Arab American High School Teachers' Perceptions of Developing Cultural Awareness of First-Level Arabic Language Learners.

摘要

National standards for learning foreign languages describe five area goals which are intertwined and interconnected in the K–12 learning environment; yet, absent from the literature are investigations on how K–12 teachers are able to implement and incorporate the practices, products, and perspectives of culture into world language classrooms in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate Arab American high school teachers' perceptions regarding developing cultural awareness of first-level Arabic language learners. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through one-on-one semi-structured in-depth interviews of 5 high school teachers of Arabic within the same district. Seidel's qualitative data analysis method and open coding followed by axial coding were used in analyzing the data. Findings from the teachers' interviews revealed that developing cultural awareness in first-level Arabic language classes requires a strong connection between the Arabic language and culture. Culture learning can be enhanced by incorporating a wide variety of culturally focused practices, activities, and assessment tools. In addition, culture learning and teaching can also be promoted through effective communication with students and parents and by addressing persistent cultural challenges encountered in class. Based on the results, it is recommended that teachers utilize best cultural practices for beginning Arabic classes and maintain consistency in assessing the right cultural skills. Implications for positive social change includes promoting students', policy makers', and teachers' awareness of the impact of teaching and learning culture as an integral component of foreign language teaching which is important for students who work in multicultural context.