English Lecturers’ Perceptions and Practices of Culture Teaching Activities at University Contexts

Authors : Funda ÖZBAKIR, Ayse ZAMBAK

Pages : 1030-1052

Doi:10.17240/aibuefd.2023..-1107811

View : 107 | Download : 84

Publication Date : 2023-09-24

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study aims to find out what English lecturers think about the goals of foreign language teaching, what they think about teaching culture in the context of English language teaching, and how often particular culture-teaching activities are used in English courses. The study was conducted with the participation of 50 lecturers working in 4 state universities in Turkiye, namely Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Çukurova University, Adana Science and Technology University and Mersin University. A version of the questionnaire developed by Sercu insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(2005); and adapted by Kılıç insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(2013); was used as a data collection tool and the findings were analyzed with SPSS. The study\`s findings revealed that while participants are generally aware of the importance of integrating culture in the foreign language classroom and have a positive attitude toward it, teaching culture and equipping students with intercultural competence was not one of the teachers\` primary goals. Instead, it has been recognised that one of the most important goals is to acquire language knowledge and linguistic abilities to utilise English effectively. Lecturers\` primary goal in teaching culture is to provide knowledge of the target culture\`s everyday lives and routines while also demonstrating a good attitude and openness to other people and cultures. Some recommendations for further study can be made based on the findings. Teachers should attend in-service teacher training workshops or seminars focused on culture teaching in ELT to help them understand the relevance of culture in ELT and the components that should be incorporated in English language classrooms.
Keywords : Kültürler arası yetkinlik, Kültür öğretimi aktiviteleri, Kültür öğretimi, Yabancı dil olarak İngilizce öğretimi