THE IMPACT OF TEACHING MATERIALS ON INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT: A MIXED-METHOD STUDY

Authors

  • Anouar Smaoui English Language Unit, Faculty of Science of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP2201075S

Abstract

This study employs a mixed-method quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design to investigate the mediatory effects of a culture-based teaching materials employing three types of teaching techniques, namely the cultural awareness, critical incident and cultural misunderstanding, in fostering intercultural competence (IC) development in a group of Tunisian higher education EFL students. A pedagogical intervention was implemented and evaluated in terms of its effectiveness in enhancing IC development in a voluntary group of 11 EFL-major students at a prominent Tunisian Higher Education Institute. Quantitative data were collected using pretests and posttests. Qualitative data were obtained from transcribed audio-recorded lessons, teacher fieldnotes, student diaries and post-course interviews. The results from the preintervention and postintervention tests and classroom observation indicate that the pedagogical intervention induced significant improvements on the three IC dimensions, namely knowledge, attitudes, and skills. The results from students’ written artifacts and oral self-reports provide further support for the contributory effects of the three teaching techniques under investigation. The results of this work could form a knowledge base for future developments in course and teaching materials development.

Author Biography

  • Anouar Smaoui, English Language Unit, Faculty of Science of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

    Anouar Smaoui is a senior teacher of English at the Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, Tunisia. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in EFL at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences of Tunis and his Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics at the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences of Sfax. He has also completed a TDC (Teacher Development Course) program at the British Council, Tunisia, where he obtained a Teacher Knowledge Test (TKT) trainer certificate. He is a PhD candidate in applied linguistics, and his research investigates the intercultural dimension in EFL education. An experienced EFL teacher and teacher trainer, he has been instrumental in the teaching of English for a variety of purposes to students from various fields and in the training of novice teachers and young researchers across the disciplines. His main research interests are deeply rooted in educational research and pedagogy, including EFL/ESL/EAP/ESP learning, language teaching pedagogy, internationalization of higher education, and educational technology, with special focus on intercultural English as a Foreign Language teaching and learning.

References

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Published

2022-05-28

Issue

Vol. 10, No 1, 2022

Section

Articles