Culture in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

This paper examines the use of cultural approach to teaching English as a foreign language to university students who are actively involved in intercultural communication in their professional development. To improve the quality of English teaching, care should be taken in the fostering of multifaceted personal and the professional development in future specialists. Many modern researchers have explained the need and rationale for a wide range of cultural studies in combination with foreign language teaching. However, questions remain as to the content selection, forms of work and technologies that provide students with active interactions, and complete immersion. The paper focuses on the research questions: What professional training can English teachers have in the context of global culture? How can cultural knowledge and understanding be incorporated into the context of English language classes? What specific strategies can make students more culturally competent? Findings show that future English teachers have a better awareness of art and culture if the culturally sensitive approach to foreign language teaching is used in their professional training as it enables them to use their new knowledge of a culture in situations of intercultural communication. It supports them in becoming more job-oriented. Cultural studies boost their motivation and create an atmosphere of curiosity and openness. Thirty four respondents took part in the questionnaire.