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Achieving Cultural Competence in Vietnamese EFL Classes Achieving Cultural Competence in Vietnamese EFL Classes: A Case Study from an Intercultural Communicative Competence Perspective THI THU HIEN TRINH BA, MA (University of Languages and International Studies - VNU) Submitted to the School of Education University of Newcastle in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (EDUCATION) October, 2016 STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY The thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. I give consent to the final version of my thesis being made available worldwide when deposited in the University‟s Digital Repository, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Signed: Date: October 19, 2016 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been accomplished without the continuous support of many significant people and organisations. I would like to gratefully acknowledge them all here. First and foremost, I wish to express my deepest and sincerest thanks to my academic supervisors at the University of Newcastle - Professor James Albright and Doctor Stephanie Bengtsson. I feel fortunate to have had their joint supervision. They have given me constant and invaluable guidance, support and encouragement. Their critical comments and insightful suggestions on every single piece of my research enabled me to successfully complete my PhD dream. They not only shared their knowledge and understanding about the crafts of research but also taught me to work as an educational researcher. My greatest thanks also go to Doctor Wendy Elsworth, my late supervisor, for her valuable feedback from the very early stages of my PhD. In spite of her illness, she dedicated her precious time to check my draft proposal and inspired me with her strong motivation. My great thanks also go to Simon and Vicki Tonkin for proofreading my thesis. I would like to acknowledge the staff of the Faculty of Education and Arts, School of Education at the University of Newcastle, who provided me with the greatest facilities, professional research and learning environment during my candidature. Their continuous assistance has enabled me to progress in my research. I would like to thank the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and the University of Newcastle for providing me with scholarships for my doctoral study. Last but not least, my loving thanks and heartfelt gratitude go to my family, especially my husband, Cong Chinh Pham, and my two sons, Minh Thang Pham and Minh Phuc Pham, for always being by my side and consistently encouraging me to do my best. I am also thankful to my dad and mum and my family members in Vietnam for trusting me and being such an excellent source of support. This thesis is dedicated to my family. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ............................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. iii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ x LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Rationale of the Research Problem ......................................................................................... 2 1.3 Research Questions ................................................................................................................. 5 1.4 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................................ 5 1.5 The Contexts of the Study ....................................................................................................... 6 1.5.1 The Context of EFL Education in Vietnam ...................................................................... 6 1.5.1.1 English in Vietnam before 1954 ................................................................................ 6 1.5.1.2 English in Vietnam from 1954 to 1975 ...................................................................... 8 1.5.1.3 English in Vietnam from 1975 to 1986 .................................................................... 12 1.5.1.4 English in Vietnam from 1986 to Present ................................................................ 14 1.5.2 The Current Situation of EFL Education at the Vietnamese Tertiary Level ................... 17 1. 5.3 The Contexts of EFL Education at a Vietnamese Higher Education Institute ............... 20 1. 6 The Organization of the Thesis ............................................................................................ 22 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................ 25 2. 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 25 2. 2 Definitions of the Key Terms............................................................................................... 26 2.2.1 Culture............................................................................................................................. 27 2.2.2 Cultural Knowledge ........................................................................................................ 30 2.2.3 Cultural Competence ...................................................................................................... 30 2.3 An Overview of the Teaching of Culture in L2/FL Education ............................................. 32 2.3.1 The Relationship between Language and Culture .......................................................... 32 2.3.2 The Five Dimensions of Culture in L2/FL Education .................................................... 35 2.3.3 The History of Teaching Culture in L2/FL Education .................................................... 38 iii 2.3.3.1 The Teaching of Culture in the 1960s ...................................................................... 38 2.3.3.2 The Teaching of Culture in the 1970s ...................................................................... 39 2.3.3.3 The Teaching of Culture in the 1980s ...................................................................... 41 2.3.3.4 The Teaching of Culture from 1990 up to the Present Time ................................... 43 2.3.4 The Evolution of ICC in L2/FL Education ..................................................................... 45 2.3.4.1 Intercultural .............................................................................................................. 45 2.3.4.2 Intercultural Communicative Competence .............................................................. 47 2.3.4.3 The Model of ICC in L2/FL Education.................................................................... 48 2.3.5 The Relevance of an ICC Pedagogy in ESL/EFL Education .......................................... 51 2.4 The Integration of Culture in EFL Education ....................................................................... 54 2.4.1 The Role of Culture in EFL Teaching and Learning ...................................................... 54 2.4.2 The Presentation of Culture in EFL Curriculum/Teaching Materials ............................. 55 2.4.2.1 Cultural Representation in EFL Curriculum ............................................................ 55 2.4.2.2 Cultural Representation in EFL Textbooks.............................................................. 57 2.4.2.3 Checklist for Cultural Content in Textbooks ........................................................... 60 2.4.3 The Teaching Methodology of EFL Teachers ................................................................ 62 2.4.3.1 Pedagogies for Teaching Culture in EFL Classes ................................................... 62 2.4.3.2 Techniques and Activities for Teaching Culture ..................................................... 65 CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................... 68 3.1 Research Paradigms and Rationale for Qualitative Methodology ........................................ 68 3.2 Research Design: A Qualitative Research Based on Case Study ......................................... 70 3.2.1 Justification for Case Study Design ...............................................................................
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