Introduction
Modern realities require knowledge of English in many vacancies around the world due to the constantly gathering pace of technological development and globalization. Rapid dynamics reflect the need for education to keep up with these processes. Linguistic education develops daily as the target language develops. The relevance in matters of learning a foreign language is just one of the requirements for such programs, especially at the level of higher education. In addition to the essential functions of mastering grammatical rules, reproducing phonetic sounds, and developing communication skills, many additional components can be laid within the learning process. Naturally, students get acquainted with the culture of many countries where the studied language is their native language. Modern trends in building an intercultural society meet the requirements of social responsibility. In this regard, in modern programs of studying English in the framework of higher education, it is necessary to expand the cultural function of the learning process. This paper assesses the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum precisely for the similar culturalism and intercultural aspects of this curriculum. This critical analysis will reveal the positive aspects of this curriculum, which in the future can help in the design of the educational process focused on intercultural education.
Theoretical Underpinning
The issues and terms of culturalism and intercultural aspects in education have begun to rise relatively recently. Culturalism implies a paradigm for transforming culture into a world of personality (Bruner, 2018). The concept of interculturalism was born in response to the concept of multiculturalism, which believes that each diaspora should preserve its own culture and language (Wang, 2017). Interculturalism reflects a model of integration in contexts of diversity, a way of thinking about globalized reality and intercultural dialogue, or an instrument of “positive interaction” (Catarci et al., 2020). This concept considers the multiplicity of identities and differences, but the focus is on the ways of coexistence of different cultures in the context of globalization. Thus, it turns out that interculturalism is at the equator between the concepts of multiculturalism and the theory of the “melting pot,” which implies the fusion of cultures into one new one (Elias & Mansouri, 2020). Echoing modern trends in the formation of new approaches at the intersection of disciplines, interculturalism has the opportunity to absorb the best experience of the two approaches for the implementation of methods in educational processes.
The study of foreign languages always at its core, contains communication, regardless of the approach. Vocabulary-based techniques provide sufficient rapid impact but not deep understanding (Itmeizeh & Hassan, 2020). Grammar-focused approaches are designed for more reliable and long-lasting results (Moradkhani, 2019). However, reading, listening, and communication combine any approach to teaching a foreign language. Communication indirectly and explicitly develops several other functions and capabilities of the student: thinking skills, adaptation, flexibility, critical thinking, and practical and polite communication skills (Khan & Alasmari, 2018). As a result, a particular type of thinking is formed from these skills, including cultural aspects. The study of a foreign language can be built on creating intercultural situations within which the student will conduct a dialogue, be immersed in another culture, and interact with it, exchanging experiences.
Nevertheless, this approach, focused on maximizing the potential for developing communication skills while considering cultural implications, is quite challenging to implement. It requires a sufficiently high teacher’s competence, the appropriate training of students, the correct teaching model, and the relevance of the application (Park, 2020). The process of globalization, on the one hand, dramatically simplifies the establishment of intercultural contacts and at the same time, creates the need to instill in education the ability to interpret socio-cultural events for a coordinated and respectful coexistence in the modern world (Yueqin, 2013). However, several different techniques have already been used successfully with this approach.
First, it is about creating an authentic atmosphere with posters, maps, and other interactive material. The presence of another culture in the form of such artifacts within the educational process pushes students to become interested (Makhmudov, 2020). This approach is especially relevant in countries far from the country where the target language is native. Secondly, there are the techniques of self-awareness, which are aimed at a deeper analysis of students’ values and beliefs. These techniques are carried out to present cultural thinking as a multi-level concept, where behavior is only the tip of the iceberg, and values and thinking patterns are laid down much lower (Toliboboeva, 2020). Students get the opportunity to build intercultural relationships at a deeper level, where understanding and recognition of differences serve as guides in communication. Third, the quiz technique in the study of new materials. This technique allows students to test their intuition and anticipate various cultural aspects in the educational process of learning a language (Cinkara, 2020). Increased interest and involvement in the process are the strengths of this technique.
The fourth technique can be called drama – the straightforward process of staging intercultural scenes. Students try on different roles and can put themselves in the shoes of a different culture. With the correct presentation of the teacher while practicing the language, such an interaction can engrave in the students’ memory and, as a result, improve their intercultural intuition (Wuryandari, 2021). However, this approach requires a relatively long preparation period and the necessary will to participate, which not every teacher can lead. Finally, the last approach that is highly developed in universities is classic research. Students seek new information, present it in class, answer questions, and immerse themselves in the discussion. The methodology demonstrates highly positive results since the student’s will is encouraged to choose a topic of interest to him, which he should openly present to the public and defend (Alavinia & Rahimi, 2019). However, this approach only contributes to the theoretical assimilation of the material without the opportunity to try it in practice.
