The role of native English speaking teachers in promoting intercultural sensitivity

Abstract

This study investigated the role of native English speaking teachers (NESTs) in promoting intercultural sensitivity (IS), student ideas about the role of NESTs and non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs) in terms of promoting IS and teaching target culture, and the effect of various other factors such as academic departments, gender, previous international experience, nationality, foreign languages and type of high school graduated from. The participants were 435 English preparatory class students from six different universities in Turkey, 196 being taught by only NNESTs while 239 being taught by both NESTs and NNESTs. A questionnaire was used to collect data which was composed of three parts: openended and multiple-choice questions to gather demographic information about the participants; an intercultural sensitivity scale, and a section with questions about the role of teachers in promoting IS. The analysis was done by grouping and comparing participants’ IS scores according to whether they were educated by NESTs or NNESTs, their academic departments, gender, previous international experience, nationality, foreign languages and high schools. Also, the participants’ ideas about NESTs and NNESTs in terms of their effects on students’ feelings about their own culture and other cultures, and teaching culture were investigated. The findings indicated that even if there is not a statistically significant difference between total IS scores of students educated by NESTs and NNESTs, students feel that NESTs have a more positive effect on students’ feelings towards other cultures. According to the findings, international experience and knowing a foreign language contribute to one’s interaction confidence. Also, male students scored higher in interaction confidence while female students scored higher in interaction attentiveness. It was also found that students think family is the most effective element in forming students’ opinions about other cultures. The study contributes to the existing literature by having studied IS level differences between students taught exclusively by NNESTs and those who have had exposure to NESTs. The study also contributes to the intercultural communication literature by investigating various factors such as academic departments, gender, previous international experience, and the number of foreign languages known, which may have an effect on students’ IS levels. Lastly, the present study offers some pedagogical implications that institutions teaching foreign languages, and language teachers (especially EFL teachers) can benefit from, and revise their culture teaching practices accordingly