The Importance of Teaching Culture in German as an International Language Classroom in Malaysia

Abstract

This study aims to explore teachers’ perceptions of the importance of culture in teaching German as an international language in secondary schools in Malaysia based on the interrelationship between language and culture which are closely related. The quantitative method through questionnaires was conducted to collect data. A total of 66 Malaysian secondary school German teachers were involved in this study. The results show that teachers agreed on the involvement of German culture in the German language curriculum. They are generally aware of the importance of teaching and integrating culture in the foreign language classroom and they often conducted cultural language activities in their teaching practice. Based on the results, some implications are obtained from the study on the importance of integrating culture in the German language classroom and recommendations are made for future studies.