Expression of Cultural Competency within the Context of English Teacher Training (The Case of Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences)

Abstract

Th article deals with the expression of cultural competency of pre-service teachers of English. It emphasizes the effcts of globalization on the training of foreign language teachers as well as highlights the necessity of raising their cultural competency. with this aim, a quantitative research has been conducted. The questionnaire consisted of several sections, which aimed at identifying pre-service teachers’ opinion about the relation between language and culture, the importance of the development of cultural competency, the current level of students’ cultural competency, and possibilities to develop it at university. The study included 119 respondents. They were 1–4-year students of English philology at Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences.The research has determined that almost all pre- service teachers of English observe a close link between language and culture, and distinguish two notions of the concept culture: culture as human relations with themselves, others and the surrounding environment (approx. 2/3 of respondents), and culture as human production (approx.1/3 of respondents). A greater half of students emphasize the ethnic nature of culture. About 90 % of pre-service teachers maintain that they develop their cultural competency during the classes at university, while travelling and communicating to foreign culture representatives. Besides, most students (80 %) assess their current level of cultural competency as very high or high. They state that the feel are able to communicate in different cultural contexts, and are able to initiate and keep a conversation with representatives of other cultures. Most students believe that they receive sufficient cultural education at university. Among the study subjects most significance is attached to the courses of Country Studies, Present-Day English and Literary Text Analysis. However, future teachers would prefer more classes and meetings with native speakers, more cultural events organized at university and more possibilities to participate in student exchange programmes.