It is also worth considering the vast variability of views on the culture of a particular country. There are many of them: attitudes towards foreigners, political system, public transport, geographical history, demographic situation, behavior in restaurants, attitude towards the elderly, and much more (Çetin et al., 2017). The student should cram the phrases accepted by the etiquette of culture and beware of taboo expressions and actions and understand what is behind them. Unraveling the tangle of specific causes and effects leads to a much deeper understanding of culture and promotes student involvement in the educational process (Kostikova et al., 2018). In informal communication in most countries, grammatical inaccuracies as barriers to communication can be easily overcome with a respectful and polite attitude.
Finally, intercultural interaction is becoming more and more relevant in our time. Firstly, social networks are now connecting many people worldwide, and technology allows communicating via video link with any person on Earth who has the Internet. Moreover, student communication on social media between people from different cultures helps to improve the skills of learning English as a foreign language (Özdemir, 2017). Secondly, a joint global disaster in the form of a pandemic has rallied representatives of different states to fight against a common enemy. Distance education was forcibly worked out, which opened up opportunities for interactivity without being tied to one place. Of course, it is challenging to replace live communication with video communication since a specific part of non-verbal signs is lost, voice intonation is distorted, and much more (Sutiyatno, 2018). Nevertheless, in the process of distance learning, various advantages of this approach have been identified, which can be applied together with face-to-face training. Technologies can and do contribute to the development of intercultural relations, in connection with which one should always consider the possibility of their implementation in the educational process.
Nevertheless, implementing culture in the educational process of learning a foreign language is not without specific problems. The contextualization of certain expressions in the English language is, at the same time, a reflection of the culture in the language and a certain complexity since the context often differs in the regions. A lack of such intercultural knowledge can lead to misunderstandings or more severe consequences (Vetrinskaya & Dmitrenko, 2017). Moreover, the cultural aspects of language are not limited to patterns of behavior and the context of phrases; non-verbal sign language also plays an important role. For example, in some cultures, it is customary to express interest in the interlocutor’s speech with a continuous gaze directed at him, while this gesture is impolite (Wahyuni, 2018). In this regard, the models for the implementation of culture in the educational process should be clearly worked out and consider many of the complex situations described above. Given all of the above, the EFL curriculum will be critically described and assessed to unlock the potential for intercultural interaction among students.
Critical Analysis
An analysis of the language school curriculum at the State University of Sound Arabia should begin with the founding principles and vision that guided its founders. First of all, it should be noted that a relatively large amount of attention is paid to the development of thinking and communication skills. Students develop comprehensively: as researchers, as participants in a dialogue, as part of a team, and as socially responsible people. Such a diverse approach is able to take into account almost all the critical roles of a student for the comfortable development of cultural interaction in the framework of language learning. The program goes beyond the four core language learning abilities – writing, reading, speaking, and listening – and promotes presentation and thinking skills. Since one of the main goals for students is to contribute to developing their future careers, many topics will focus on the topics of business, society, and employment.
For a detailed analysis, it is necessary to disassemble the topics of the lessons and each aspect that they relate to. Students in the 110 program are expected to already have a B1 level of English and, as a result, be able to navigate the most common travel situations. This fact means that the program should provide a deeper understanding of culture and intercultural relations that go beyond meeting simple travel needs, such as situations in restaurants, shops, and hotels. Students must develop an artistic intuition to feel confident outside tourist destinations where foreigners are not expected to respect local traditions (Carbone, 2017). Therefore, a critical review of the program will take this detail into account.
At level 110, the first topic of the lesson is society, and rules around the world are chosen as the topic of discussion. The topic is quite extensive, but it is generally suitable for a good start and for involving students in the process. On the positive side, it is possible to highlight that the topic relevant to the framework of the interculturalization process is raised immediately in the first lesson without trying to cover the third-party vocabulary of other topics. The vocabulary sheet can be significantly expanded through student research, such as the names of gestures or descriptions of mannerisms. In addition, the lesson must devote time to tone control and posture. The development of polite intercultural relations is one of the main aspects that allow a person to show their good side at once (Estévez-Saá, 2017). The breadth of the topic allows us to admit the possibility of additional research on the part of students and opens up access to various kinds of interactivity and methods listed in the theoretical part of this article.
It is noteworthy that the program not only works with classical texts, dialogues, and other traditional forms of presenting information in a foreign language. It includes tasks that require making a mind map, working with lists, interviews, and presentations. Moreover, many of these assignments require some degree of ICT experience, which is most important in modern times (Shmakova et al., 2021). Implementing classical approaches in a new format will allow students to take a fresh look at well-known and broad topics, opening up opportunities for better memorization of the material and its reproduction in front of fellow students.
