Culture

Analyzing the Role of Culture in TEFL Pedagogy and Its Implications for Language Teaching (Published)

This research investigates the role of culture in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) pedagogy and its implications for language teaching. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative interviews with educators and focus groups with students to explore how cultural integration impacts learner motivation, engagement, and communicative competence. Educators and students from diverse cultural backgrounds participated in the study. Educators, selected for their experience in TEFL and cultural content integration, were interviewed to understand their perspectives on cultural integration strategies and perceived impacts on students. Meanwhile, student focus groups provided insights into their experiences with culturally integrated lessons and their development of intercultural competence. Qualitative data analysis involved thematic coding of interview transcripts and focus group discussions, while quantitative data from surveys assessed attitudes towards cultural integration and its frequency in teaching practices. Results indicate that while educators vary in their integration approaches—ranging from daily to infrequent—literature, music, and traditional customs are commonly integrated elements. Students overwhelmingly perceive cultural integration positively, noting increased motivation and a deeper understanding of language contexts. Findings highlight the critical role of cultural awareness in enhancing language learning outcomes, fostering intercultural competence, and preparing learners for global communication contexts. Recommendations include enhancing teacher training in cultural competence and expanding resources to support diverse cultural content in TEFL curricula.

Keywords: Culture, Intercultural Competence, Language Teaching, TEFL pedagogy, cultural integration

The Application of Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogy in English Speaking Classrooms – A Case Study (Published)

This paper discusses the challenges of ensuring equal access to education for diverse students in English speaking classrooms and the potential benefits of using culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy (CLRP). The study aims to investigate the use of CLRP in English speaking classrooms, its impact on student learning outcomes, teacher pedagogy, and classroom dynamics. The research used a qualitative case study approach involving interviews with teachers, classroom observations, and a CLRP-incorporated lesson plan. The findings suggest that CLRP positively impacted students’ motivation, engagement, and speaking skills, and helped bridge cultural differences. The study provides insights into the potential benefits of incorporating CLRP in English language classrooms in Malaysia and offers recommendations for teachers and policymakers on how to effectively integrate CLRP practices into their pedagogy.

Citation: Jalil C.R.A (2023) The Application of Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogy in English Speaking Classrooms – A Case Study, International Journal of English Language Teaching, Vol.11, No.2, pp.,72-91

Keywords: Culture, Linguistic, Pedagogy, speaking motivation

The Impact of Using Task-Based Learning as a Pedagogical Tool to Imporve Advanced Writing Skills of Students in College of Basic Education Kuwait (Published)

This study explored how task-based learning was used in teaching advanced writing at the College of Basic Education in Kuwait. Students were able to submit a research paper based on task-based teaching methods and activities. The task-based learning program supported students in the advanced writing course to achieve the stated goal by incorporating the four language skills into the tasks of the classroom lesson. Moreover, the activities reflected in the task-based teaching method encouraged the students to think about the language they were using in a more holistic manner, synergizing the language skills through focused exercises. Other factors, such as learner motivation, group work, and culture are discussed in the paper.

Citation:  Al-Senafi  B. and  Al-Haji  B. (2023) The Impact of Using Task-Based Learning as a Pedagogical Tool to Imporve Advanced Writing Skills of Students in College of Basic Education Kuwait, International Journal of English Language Teaching ,  Vol.11, No.2, pp.,61-71

Keywords: Adult Learners, Culture, Motivation, Teaching English, task-based learning, writing

Binomials in English and Kenyang (Published)

In linguistics, a binomial pair or binomial is a word pair or sequence of two words or phrases belonging to the same grammatical category, having some semantic relations and joined by some syntactic device. Different languages and cultures have deferent ways of presenting binomials and this can be a problem to those studying English as a second language. There are two main ways in which this linguistic device is formed: Linguistically and non-linguistically.  Both Kenyang and English have binomials and the speakers of Kenyang learning or teaching English as a second language encounter some difficulties using and understanding them. We therefore thought it necessary to describe this linguistic phenomenon by looking at the factors involved in their ordering. These factors differ and range from the syntactic to semantic and to phonological principles. Data for this work was collected from published articles and books and cross checked by specialist of the language. The construction grammar theory was used as the bases for our analysis. The findings revealed that the Kenyang language makes use of binomials and that semantics, syntax, pragmatics, phonology and even paralinguistic factors are involve in the placement of these pairs. The findings equally revealed that, gender bias is one of the criteria use in determining which name comes first in a binomial pair .We concluded our findings on part two of this work that male names are use first and are more stable before female names.

