FOREIGN LANGUAGE LECTURERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHING CULTURAL ELEMENTS IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: A CASE STUDY AT TRA VINH UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

Abstract

In the era of modernization and globalization, it is crucial to promote cultural integration and intercultural awareness in foreign language classes. The study investigates the perspectives of contractual and visiting lecturers of a tertiary education institution in Vietnam on teaching cultural elements in the foreign language classroom. This study aims to determine the perspectives of language instructors about intercultural knowledge in language curriculum, as well as their views toward the development of interpersonal skills and cultural openness and adaptability. The descriptive statistics of forty responses to a questionnaire from the participants show that the lecturers evaluate the current training program as having rich content of cultural knowledge of various countries, enabling lecturers to cultivate their cultural understanding and apply it to teaching effectively. The participants also believe that understanding different countries’ cultures helps improve teachers’ language proficiency and the ability to work effectively in various cultural contexts. In addition, the significance of foreign languages in the global context is considered an influencing factor in teachers’ motivation to teach a foreign language. These results highlight the value of intercultural competence and shed light on the perspectives of foreign language lecturers in conveying cultural content in their classes.