PROMOTING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: A CLASSROOM-BASED STUDY OF INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Abstract

The emergence of intercultural competence (IC) has become an inseparable part of English Language Teaching (ELT) in the twenty first century, allowing students to navigate the cultural disparity and be able to communicate effectively in a wide range of situations. This qualitative study explored the application of instructional strategies to develop IC by primary English teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Pakistan, the reaction of students to instructional strategies, and the difficulties encountered by ECDs. The observations (classrooms based) were carried out in six weeks in the grades one to five with a focus on the use of role-plays, cultural comparisons, authentic materials, and collaborative activities. Thematic analysis provided the understanding that, despite differences in the strategies used by teachers, they were not implemented consistently because, on the one hand, the traditional teaching methods were firmly established, and on the other hand, the number of students in the classes was quite large, the resources were limited, and there was a high dependency on the translation-based approach. The students were seen to exhibit enthusiasm and interest especially in interactive and multimedia based activities; however, their understanding of the deeper cultural norms and values was shallow. The results also point out the gap between the IC theory and classroom practise and emphasise the importance of systematic reflection, teacher training, curriculum change, and adequate means to facilitate meaningful intercultural learning. The research supplements the applied linguistics discipline by providing empirical data in the nature of IC teaching at primary level in Pakistan and therefore provides practical implications to teachers, curriculum developers, and policy makers to enhance culturally sensitive ELT activities.