On the role of English in Iranian learners’ intercultural awareness
Julkaistu sarjassa
JYU dissertationsTekijät
Päivämäärä
2020Tekijänoikeudet
© The Author & University of Jyväskylä
This dissertation investigated the role of English in Iranians learners’ understanding of
culture and intercultural awareness, from the perspective of both the formal teaching of
English and of learners’ informal experiences of learning and using English. The
theoretical framework drew on research on English as a global lingua franca in an
increasingly globalized world and research on the role of culture in language teaching
and learning. Methodologically, the study was qualitative in nature and content analysis
and thematic analysis were applied in analyzing the data. Two data sets, comprising
seven global English textbooks and in-depth interviews with eight – young adult –
learners were analyzed. The results were reported in three substudies.
The first substudy, focusing on the formal teaching of English, analyzed an English
language textbook series used in a private language institute. This specific study is
important given the enormous popularity of private language institutes in Iran and the
central role textbooks play in the courses they offer. The second substudy focused on the
nature and quality of learners’ understanding of culture and intercultural awareness. As
the role of English is not limited to formal education, the third substudy focused on
learners’ informal experiences in learning and using the language outside the classroom
and the ways in which it enhanced or hindered their intercultural awareness.
The results showed that English played a positive role in learners’ development of
intercultural awareness. English provided them with numerous resources and
opportunities to learn and expand their horizons. This positive role was most clearly
observed in learners’ reports of their personal experiences in learning and using English
rather than the formal textbook-centered education they had received in private
institutes. The results also showed English as feeding into cultural stereotypes. This was
manifested both in the reductionist and essentialist portrayal of cultures in the textbooks,
mainly in their reliance on national paradigms, and in how the participants made sense
of others in their intercultural interactions in English. Moreover, the results highlighted
the twofold role of English in an era of globalization. On the one hand, English was the
primary medium for accessing mainstream cultural products and ideologies, mainly
from a Western point of view, while on the other it acted as a bridge to alternative
cultures beyond the uniformity and the homogeneity of – mainstream – cultural
products and values. The findings of this research thus indicate the multiple and
complex role of English in learners’ understanding of culture and intercultural
awareness in the context of Iran.
Keywords: intercultural awareness, intercultural competence, English as a lingua franca,
culture, English language learners, globalization, cultural stereotypes
...
Julkaisija
Jyväskylän yliopistoISBN
978-951-39-8262-1ISSN Hae Julkaisufoorumista
2489-9003Julkaisuun sisältyy osajulkaisuja
- Artikkeli I: Edalati Kian, Z. (2016). Presentation of Intercultural Competence in English Language Textbooks : The Case of a Private Language School in Iran. Journal of Modern Education Review, 6 (11), 838-851. DOI: 10.15341/jmer(2155-7993)/11.06.2016/008
- Artikkeli II: Edalati Kian, Z. (2018). Intercultural Awareness of Iranian English Language Learners : An Exploration. FLEKS: Scandinavian Journal of Intercultural Theory and Practice, 5 (2). DOI: 10.7577/fleks.2587
- Artikkeli III: Edalati Kian, Z. (2019). On the Role of English in Learners’ Intercultural Awareness: the Good, the Bad and the Possible. Manuscript.
Asiasanat
kulttuurienvälinen vuorovaikutus iranilaiset oppikirjat kieli ja kielet vieraat kielet kieltenopetus kielen oppiminen kielen omaksuminen englannin kieli lingua francat kulttuurienvälisyys globalisaatio kulttuuri-identiteetti stereotypiat intercultural awareness intercultural competence English as a lingua franca culture English language learners globalization cultural stereotypes
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