In addition, in the second week of this program, issues of the ecology of the planet are raised, in particular, garbage handling and healthy eating. Environmental responsibility in our time is put on a par with social responsibility, the requirements of which must be met by both large companies and educational institutions (Aarnio-Linnanvuori, 2019). Naturally, garbage is a hot issue of etiquette in many cultures and countries, so studying this aspect will help avoid unpleasant situations during intercultural communication. The brainstorming technique used in this week of study also contributes to the development of practical communication skills, including intercultural aspects and which will be helpful to students as they build their future careers.
In the weeks that follow, students also deal with business and study topics. At these stages, their ability to express their own opinions is developed and evaluated. The ability to support the dialogue by the interlocutor should not be limited to the ability to convey to them. their own thoughts. The intercultural approach also includes adjusting one’s own speech following the possibility of showing respect for the interlocutor’s views and avoiding cultural conflicts (Steinfatt & Millette, 2019). This section also develops critical thinking skills. Expressing their own opinion, students also learn to talk about themselves and learn to write a resume as a result of the training.
Subsequently, students study texts about other cultures, and read about the personalities of other nationalities. Academic topics alternate with business and employment topics so that the cultural aspects discussed during classes are associated with all spheres of human life where contact with unfamiliar people is required. This program also progressively develops verbal skills of description, storytelling, and reasoning. Group work fosters team orientation and collective reasoning often required in the workplace (Bravo et al., 2019). Descriptive function promotes teaching skills, an essential skill in high school psychology (Feldman, 2017). Ultimately, in most professions, these abilities are indispensable.
A discussion of education is also presented in this program. The formation of particular skills also takes place in different countries with distinctive characteristics. As a result, education and specific features of its process lay a significant part in a person’s cultural education. Understanding this aspect, students can look at language learning from the outside. Taking into account the peculiarities of each language and its native speakers, culture is formed on an intuitive level; however, various aspects of its manifestation must be set explicitly (Shaules, 2019). In addition, this section provides an opportunity to sharpen critical thinking again when comparing the two universities in the writing part of the week.
Given the reciprocity of globalization and technological development processes, many vacancies in the modern world are beginning to look for specialists remotely. This fact is facilitated by the pandemic, which led to forced self-isolation. During this time, various means of communication have developed, making it possible to work comfortably from anywhere in the world, conduct videoconferences, and quickly exchange information. In this regard, intercultural aspects need to be studied in conjunction with the issues of education and employment since this is a relatively new layer of a person’s everyday life. If the earlier cultural dialogue was possible only in companies of the scale of the international market or while traveling, now it is available to almost everyone (Dauletbekova et al., 2020). In this regard, the importance of intercultural aspects laid down during education in the process of personality formation is difficult to overestimate.
This program also touches upon issues of the future, telemedicine, and technologies of the future. Given that it was difficult to imagine the current progress even twenty years ago, the questions are relevant. Considering them in the context of intercultural relations, new, rarely discussed aspects arise. Many educational materials are devoted to the development of technology, the works of science fiction writers, which are often popular among young people, only contribute to this (Gravemeijer et al., 2017). However, social and cultural issues of the future are rarely raised. In this program, it is necessary to pay more attention to this topic to correspond to the development of intercultural competence.
The program of the 120 courses contains already deeper problems of the discussed issues and correlates with the program of the previous course. Already in the first week, students should think about responsibility in the workplace using the brainstorming technique. This fact is an excellent sign, as cultural interaction always implies responsibility. It includes social or environmental responsibility and etiquette and respect for the views and traditions of other cultures and religions. In addition, in the third week, students plunge deeper into the topic of social responsibility, in which they will have to think about activities that are useful for society.
Developing the topic of intercultural relations in the fourth week, students raise the topic of selfies. It would seem that the once-popular trend has become entrenched in the culture of most of the people active on the Internet. However, this week students will have to conduct a more thorough and detailed analysis of this phenomenon, unwind its history, and understand the motives. In addition, a selfie with another unfamiliar person is, in one way or another, an invasion of his personal space, which representatives of some religions or cultures may not tolerate. This topic is perfect for a critical assessment of some of the processes of globalization, which may seem harmless at first glance. Moreover, students will learn to distinguish between global trends that may be unacceptable for a particular culture. In order to avoid unpleasant situations during intercultural dialogue, the study of this aspect can induce a group of students for a deeper analysis of such global trends.
While students in course 120 delve deeper into the more general problems of course 110, the issues of globalization are inversely related. In the sixth week, students will discuss the Saudi Vision 2030 program, which addresses many environmental and social issues (Thompson, 2017). Here students are taught the skill of generalization, as education, ecology, oil dependence, jobs, tourism, and healthcare have been touched upon before. This program contains a set of reforms that promise positive dynamics in the listed areas of life and problems of the country’s residents. Here, cultural dialogue has several dimensions that need to be considered. First, it is a dialogue between the state and its inhabitants: how much will the new changes affect the established traditions? Secondly, this is a theoretical extrapolation to other countries: why do other powers not set such ambitious programs, and is it related to the culture of the country? Ultimately, countries have the opportunity to share experiences, but such experiences should consider cultural aspects in the first place.
