Abstract
Although it is encouraged for students to explore other cultures and be equipped with world knowledge, the basis of patriotism and love for the country must be embedded to ensure the nation has a sense of pride and belonging. This paper attempts to provide a preliminary investigation for the components of the cultural identity from a Malaysian standpoint, the level of attachment of Malaysian Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) students to their cultural identity as well as factors affecting this relationship. Thus, quantitative method was adopted for this study to identify the level of attachment of Malaysian TESL students to their cultural identity. A questionnaire was distributed online to the participants from all three main races in Malaysia with TESL background and the data was analysed using SPSS. The findings of this study have shown that despite the extensive exposure to and involvement with the English language and culture, the level of attachment of Malaysian TESL students towards their cultural identity is high with regards to all three major components: national language, food and cultural spaces.
Highlights
As future English teachers, it is important to observe the current Malaysian Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) students of their attachment to cultural identity
This section provides an account of the data analysed and the findings of the research. It begins with presenting the overall results of the general questions related to the level of attachment of Malaysia students to their cultural identity in general
It reveals the findings of the analysis of the participants’ answers to the more specific components related to the level of attachment of Malaysia students to their national language, local food, and Malaysian cultural spaces
Summary
As future English teachers, it is important to observe the current Malaysian TESL students of their attachment to cultural identity. Ferdman (1990) has mentioned that cultural identity conceptualizes the connection between mutual influence of an individual with their social environment. Apart from that, Wexler (2009) stated that cultural memory assists individuals find their place in the society and prepares them to be responsible global citizens. This roots the importance of cultural identity in a person; especially in teachers as it could affect the way they teach (Rashidi & Meihami, 2017; Yassin, Abdul Razak, Qasem, & Saeed, 2020). The authors emphasized on the importance of cultural identity for a sustainable teacher education
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