Promoting Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence: Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices
Auteurs : Belhadj Zeyneb .
Résumé
The relationship between language and culture is inherently interconnected, as language functions not only as a tool for communication but also as a medium through which cultural values, beliefs, and practices are expressed and transmitted. Therefore, effective English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction requires the integration of cultural dimensions alongside linguistic competence. Despite the growing recognition of culture's importance in language education, the extent to which cultural content is incorporated into classroom practices often depends on teachers’ beliefs, perceptions, and pedagogical approaches. This study aims to explore EFL teachers’ beliefs about the role of culture in language teaching and examine how these beliefs are reflected in their classroom practices. This study adopts a qualitative research design, employing semi-structured interviews with EFL teachers from different Algerian universities. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and insights related to culture-based instruction. The findings show that teachers generally perceive culture as an essential component of language learning and recognize its contribution to developing students’ intercultural communicative competence (ICC). However, variations were observed in the implementation of culture-based activities due to factors such as curriculum constraints, limited instructional time, and insufficient teaching resources. The study highlights the importance of supporting teachers in integrating cultural content more effectively and emphasizes the need for pedagogical practices that foster learners’ cultural awareness, openness, and intercultural communication skills.
Mots clés
Intercultural communicative competence ; classroom practices ; EFL teachers ; teachers’ beliefs
