The Role of Foreign Language Culture on Teaching the Language and Learner Motivation

Abstract

People are living in different places in the world and the way of life and the customs of these groups of people directly affect the communication between them. Therefore, the cultures of society and the language they use are two important things that constitute them and do not separate from each other. Motivation, which is one of the factors affecting success in secondary or foreign language learning, is defined as a driving force that initiates, directs, and then sustains the learning process (Clement, Dornyei & Noels, 1994; Pintrich & Schunk, 1996). In the process of learning a new foreign language, cultural elements in the target language motivates the student positively and facilitates learning the knowledge more easily and efficiently. Considering the importance of this issue, this study was carried out by separating two groups of 40 students at the Upper-intermediate Level in Iraq Ishik University Preparatory School. With assessing both groups’ scores and outcomes of the progress tests of the course-book for 12 weeks and by taking into consideration the evaluation of the written feedbacks about the method after the application, the importance of the target foreign language culture and the contribution to the student motivation are shown.