The ability to meta-analyze is essential for high school students, as it is a consequence of erudition, which develops into professional intuition and critical thinking. In this regard, the topic of studying a foreign language is raised in course 120. Developing skills in describing a foreign language in the same language contributes to a deeper understanding of its structure. However, often in the language itself, many cultural aspects are accessible only to those who understand this language at a high level. We are talking about the etymology of words or contextual expressions and the consequences that can be concluded based on the material studied.
In this program, the chain of transition from global issues to more personal ones, up to the study of personality, is perfectly implemented. Determination of each person’s motives of speech and actions is the basis for the study of cultural aspects that affect him. If students developed self-awareness skills in the previous year, the acquired abilities must be implemented in other people. It is a handy skill in life as it develops an intuitive sense of emotional intelligence. A high indicator of this skill is appreciated in many professions and among leaders, and the ability to extrapolate it to international relations makes a compassionate and intelligent psychologist out of a person. Moreover, leadership qualities are discussed further in the training plan as a separate topic.
Human resource management is a responsible task. The student should be prepared not only for stressful situations but for possible disagreements in which he will have to make difficult decisions. Often, conflicts can arise due to misunderstanding or rejection of certain possible developments in the situation. Often, these conflicts are based on the cultural structure of a person. In this regard, students are prepared not only for ordinary situations of reasoning and communication in which cultural issues are embedded. As future leaders, they need to be able to dot the i’s in such conflicts, taking into account each party’s interests.
Finally, the program moves from leadership skills to a concluding discussion of the cognitive skills that develop with reading. Here, the topic of self-awareness continues; students explore themselves under challenging situations and look for ways to become better. Completing the course with a discussion of further development can contribute to students’ continued learning and involvement in the scientific process. After defending the final projects, a test is carried out according to the program to determine the new level of students’ knowledge. With proper teaching and support of teaching materials, the result is guaranteed by the program.
Discussion
The program is relatively well structured and affects almost all the main aspects of teaching a foreign English language. The program covers all general and more advanced grammar topics. The vocabulary is represented by a somewhat limited number of words for each week; however, constant tasks with in-depth research of the topic imply a more significant expansion of the students’ vocabulary. Each week includes reading, listening, writing, and speaking on a chosen topic. Expanded use of brainstorming, mind-map, presentations, and infographics brings additional interactivity and allows better acquiring the language and acquiring the skills necessary for professional aptitude. According to its structure, the program raises no objections.
On the subject of the development of intercultural and intercultural relations, in general, the course meets modern requirements, touching on the most pressing issues. Extensive topics are covered in curriculum 110; deeper topics are covered in curriculum 120. The structure is consistent; however, the disclosure of some topics may be criticized. First, the topic of culture, as such, is not touched upon when discussing the future. Topics such as advertising, restaurants, coffee, and many others, in one way or another, illuminate the types of culture of many countries and peoples. However, the future is being discussed in terms of technology. Although labor automation and other technological issues are inevitable processes of globalization, the social and cultural aspects need to be discussed explicitly. This field is rarely highlighted by experts and even more rarely raised in discussion among high school students. Nevertheless, intercultural relations are raised in many other topics, so this minus cannot be called critical.
Secondly, although the course is focused on developing the future career of students and is more focused on issues of employment and professional skills, there are no explicit topics with a discussion of culture. Cultures such as cuisine, travel, attitude to the environment, and many other things are touched upon in the program to varying degrees. However, no study time is allocated to define the category or concept of culture itself. Since the program should be focused on the development of interculturalism, and artistic intuition, studentstudent’s understand and understand for themselves what lies at the heart of this category. In this vein, the curriculum addresses education, leadership, and self-awareness. The definition of culture should also be included in discussion topics to better highlight the themes of religion and art, values , and traditions, which also have a significant impact on the formation of a person’s personality and are the motives for his actions. Students will have all the necessary skills to discuss this issue in class with a teacher in a meta-analysis environment.
Conclusion
Studying English at the university is not devoid of specific problems, but every year the development of pedagogical methods, including those oriented towards the development of culture, fills all kinds of gaps in learning. However, the EFL program considered, critically analyzed and discussed in the article almost entirely covers various types of culture and contributes to the development of the language in the key of the skills necessary for students in the future. Conscientious students with competent teaching will be fluent in the language, express their thoughts and understand the interlocutor, and develop emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and leadership skills. Practical and polite communication skills are developed by using a variety of techniques mentioned in the theoretical review of techniques aimed at cultural development. Intercultural relations and the corresponding behavior of students in such situations can be developed thanks to this program, in particular, with a certain refinement of it and with the continuation of training by students throughout their future activities.
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