Research Information System
Thesis Type: Postgraduate
Institution Of The Thesis: Bursa Uludağ University, EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ, YABANCI DİLLER EĞİTİMİ, Turkey
Approval Date: 2021
Thesis Language: English
Student: Emin Gürkan
Supervisor: Çiğdem Karatepe
Abstract:
INVESTIGATING INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATION SENSITIVITY OF FIRST AND FOURTH GRADE ELT LEARNERS
Over
the last decades, the world has become a global village with the effect of
developing technology and communication opportunities, and this intercultural
communication has increased the importance of the concept of
sensitivity as never before. However, when the literature is examined, the
number of studies focusing intercultural communication sensitivity levels of
ELT teachers, who are more exposed to cultural concepts, is limited in relation
to variables such as watching TV series, overseas experience and playing online
games. Therefore, the objective of
the current study is to investigate pre-service ELT teachers’ intercultural
communication sensitivity depending on these variables. The universe of
the study comprises 210 freshmen and seniors; 114 of whom are freshmen, and 96
of whom are seniors at ELT departments in Turkey. In this particular study, a
mixed-method design is provided with quantitative and qualitative data. To
obtain quantitative data, an Intercultural Communicate Sensitivity Scale
designed by Chen and Starosta is administered. This scale includes five
sub-dimensions involving interaction engagement, respect of cultural
differences, interaction confidence, interaction enjoyment, and interaction
attentiveness. Obtained results from the data indicate that intercultural
communication sensitivity levels of seniors is higher compared to freshmen. It
has been revealed that there is a positive correlation between time spent for
watching foreign TV series and ICS level of pre-service ELT teachers.
These results underline that the level of ICS can be
improved by taking trend educational paradigms into consideration to
provide better culturally-loaded learning environments for ELT departments in
Turkey.
Key words:
culture, intercultural communication, communication sensitivity, English
language teachers, intercultural competence