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CONCLUSION
This study aims to examine the studies about cultural and intercultural awareness to help EFL / ESL teachers to improve efficient practices in their classrooms to develop cultural and intercultural awareness. There are 50 studies examined in order to meet this aim. Certain criteria were followed while studies are included in this meta-synthesis. As a result of the analysis, there are two main themes that emerged as foundations and acquirements. Each theme has four codes. There are codes named as lesson components, interaction, the dynamic and personal connection under the theme called as foundations of cultural awareness. Furthermore, components named conversational competency, cognitive competency, cultural competency, and global involvement coded under the theme called acquirements of cultural awareness.
Cultural awareness is an inseparable part of the language learning process. Ware and Kramsch (2005) integrate language awareness with cultural awareness. Studies presented that cultural awareness paves the way for the integration of cultures and a better understanding of one another. Learning a new language while learning its culture may not be an easy process for language learners. There are implications by CEFR about the importance of language learning curriculum on developing cultural awareness, such as widening the views on language learning and accepting and appreciating cultural variety. However, improving cultural awareness skills may not happen rapidly over studying a single coursebook, repetitive tasks or limited opportunities of communication with target language speakers especially during foreign language learning. Studies have shown that cultural awareness needs to be integrated into teacher education by putting emphasis on a global presence of teachers with adequate competence and skills (Atay, 2005; Byram, 2012; Hişmanoğlu, 2013), and curriculum and coursebook designs need to be done accordingly by implementing authentic communicative tasks embracing cultural awareness (Beresova, 2015; McConachy, 2008; Lo Bianco, Crozet & Liddicoat, 1999; Pulverness & Tomlinson, 2013), and students should be in a conscious process of growth in their target language (Agudelo, 2007; Prodromou, 1992; Dasli, 2011; Ware & Kramsch, 2005). Within the light of such studies, suggestions regarding the result of this research that might help EFL teachers are given in the next section.
There are some suggestions and implications presented as a result of this study to help English language teachers to develop more effective practices in order to integrate cultural awareness in their classroom. Sometimes culture-based lessons are affected by the prejudices or perceptions of the teachers. Therefore, teachers need to be self- aware of their assumptions and prejudices. School counselors may help with this issue by conducting seminars and workshops for teachers to get to know themselves better. In addition, bonding target and learner cultures is an important step in teaching culture. Teachers need to adopt culturally enriched practices. This can be achieved by creating an equal class environment, respecting diversity, accepting differences (Porto, 2010). Teachers should use democratic education components like encouragement and giving feedback. They should be careful while making confrontations and not to use criticizing language for the students’ personalities. They need to emphasize the students’ behavior while giving feedback and making confrontations. Basically, teachers should respect the students’ individuality and personality.
As Kim (2002) stated, using portfolios and making students discuss equally would provide ideal intercultural learning. EFL teachers may learn about different cultural backgrounds of their students and help them to prepare portfolios to describe the differences and similarities of their culture to their peers. Application of analysis of the critical texts and discourses in EFL classrooms contributes to developing intercultural awareness and a new form of consciousness for the language learning process (Escudero, 2013). Therefore, teachers should conduct a discussion about different cultures and cultural awareness inside the classroom. This method should be adapted to the education level of children. However, teachers can start the discussion and help students to express themselves at all levels.
The integration of cultural learning with EFL classrooms does not ensure to develop intercultural sensitivity, but it helps to pave the way for exploring diversity and cultural awareness in multicultural communities (Fay, Lytra & Ntavaliagkou, 2010; Galante, 2014; Kourova & Modianos, 2013). Thus, teachers should be aware of their work in EFL classrooms about cultural awareness and help their students to develop this sensitivity and respect for every unique individual. The most important limitation of this study is that there is not any application and implication process for the classroom environment in the examined studies. Furthermore, this study analyzes a limited number of studies about cultural awareness. There is crucial work about cultural and intercultural awareness which paves the way for CEFR and intercultural, pluricultural and plurilingual curriculum in EFL classrooms. Furthermore, cultural awareness is not limited to developing awareness about cultural components in the EFL classroom. However, there are other components while developing cultural awareness such as critical thinking, collaboration, and empathy. Therefore, further research should be done in the field while integrating other components of cultural awareness in order to improve students’ and teachers’ cultural awareness skills.
“I, as the Corresponding Author, declare and undertake that in the study titled as “The Role of Cultural Awareness in EFL Classroom”, scientific, ethical and citation rules were followed; Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry Journal Editorial Board has no responsibility for all ethical violations to be encountered, that all responsibility belongs to the author/s and that this study has not been sent to any other academic publication platform for evaluation. "