Keywords: Culture, English, Kenyang, binomials, word pair

The Inclusion of Culture in Tesol Lessons: Three Case Studies On Teacher Cognitions And Context (Published)

This study explores the use of culture in TESOL lessons by investigating the cognitions of three teachers working in very different contexts: the United States, Central/Eastern Europe, and Saudi Arabia. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, the practices of the participants were examined to better understand the types of lessons in which they choose to include topics related to their own or their students’ cultures, their motivations for doing so, and any contextual factors which may influence their decisions. The results indicate that the teachers regularly include cultural topics in a variety of lesson types, but most often in speaking or reading activities. The participants are largely motivated to include such topics in order to engage their students, yet context can prove a limiting factor. Implications extend to teachers and teacher trainers, particularly in light of the teachers’ approaches to the intersection of cultures in their classrooms as a means to develop students’ language skills and their abilities to interact with the diverse population of English speakers.

Keywords: Context, Culture, Interculturality, TESOL, teacher cognition

The Inclusion of Culture in Tesol Lessons: Three Case Studies On Teacher Cognitions And Context (Published)

This study explores the use of culture in TESOL lessons by investigating the cognitions of three teachers working in very different contexts: the United States, Central/Eastern Europe, and Saudi Arabia. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, the practices of the participants were examined to better understand the types of lessons in which they choose to include topics related to their own or their students’ cultures, their motivations for doing so, and any contextual factors which may influence their decisions. The results indicate that the teachers regularly include cultural topics in a variety of lesson types, but most often in speaking or reading activities. The participants are largely motivated to include such topics in order to engage their students, yet context can prove a limiting factor. Implications extend to teachers and teacher trainers, particularly in light of the teachers’ approaches to the intersection of cultures in their classrooms as a means to develop students’ language skills and their abilities to interact with the diverse population of English speakers.

Keywords: Context, Culture, Interculturality, TESOL, teacher cognition

English Learners’ Perspective on Culture and Silence in an EFL University Classroom (Published)

So far, studies about silence in EFL classrooms show that there is a correlation between students’ silence and their culture (among others King, 2011; Nakane, 2016; Wilang, 2017). Focusing on whether there is a relation between EFL students’ cultural identity and silence in the classroom, this study looks at the relation between culture and silence from a different perspective. Forty-nine first-semester EFL university students who took part in this study were asked to fill out a questionnaire about (1) how they identified themselves – whether they tend to be western or eastern in their attitudes – and (2) why they tend to be silent in the EFL classrooms. Using Hofstede’s (1970) cultural dimensions and Brown & Levinson’s (1987) Management of Face Theory, we found that although 86% of the participants identified themselves as being more western, those who responded to their lecturers’ questions by silence are more motivated by eastern values. Although students’ silence was indeed related with face wants, this study shows that culture is not a factor which causes the students’ silence in the classroom.

Keywords: Culture, Face Wants, Silence

Content Schema, an Indispensable Part of L2 Reading Comprehension: A Review (Published)

This paper aims to explore and raise awareness of the significance of  content schema as an essential component of language acquisition, principally illustrating its potent value in L2 reading comprehension. All good readers have enhanced schematic knowledge that helps them in comprehending not only texts, but lexis plus contextual information without difficulty. Activating students’ schemata helps them to become metacognitive, however, the role and importance of schemata in language acquisition has fairly remained a derelict aspect with regards to second language learning and teaching; this study therefore seeks to highlight the same for facilitating a much needed understanding required to devise and put into practice an easily adaptable way of learning and instructing possibly in L2 reading. The study may possibly pave the way for further research in the area.

Keywords: Content Schema, Contexts, Culture, Linguistic, Reading Comprehension, Schema

Couplet Translation Procedure on Makhioui Wedding Ceremony in Simalungun, Medan, Indonesia (Published)

Translation is qualified or not can be determined through three points of view: accuracy, acceptability, and legibility. Accuracy means how far the message from source language text is correctly delivered target language text. Acceptance means the extent to which the message communicated source language  text can be easily understood by target language text reader. The meaning captured by source language readers is the same with the meaning captured by target language readers. The translation procedure applied in translating the text of the Makhioui ceremony on Simalungun traditional wedding feast in Indonesian language is a single translation procedure that occurs from the descriptive translation, transposition, footnote and modulation procedures. The couplet translation procedure is then employed with a variant constructed from transposition + modulation translation , Additional explanation + modulation, and descriptive + transposition translation.

Keywords: Couplet Translation, Culture, Makhioui, Wedding Ceremony