Songul Dogan Ger: Developing Students’ Cultural Diversity Awareness and Intercultural Communicative Competence in English Classes
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12 Implications
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12.4 Implications for Designing English Teaching Materials for Teaching Culture and Developing Intercultural Competence and Critical Cultural Awareness

12.4 Implications for Designing English Teaching Materials for Teaching Culture and Developing Intercultural Competence and Critical Cultural Awareness

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

An important implication arising from this research concerns the integration of culture teaching into English teaching materials. As language and culture are inextricably linked, language teaching materials inevitably incorporate culture-related themes and activities. However, these activities should encompass not only visible and tangible aspects of culture — often referred to as big C culture — but also the more subtle, everyday elements (little c culture) and complex, controversial issues (deep culture). This approach is essential for fostering learners’ intercultural competence and critical cultural awareness.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

As outlined earlier, activities such as project-based tasks, presentations, and class discussions offer rich opportunities for developing skills of discovery, interaction, interpretation, critical thinking, and mediation. Crucially, such activities should not be confined to English-speaking countries alone. They should also incorporate international cultures, particularly those from non-English-speaking regions, given English’s widespread use as a global lingua franca.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Teaching material designers are also encouraged to incorporate aspects of the local culture, tailored to the context in which the materials are used. Familiarity with one’s own culture allows learners to critically compare it with others, cultivating greater empathy, reflexivity, and an understanding of cultural diversity — key components of both political education and critical awareness.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The present research also emphasised the value of supplementary resources beyond prescribed textbooks. These may include extracts from literary works, blogs, online videos, and authentic texts, which can enrich classroom content while reducing teachers’ preparation time. This is especially beneficial for novice teachers but also provides more experienced practitioners with fresh ways of integrating culture into language instruction.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The findings from the teaching materials analysis conducted as part of this study further illustrated how language learning and intercultural competence can be developed in tandem. English language classrooms that incorporate a wide range of culture-focused activities can therefore serve as effective platforms for both linguistic and intercultural development across ESL and EFL contexts.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Finally, teaching materials should offer clearer guidance to educators. Although many textbooks include activities with intercultural aims, teachers may lack the methodological awareness or confidence to implement them effectively. Clear instructions, pedagogical notes, and explicit learning objectives can help bridge this gap. Furthermore, schools and institutions should offer regular professional development sessions to familiarise teachers with the cultural aims embedded in their teaching materials and to equip them with practical strategies for classroom implementation.
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