MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NGUYEN TAT THANH UNIVERSITY NGUYEN TAI’ THANH Nguyên Phạm Khánh Thụy THE REPRESENTATION OF CULTURAL ELEMENTS IN LIFE (Al A2): PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS AT HO CHI MINH CITY COLLEGE OF ECONOMICS MASTER PROJECT IN ENGLISH LINGUISTICS Ho Chi Minh City - 2024 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NGUYEN TAT THANH UNIVERSITY NGUYEN TAT THANH Nguyên Phạm Khánh Thụy THE REPRESENTATION OF CULTURAL ELEMENTS IN LIFE (Al A2): PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS AT HO CHI MINH CITY COLLEGE OF ECONOMICS Major: English Linguistics Major Code: 8220201 MASTER PROJECT IN ENGLISH LINGUISTICS SUPERVISOR: Hồ Văn Hận, PhD Ho Chi Minh City - 2024 DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR I, the undersigned, hereby declare that this submission is entirely my own work, in my own words, and that all sources used in researching it are fully acknowledged and all quotations properly identified. It has not been submitted, in whole or in part, by me or another person, for the purpose of obtaining any other credit / grade. I understand the ethical implications of my research, and this work meets the requirements of the Faculty and Institution. Student Name: Nguyễn Phạm Khánh Thụy Student Number: 2200012920 Signed ii ABSTRACT Brown (2007) stated that “language is a part of a culture, and culture is a part of the language; the two are intricately interwoven so that one cannot separate the two without losing the significance of either language or culture” (p.
The study used a mixed- method research to mvestigate the representation of cultural elements in “Life (A1-A2)” and students’ perceptions of these elements in this textbook taught at Ho Chi Minh City College of Economics. The sample comprised 333 first-year non-English majors. The data was collected by a structured questionnaire and content analysis of the textbook and final test. The findings indicate that there was an imbalance of cultural categories with a greater emphasis on intercultural culture than on students’ own culture.
The textbook’s cultural dimensions also had an imbalance of presentation: the product dimension was most prominent, and the perspective was the least covered. The study also found that students recognized the cultural elements, but they straggled to identify and differentiate cultural diversity and perspective dimension, considering English- speaking cultures as the dominant. Most of them (76.5%) thought the cultural language was comprehensible and the textbook’s authors maintained a neutral attitude towards all cultures. They all believed that cultural exercises increased their intercultural communicative competence and generated an engaging learning environment.
Many students showed their disagreement with some given statements in the questionnaire related to stereotypes (53.7%) or not culturally suitable content (54. The findings also indicate that the cultural learning outcome matched the learning process since the final test integrated the cultural elements and students could understand them easily. It draws some recommendations for intercultural language teaching which helps to enhance students’ intercultural communicative competence. Teachers should use movies and videos as authentic sources of intercultural communication.
They should also create exercises that require students to think and solve cultural problems. They could expand then international networks to organize the exchange programs to help students improve their intercultural communicative competence. Furthermore, the change in English textbooks mto cultural materials is preferred. Teachers ought to participate in workshops and training courses to strengthen their skills as competent teachers with intercultural understanding.
Keywords: cultural categories, cultural dimensions, textbooks, perceptions, intercultural communicative competence. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supei-visor, Dr. Ho Van Han, whose guidance and support throughout the realization of this project have been invaluable. His insights and support were vital in structuring this study.
I am also sincerely grateful to all my lecturers. Their dedicated teaching equipped me with the knowledge and skills necessary for this work. Additionally, I would like to express my appreciation to Faculty of Foreign Languages and Institute of Postgraduate Studies, Nguyen Tat Thanh University for then- diligent administrative efforts in creating the best envữonment for graduate students. Special thanks are due to my colleagues and students for their support.
Then- cooperative attitude and support were essential in completing this project. I also appreciate my family and friends who always gave me encouragement and patience. This study would not be possible without the combined effort and dedication of all the above-mentioned individuals. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR.iii TABLE OF CONTENTS.
iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.vi LIST OF TABLES. vii LIST OF FIGURES. viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY. SCOPE OF THE STUDY. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY. 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.
DEFINITION OF TERMS. CULTURE IN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING. THE ROLES OF CULTURE IN TEXTBOOKS. PREVIOUS RELATED STUDIES.
RESEARCH POPULATION AND SAMPLE. DATA COLLECTION AND PROCEDURE. Data collection procedure. 20 Chapter 4: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA.
WHAT ARE CULTURAL ELEMENTS REPRESENTED IN “LIFE (A1-A2)”?. The dominant presence of the international culture. The lack of the source culture. The first rank of product dimension.
The follow-up of practice, person and perspective dimensions. The ICC enhancement. TO WHAT EXTENT DO STUDENTS PERCEIVE THE CULTURAL ELEMENTS IN “LIFE” TAUGHT AT HCE?. Questionnane analysis for students’ perceptions of cultural learning process.
Students' cognition of cultural elements hl “Life” taught at HCE. Students’ emotion at cultural elements in “Life” taught at HCE. Students' behaviour towards cultural learning at HCE. Final test analysis for smdents’ perceptions of cultural learning outcome.
