An evaluation of culture teaching and learning in a Uniwide Language Program: Teachers and students’ perspectives

Abstract

Abstract It is generally accepted that culture is inseparable from language. However, the provision of culture in FL courses takes different forms. At Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), minor route/30 credit language students in the Uniwide Language Programme are allocated 1 h for cultural studies (known as the project hour) in addition to a weekly 2 h language class. This study surveys teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the teaching of culture in MMU Uniwide language courses with the aim of discovering to what extent this promotes students’ intercultural competence (IC) based on Byram, Michael, Bella Gribkova & Hugh Starkey. 2002. Developing the intercultural dimension in language teaching: A practical introduction for teachers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, model. Byram et al.’s model of IC involves three components: knowledge, skills and attitudes. Teachers and students’ questionnaires were used to collect their views about the project hour and were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative data, using thematic analysis showed that teachers and students’ perceptions of culture learning and teaching, in general, were in line with the recent literature on IC. However, the quantitative data did not prove that the project hour fully attends to the components of IC, even though the methods and activities used matched its requirements.