PERCEPTION AND PERSPECTIVES OF INTERCULTURAL PRAGMATICS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE/GERMAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING: A GOOD PRACTICE EXAMPLE FROM CROATIA

This research is divided into two parts: 1) The first part presents the results of an online survey from 2022 on the perception of the integration of intercultural elements in foreign language teaching while (2) the second part presents the possibilities of implementing these elements according to the further developed Byram model. The aim of the research is to demonstrate the possibilities and importance of integrating intercultural education into the curricula of various, predominantly linguistic foreign language courses. The results of the survey show how 69 participants (all with a double major in at least one foreign language at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split, Croatia) assess the role and importance of integrating (inter)cultural elements and teachers as cultural mediators. The respondents recognize the importance of the "cultural component", but primarily with regard to the culture of the target language and the chosen language area. Therefore, a foreign language is usually taught as if it were intended exclusively for the community of native speakers, ignoring the cultural background of the foreign language learner and the multicultural background of the target language community. The research found that respondents recognize the importance of foreign language teachers' role as cultural mediators, but this appears to be insufficient in the era of global migrations and geopolitical unrest. Therefore, the present study uses Byram's Five Savoirs model to highlight the need for a change in perspective and a redefinition of the role of foreign language teachers and how they can mediate between different cultures to help foreign language learners understand their own and the culture of others, not just native speakers.