40 Chapter 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES. 56 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS HCE Ho Chi Minh City College of Economics ICC intercultural communicative competence Vlí LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Cortazzi & Jin (1999)’s framework Table 3.2 Yuen (201 l)’s framework Table 3.3 Diverse topics in “Life” Table 3.4 Cultural elements in the fmal test Table 3.5 Participants from non-English majors Table 3.6 Sampled participants Table 3.7 Sampled participants’ years of learning English Table 4.8 Cultural categories in “Life” Table 4.9 Cultural dimensions in “Life” Table 4.10 Examples of the first background pictures of each unit Table 4.11 Examples of product dimension Table 4.12 Example of practice dimension Table 4.13 Example of person dimension Table 4.14 Example of perspective dimension Table 4.15 Students’ cognition of cultural elements in “Life” taught at HCE Table 4.16 Students’ emotion at cultural elements in “Life” taught at HCE Table 4.17 Students’ behaviour towards cultural learning at HCE Table 4.18 Cultural presentations in the final test viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Theoretical framework Figure 4.2 Examples of the international cultures Figure 4.3 Example of the source culture Figure 4.4 An ICC exercise in Unit 11 Figure 4.5 Participants’ majors Figure 4.6 Participants’ years of learning English 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY English is widely recognized as a lingua franca due to its extensive usage worldwide (Fang, 2017).
It is the most popular foreign language in Vietnam and a required subject in Vietnam’s educational system. Mastering grammar, vocabulary, and four skills are the primary goals of the school curriculum since it is still a subject that students need to learn, take tests, and achieve excellent grades, not communication. However, simply acquiring proficiency in grammar and vocabulary may not be adequate for learners, as they also require intercultural competencies and understanding (Ariawan & Sumardi, 2022). In the 21st century, globalization has led to a significant silift in language learning and instruction, with a growing emphasis on the cultural dimension (Cao, 2020).
Proficiency in English is cincial for effective intercultural conununication, as it selves as a common medium for individuals from diverse backgrounds. In countries where English is not the first language, such as Vietnam, there should be a strong emphasis on mastering English skills and intercultural communicative competence (ICC: henceforth) to enhance global career opportunities and professional success. In class, there are various ways of integrating ICC into the teacher’s teaching. One of them is that cultural content should be included in English textbooks, not only of American or British culture but also of many countries in the outer circle and expanding circle, because it can provide students with a broad view and knowledge of world Englishes, as well as how to interact appropriately in any situation.
Indeed, there is a growing acknowledgment of the interconnectedness between language and culture, highlighting then interdependence within social life. Languages offer intricate and comprehensive insights into the multifaceted nature of every society's culture (Alshenqeeti, 2019). At Ho Chi Minli City College of Economics (HCE: henceforth), English is a compulsory subject for students across all majors. Before delving into English for specific purposes, students are required to complete two general English terms, which comprise 2 six credits.
This serves as a foundation, ensuring students attain a basic proficiency in English. Previously, textbooks like New English File and Market Leader were utilized in HCE before Life was introduced. Life, Vietnam edition - second edition, a six-level integrated-skills series with grammar and vocabulary for young adult and adult English language learners, includes a student book with web app code and online workbook. This series was written by John Hughes, Helen Stephenson and Paul Dummett and published by National Geographic Learning, a Cengage Company.
Since 2015, Life has been endorsed by the Ministry of Education and Training as the English textbook for 26 universities, aiming to enhance students’ language proficiency. The adoption of Life is attributed to its focus on global issues, integration with technological advancements, and its emphasis on fostering essential 21st century skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and cross-cultural understanding. Recognizing these benefits and the fact that cultural content is important when choosing an EFL textbook and bringing multicultural awareness in the minds of EFL students (Bahraini, 2015), the college has decided to implement Life as the textbook for non-English majored students at the elementary English level (A1-A2) since 2018. However, cultural aspects are often overlooked in language teaching within HCE.
Many linguistic-focused curricula neglect cultural factors due to time constramts, prioritizing language proficiency over cultural understanding. Additionally, teachers may lack training in integrating ICC into their lessons, further hindering the incorporation of cultural elements in the classroom. There appears to be a lack of research into the representation of cultural elements in Life (A1-A2), students’ perceptions of the cultural elements in the textbook taught at HCE. This research initiative was created to address this shortage.
PROBLEM STATEMENT There are significant previous studies about the representation of cultural elements in English textbooks. Most of the findings show classified cultures and perceptions of teachers or students on cultural elements taught in class. Reading texts, dialogues, 3 exercises, and pictures were analyzed to find all cultural components based on related frameworks or theories. The imbalanced cultures in the textbook prevent students from being successful intercultural communicators (Azimzadeh, 2020).
There is a huge difference between locally written books with an emphasis on source culture and internationally published English textbooks with priority over the target or international culture. Incorporating local cultural content into English language textbooks helps students recognize the diversity of regional cultures and fosters a positive understanding of cultural differences among nations (Qodriani & Kardiansyah, 2018). Meanwhile, exposure of target and international cultures is also important for students to enhance then- knowledge of countries from inner, outer and expanding circles. The study on culture-loaded English textbooks promotes the awareness for curricula planners, teachers and students to pay attention to cultural teaching and learning to enhance intercultural communicative competence.
Investigating cultural representation is an interesting topic for researchers because it opens up a new approach to acquhing language, not only the language itself but also the language used in intercultural enviromnents. It is intended that by raising awareness of cultural learning, teachers will gam insight into English teaching and students will be able to gain ICC both within and outside the classroom. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The pui-pose of this study is to investigate the representation of cultural elements in Life (A1-A2). It also discovers students’ perceptions of the cultural elements in the textbook taught at HCE.