Development of a Validated Model for English Learners’ Cultural Identity: Using Their Perceptions and Attitudes

Journal of Language and Translation

دوره 13، شماره 2، تیر 2023، صفحه 163-182   

نوع مقاله: Research Articles

شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.30495/ttlt.2023.703381

نویسنده

Sharareh Ebrahimi^*

Department of English Language, Qeshm Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran

چکیده

Knowing a language and communicating with the speakers of that language require learning about the culture of the native speakers of that language. The aim of this study was to develop a validated model of cultural identity among Iranian English learners. Initially, it was attempted to determine different factors of cultural identity based on the learners’ perceptions about cultural identity to develop a model. Thus, 20 EFL learners studying at Safir English language institute in Tehran, Iran were interviewed about their cultural identity and their attitudes were recorded. Considering qualitative phase, a close inspection of the responses of these learners in the interviews and going through three stages of open, axial and selective coding, four factors including “religion, culture, nationality, and language” were extracted. After that, a questionnaire indicating factors of cultural identity was constructed. In the quantitative phase, the questionnaire went through an exploratory factor analysis for the sake of validity and after a pilot study with 183 learners, 384 EFL learners filled it out. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis was also run through LISREL 8.8. to confirm that the proposed model enjoyed validity for future research by running a confirmatory factor analysis and the model of cultural identity was developed. The findings of this study can make English teachers and materials developers aware of these important findings to be prepared to help the learners with possible challenges in English classes.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Culture؛ Cultural Identity؛ EFL Learners؛ Validated Model

