1 Introduction

Globalisation has significantly shaped cultural, social, political, technological, and economic domains, increasing both international mobility and the demand for intercultural communication skills. As a result, foreign language teaching has evolved to integrate cultural dimensions that foster students’ cultural diversity awareness (CDA) and intercultural communicative competence (ICC). CDA entails recognising and valuing cultural differences, while ICC involves communicating effectively and appropriately across diverse cultural settings. These competences are vital for engaging with multiple perspectives in today’s interconnected world (Alptekin, 2002; Byram, 1997; Byram et al., 2002; Lázár et al., 2007; Liddicoat, 2005; Liddicoat & Scarino, 2013; Sercu et al., 2005; Usó-Juan & Martínez-Flor, 2008).

The first chapter of the monograph describe the context of the research as well as its significancy. Following this introduction, Chapter 2 covers the theoretical and empirical background to the research, including the key terms used throughout, such as culture; cultural diversity awareness; intercultural competence; intercultural communicative competence; aspects of culture; components of intercultural competence; the significance of culture teaching; the development of CDA and ICC; the approaches, techniques, and activities used in teaching culture, developing CDA and ICC in teaching English as a second and/or foreign language, and English as a medium of instruction; empirical studies on teaching culture, CDA and ICC in language classes; studies on language teachers’ attitudes towards teaching culture, CDA, and ICC; studies on language teaching materials for teaching culture, CDA, and ICC; and studies on the practice of teaching culture and developing CDA and ICC in language classes. Chapters 3 includes purpose of the study and research questions. Chapter 4 explains the research design and the methods used for collecting and analyzing the data. It also presents the research questions, including the rationale behind the exploratory research approach using qualitative data in the study.