Songul Dogan Ger: Developing Students’ Cultural Diversity Awareness and Intercultural Communicative Competence in English Classes
›
9 The Students’ Views About the Development of their Cultural Diversity Awareness and Intercultural Communicative Competence – Data Source 5: Interviews with the Students
›
9.3 Findings
›
9.3.1 The Students’ Perceived Attitudes to Different Cultures

9.3.1 The Students’ Perceived Attitudes to Different Cultures

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The participating students demonstrated a highly empathetic and respectful stance towards people from different cultural backgrounds. All of them emphasised the importance of putting oneself in others’ shoes to understand their experiences and perspectives. As Lukas explained, “What would you do if you were them at that moment? You put yourself in their shoes, meaning you try to be them for once. And then you would have a better understanding.” Similarly, Zara stated, “I think it’s important because (without empathy) you couldn’t get a better understanding of their past or cultures and beliefs.”

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The students viewed empathy not only as emotional connection but also as a pathway to respect and support. Kate illustrated this by stating, “It’s very important to accept, respect, and try to understand them... it's important to support and encourage them. So, they would never feel lost or left alone.” Respect, acceptance, and awareness of others’ cultural and personal backgrounds were seen as integral to empathy. As Maverick put it, “We should consider everyone’s background… Maybe they had trauma, so they may get offended… we should be considerate of everybody, every single one, no matter who and where they are from.” Tiana added that “if they’re more religious, maybe then they do stuff like that,” acknowledging the influence of religion on behaviour and the need to understand it.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Curiosity about other cultures was another attitude shared by all the participating students. Some attributed their curiosity to their travel experiences or exposure to multicultural contexts. Maverick, for instance, reflected, “Culture has flipped me upside down because it was different from what I was used to… I'm generally really into this stuff.” Lukas recalled, “When I came to Hungary for the first time, it was like a whole new world… it increases your IQ, you become more intelligent.” Their interest extended to cultural practices such as holidays, values, language, and daily life. Kate highlighted her interest in “how they celebrate the holidays that we Hungarians celebrate,” while Pierre was curious about “how people live, cultural differences, what they do or don’t do, compared to us.”

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

When asked which aspects of culture they were most curious about, the participating students mentioned a blend of both visible (big C) and invisible (little c) cultural elements. Tiana noted her interest in music, dress, and celebration, saying, “You can experience whole new things… It helps you with life.” Maverick wanted to explore languages like Chinese and Japanese, while Lukas was intrigued by the historical development of countries. However, responses such as “Are they rude or kind?” (Benjamin) and “what they do or don’t do, what they believe, and what is acceptable and what is not” (Pierre) pointed to a greater curiosity about deep, less visible aspects of culture.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Respect emerged as a dominant theme in the students’ responses. They viewed it not only as a moral imperative but also as a mutual exchange. Benjamin stated plainly, “We need to respect other cultures if we want to be respected.” Kate expanded on this by explaining, “You should always treat other people the way you want to be treated… We can learn a lot from them about their country and traditions.” Similarly, Tiana and Lukas saw respect as essential for gaining understanding and benefiting from intercultural exchange: “Respecting other people’s cultures is very important… it can benefit you,” Lukas explained.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The students were also asked about their readiness to suspend disbelief and judgment. A few of them acknowledged the importance of forming opinions while also recognising the need for sensitivity. Kate commented, “You should always justify your point of view… it shouldn’t be very hurtful.” Lukas added, “It’s always good to give your opinion… but you can criticise the culture only after you learn about it.” These responses reflect a nuanced understanding of how criticism and judgment should be based on knowledge and communicated respectfully.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

However, not all responses were free from stereotypes. Maverick stated, “In Vietnam, they eat cats and dogs, which I think should not be allowed, and I heavily criticize that,” and Pierre suggested, “If you grew up in a family that had very strong beliefs, you would grow up to judge other cultures.” Although these comments indicate some stereotypical thinking, they also reveal how students process cultural differences through personal experiences and beliefs. As Lukas noted, “You can have an opinion, but that doesn’t always need to be shared.”

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The data from this interview study reflect that the participating students had internalised key attitudes associated with intercultural communicative competence, such as empathy, curiosity, respect, and openness. Their responses demonstrated a strong awareness of cultural diversity, shaped not only by formal education but also by their daily immersion in a multicultural school environment. While most showed a mature approach to intercultural sensitivity, a few students’ remarks suggested the persistence of certain stereotypes, underscoring the importance of explicitly addressing such topics in the classroom. Overall, the students’ views suggest that their attitudes are being shaped by a combination of lived intercultural experiences and the implicit messages embedded in school life, highlighting both the opportunities and limitations of relying solely on incidental culture learning for developing deeper ICC and CDA.
chevron_left
chevron_right
Tartalomjegyzék navigate_next
Keresés a kiadványban navigate_next
A kereséshez, kérjük, lépj be!
Könyvjelzőim navigate_next
A könyvjelzők használatához
be kell jelentkezned.
Jegyzeteim navigate_next
Jegyzetek létrehozásához
be kell jelentkezned.
    Kiemeléseim navigate_next
    Mutasd a szövegben:
    Szűrés:
    Kiemelések létrehozásához
    MeRSZ+ előfizetés szükséges.
      Útmutató elindítása
      delete
      Kivonat
      fullscreenclose
      printsave