Songul Dogan Ger: Developing Students’ Cultural Diversity Awareness and Intercultural Communicative Competence in English Classes
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6 Teachers’ Perceived Attitudes and Practices and Students’ Responses to the Development of Cultural Diversity Awareness and Intercultural Communicative Competence – Data Source 2: Classroom Observation
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6.3 Findings
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6.3.3 Teachers’ Perceived Attitudes and Practices in Relation to the Development of CDA and ICC in Year Group 8

6.3.3 Teachers’ Perceived Attitudes and Practices in Relation to the Development of CDA and ICC in Year Group 8

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

I was able to observe only one 60-minute lesson in Year Group 8 (YG8), due to a clash in the teacher’s timetable and mine. The class consisted of eight students from China, Russia, India, the USA, Slovakia, Israel, Turkey, and Pakistan. The session focused on carnivals, with the Rio Carnival forming the basis of both the reading comprehension text and the images distributed by the teacher. The primary learning objectives were reading comprehension and vocabulary, particularly word meanings and connotations.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The lesson began with a discussion around the word “carnival,” and the students offered a variety of connotations such as “celebrations,” “festivals,” “fairs,” “traditions,” “food,” and “drink.” When asked to explore the connotations of the word “tradition,” the students responded with terms including “culture,” “history,” “folklore,” “holidays,” “values,” and “religion.” As the class read about the Rio Carnival, the teacher explained several culture-related words and phrases, such as “resurrection (of Jesus),” “diverse,” and “melting pot of cultures.” When one student inquired about symbols, the teacher explained that the white birds in the picture represented peace. She also referred to symbols from different religions, such as the Muslim crescent and the Star of David used by Jews, and added that festivals can be both religious and political.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Although cultural elements were referenced throughout the session, many of them were raised briefly and without explanation. For instance, the teacher brought up the flower festival in Nice and showed related pictures. She then unexpectedly mentioned a terrorist attack on a church in Nice. Following this, she asked the class, “What is Judaism?” and “What is Islam?”—questions to which none of the students responded. Jewish and Muslim students were present in the room, and their silence was telling. Based on the pre-lesson interview I conducted with this teacher, I had anticipated such an approach; she had expressed critical views of cultures and religions other than her own. She also asked the class about the difference between Catholic and Orthodox Christians. When the students didn’t reply, she offered a brief explanation herself, which, I believe, reflected her personal familiarity with Christianity.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The discussion later turned to samba, and the teacher highlighted the fact that carnivals are celebrated in other European countries, such as France, Germany, and Spain (Cadiz). Although the reading passage did seem to engage the students—particularly the cultural aspects—there was no opportunity to explore their own backgrounds or beliefs in relation to the topic. The class ended with the teacher assigning a follow-up task in which students would present a festival from their own culture. Unfortunately, I was not able to observe the next lesson.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

In this observed lesson, culture teaching remained largely at the knowledge level, with minimal attention given to attitudes, skills, or action. Although the lesson touched on several culture-related elements, the teacher missed multiple opportunities to promote CDA or ICC more explicitly. For instance, students could have been invited to talk about their own festivals, explore similarities and differences, or critically reflect on cultural and religious diversity. While the teacher acknowledged that festivals may also have political dimensions, she did not expand on this, nor did she encourage students to think about the underlying values and meanings of the events mentioned. Moreover, the definitions of key cultural terms were rather superficial, and no deeper discussion followed.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

It’s also important to reflect on the classroom dynamics. The students in YG8 were generally interactive, though quieter than those in the lower year groups (YG5 and YG6). This difference could be attributed to several factors, including anxiety about making mistakes, lack of confidence, or discomfort with the sensitive issues raised. Notably, the silence following the teacher’s religious questions hinted at possible unease among students. Still, the general topic of carnivals did appeal to them, and they asked questions related to the reading passage, indicating a genuine interest.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The lesson reinforced my belief that topic relevance to students’ interests and age significantly affects their engagement, interaction, and interpretation. It also brought to the forefront a persistent challenge in ICC development—namely, the handling of controversial issues in culturally diverse classrooms. As theorists such as Byram (1997) and Gómez Rodríguez (2015b) argue, controversial topics can be powerful vehicles for fostering critical ICC, but only if teachers are equipped with the skills to address them without stereotyping, discriminating, or alienating learners. In this lesson, I observed a clear disconnect between the expectations set by ICC frameworks (Byram et al., 2002; Barrett et al., 2014; Lázár et al., 2007; Sercu, 2002) and actual classroom practice.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Although the teacher allowed students to use digital devices to look up unfamiliar words or search for related images—indicating some degree of learner autonomy—other promising opportunities for developing CDA or critical engagement were lost due to the teacher’s reluctance or discomfort. The lesson could have been enriched significantly with deeper discussion, comparative reflections, and dialogic exchanges about cultural meanings.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The observation of YG8 revealed that while the surface-level cultural content was present, there was little progression toward deeper intercultural learning. Despite the culturally rich topic and diverse classroom composition, the potential for fostering CDA and ICC was underutilised. The students demonstrated interest in the topic and were generally willing to participate, but the framing and delivery of the lesson—especially in relation to religion—hindered safe and inclusive dialogue. This reinforces the urgent need for teacher training programmes to include modules on intercultural education, particularly the teaching of controversial issues with sensitivity and openness. Bridging the gap between theory and practice in ICC remains an ongoing challenge, especially when personal biases and insecurities shape classroom decisions.
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