A Study on the Input Modality of L2 Literary Adaptations and Cross-Cultural Sensitivity

Abstract

Every interaction at the supranational level is, to a greater extent, contingent upon the individuals’ mutual understanding. In this sense, the knowledge of the target culture’s norms in interpersonal relationships is of utmost significance. Although scholars in applied linguistics and trans-disciplinary social studies admit the culture’s outstanding roles in multicultural communities, there is no extensive consensus, to date, over the integration of culture into the language instruction due to its multidimensional aspects. The current study investigated the role of the media density in the enhancement of the intercultural sensitivity. To this end, 41 male and female EFL students with the age range of 18-45 at the intermediate level of proficiency at Shoukoh and Safir language institutes were selected through the one-stage cluster sampling technique to fulfill the aim of the present study. During 16 instructional sessions over eight weeks, the students in three groups confronted three different tasks and input-modalities i.e., Audio-only listening, Text-based reading, and Audio-visual mediated instruction. The participants were primarily asked to complete the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (Chen & Starosta, 2000) in the beginning phase of the study. After receiving the appropriate input, they were again asked to complete the same Scale. The statistical analysis through one-way ANOVA indicated that the integration of the audio-only input into the visual-support leads into the betterment of the EFL learners’ cultural sensitivity. This change in the mean score of the three groups of the study, however, was not in the margin of significance.