Language, Culture and Society in ELT: Perspectives of University Students and Teachers in Myanmar and India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/bej.2023.18Keywords:
language, culture, society, English language teachingAbstract
In English language classrooms, exploring the interplay of language, culture, and society highlights the vital role of cultural fluency in enabling accurate interpretation of spoken expressions, crafting culturally and socially appropriate statements, and minimizing communication breakdowns for university-level students. The objectives of this research are to investigate how university students in Myanmar and India perceive English language learning and to gauge the perspectives of English language teachers regarding the importance of cultural background knowledge in language teaching. The questionnaire, distributed to language classes in selected universities in Myanmar and India, yielded responses from 124 students in Myanmar and 151 students in India out of the 300 questionnaires sent out, while the interview survey, conducted through convenience sampling, involved 44 teachers from Myanmar and 51 teachers from India. Quantitative data analysis is conducted using statistics such as percentages, means, and standard deviations. The findings reveal that cultural fluency, signifying a deep understanding of culture and society, plays a pivotal role in enhancing language learners’ comprehension and proficiency in the target language. This study implies that its findings contribute to boosting language learners’ communication skills and self-confidence, essential attributes for navigating various societal, travel, and occupational situations with practical relevance.
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