercultural awareness, as well as the bi-multilingual practices and reflections.