Developing Intercultural Awareness in ELT: Students’ Attitudes toward their Intercultural Learning Experience

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating students' attitudes toward their intercultural learning experience to develop intercultural awareness in an English language classroom. The participants were a group of 31 students at tertiary level. They registered for an elective English course, the objective of which was to prepare students for job application, job interview and working effectively in multicultural contexts. A set of teaching and learning materials intended to develop intercultural awareness was especially designed and integrated into the existing English course. A survey questionnaire, reflective writing, self-assessment forms, and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The results showed that the participants had highly positive attitudes toward their intercultural learning experience in various aspects, but still were hesitant with the overall ideas of an incorporation of intercultural components into an English course.