مراجع

Adelheid, A. N., & Penny, M. P. (2012). Presenting Your Findings: A Practical Guide for Creating Tables.
Ahmadi, H. (2010). Principles of Iranian national identity. Tehran: Institute for Cultural and Social Studies.
Alptekin, C. (2006). Cultural familiarity in inferential and literal comprehension in L2 reading. System, 34, 494-508.
Alptekin, C. (2008). Multi competence revisit-ed: From EFL to ELF. Plenary speech presented at the 5th ELT Research Con-ference-Bridging the gap between theory and practice in ELT. Turkey: Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University.
Arikan, A. (2011). Prospective English language teachers’ perceptions of the target language and culture in relation to their socioeconomic status. English Language Teaching, 4, 232-242. Retrieved from http:// www. er-ic.ed.gov/PDFS/ED524111.pdf
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Irvine, C. K. S., & Walker, D. (2013). Introduction to research in education.
Atkinson, D. (1999). TESOL and culture. TESOL Quarterly, 33, 625-654.
Bhugra, D., Bhui, K., Mallett, R., Desai, M., Singh, J., & Leff, J. (1999). Cultural identity and its measurement: A questionnaire for Asians. International Review of Psychiatry, 11, 244-249.
Journal of language and Translation, Volume 13, Number 2, 2023 181
Brown, J. D. (2007). Understanding research in second language learning: A teacher’s guide to statistics and research design. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Edwards, J. (2009). Language and identity: An introduction. New York: NY: Cambridge University Press.
Englebert, J. (2004). Character or culture? EFL Journal, 24, 37-41.
Gardner, R. C. (2001). Integrative motivation and second language acquisition. Motivation and second language acquisition, 23, 1-19.
Hinkel, E. (1999). Culture in second language teaching and learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ho, D. G. E. (2009). Systemic text analysis in the ESL writing classroom: Does it work? RELC Journal: A Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 40, 333-359.
Jaccard, J., & Wan, C. K. (1996). LISREL approaches to interaction effects in multiple regression: Sage.
Jamalvandi, B. (2013). Realization of Culture in English Textbooks in Chinese High School Level, Pan-Pacific. Association of Applied Linguistics 16, 89-101.
Jöreskog, K. G., & Sörbom, D. (2006). LISREL 8.80 for Windows [Computer software]. Lincolnwood, IL: Scientific Software International.
Klonoff, E. A., & Landrine, H. (2000). Revis-ing and improving the African American acculturation scale. Journal of Black Psychology, 26, 235-261.
Kuckartz, U. (2007). MAXQDA: Qualitative data analysis. Berlin: VERBI software.
Mao, W. (2009). Teaching culture within and beyond language. English Language Teaching, 2, 144-148.
May, S. (2008). Language and minority rights: Ethnicity, nationalism and the politics of language. New York, NY: Routledge.
Naqeeb, H. (2012). Promoting cultural literacy in the EFL classroom. Global Advanced Research Journal of Educational Research and Reviews, 1, 41-46.
Norrizan R. (1993). Cultural Considerations in ESL Texts; a Sociolinguistic Approach at Facilitating ESL Learning in Towards More Effective Learning and Teaching of English. Proceedings Second International Conference.
Nunan, D., & & Choi, J. (2010). Language and culture. New York, NY: Routledge.
Oller, J. W. (1995). Adding abstract to formal and content schema: Results of recent work in Peircean semiotics. Applied Linguistics, 16, 273-306.
Pallant, J. (2007). SPSS survival manual: A step-by-step guide to data analysis using SPSS version 15. Nova Iorque: McGraw Hill.
Phinney, J. S., Horenczyk, G., Liebkind, K., & Vedder, P. (2001). Ethnic identity, immigration and well-being: An interactional perspective. Journal of Social Issues, 57, 493–510.
Pishghadam, R., & Kamyabi, A. (2009). The Relationship between accent and deculturation among EFL learners in Iran. Paper presented at the Paper presented at Yazd Conference, Iran.
Pishghadam, R., & Sadeghi, M. (2011). Culture and identity change among Iranian EFL teachers. Ozean Journal of Social Sciences, 4, 147-162.
R, N. (1993). Cultural Considerations in ESL Texts; a Sociolinguistic Approach at Facilitating ESL Learning in Towards More Effective Learning and Teaching of English. Paper presented at the Proceedings Second International Conference.
Razmjoo, S. A. (2010). Language and identity in the Iranian context: The impact of identity aspects on EFL learners' achievement. The Journal of Teaching Language Skills (JTLS), 2, 99-121.
Razmjoo, S. A., & Izadpanah, M. A. (2012). On the relationship between L2 literacy (reading and writing) and identity processing styles of Iranian advanced EFL; learners. RALS, 3, 2-22.
Razmjoo, S. A., & Mavaddat, R. (2015). On the relationship between justice judgments, outcomes and identity orientations among Iranian EFL learners: A structural equation model. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 3, 101-117.
182 Development of a Validated Model for English Learners’ Cultural …
Ritlyova, A. (2009). Cultural Studies in Language Teaching. Paper presented at the Language, Literature and Culture in a Changing Transatlantic World International Conference.
Sabatin, I. M. (2013). The Effect of Cultural Background Knowledge on Learning English Language. International Journal of Science Culture and Sport, 1, 22-32.
Samimi, F., & Sahragard, R. (2018). On the Validation of a Preliminary Model of Reading. Strategy Using SEM: Evidence from Iranian ELT Postgraduate Students. Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics, 9, 105-126.
Spenader, A. J. (2011). Language learning and acculturation: Lessons from high school and gap‐year exchange students. Foreign Language Annals, 44, 381-398.
Steiger, J. H. (2007). Understanding the limitations of global fit assessment in structural equation modeling. Personality and Individual Differences, 42, 893-898.
Sussman, N. M. (2000). The dynamic nature of cultural identity throughout cultural transitions: Why home is not so sweet. [Person-ality and Social Psychology Review]. 4(4), 355-373. doi:https://doi/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0404_5
Tavares, R., & & Cavalcanti, I. (1996). Developing cultural awareness. English Teaching Forum, 34, 19-23.
Ullman, J. B., & Bentler, P. M. (2003). Structural Equation Modeling. In Handbook of Psychology.
Zhao, H. (2010). Investigating learners' use and understanding of peer and teacher feedback on writing: A comparative study in a Chinese English writing classroom. Assessing writing, 15, 3-17.
Biodata
Dr. Sharareh Ebrahimi is a university lecturer who has been teaching TEFL and translation courses at Azad University, Tehran North Branch for some years. She's also an English teacher teaching in different institutes for about twelve years. She has authored several research papers in different areas related to ELT. However, her main areas of interest are language teaching, sociolinguistics, and psycholinguistics.
Email address: [e-mail]