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Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Intercultural Aspects of ELT in Moroccan EFL Discourse

Received: 28 March 2025     Accepted: 7 April 2025     Published: 22 May 2025
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Abstract

The teaching of intercultural aspects of English Language Education (ELT) has gained a scholarly attention in intercultural language education studies. This study seeks to explore Moroccan teachers and students’ perceptions towards the teaching of the target culture(s) in Moroccan EFL classrooms, which are essentially marked by diversity in terms of cultures, languages and identities. The study starts from the hypothesis that there is an under-representation of the target language culture and its deep features in Moroccan EFL curricular and the focus is likely to be on the incorporation of surface elements of other foreign cultures. It also assumes that both students and teachers encounter many challenges in target culture teaching and learning due to students’ low linguistic level in English and due to the types of cultural contents included in textbooks. Based on data collected through quantitative and qualitative research, the findings reveal that there is a common preference among teachers and students toward the Anglophone cultures; however, given the outdated contents of textbooks and the ministry’s official guidelines emphasis on students’ language proficiency, there is a need for the integration of recent cultural capitals of the target culture in textbooks and teaching practices. The research recommends equal consideration of world cultures and realities in Moroccan EFL textbooks and discourses as well as further critical research engagement with EFL discourse that holds accountable for social justice and equity in language education.

Published in International Journal of English Teaching and Learning (Volume 3, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijetl.20250301.12
Page(s) 12-22
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Moroccan Teachers and Students, The Target Culture, EFL Discourse, Intercultural Dimensions

References
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[7] Crawford and Lange. (1984). L. M., Lange, D. (1987). Integrating Language and Culture: How to do it. Theory into Practice.
[8] Corbett, J. (2003). An Intercultural Approach to English Language Teaching LANGUAGES FOR INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION. M. Byram & A.
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[10] Spencer-Oatey, H., & Franklin, P. (2012). What is culture. A compilation of quotations. GlobalPAD Core Concepts, 1(22), 1-21.
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[13] Zhou, C., & Griffiths, C. (2011). Intercultural communicative competence. English Language and Literature Studies, 1(2), 113.
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[15] Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford university press.
[16] Wilberschied Ph D, L. F. (2015). Intercultural communicative competence: Literature review. Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions, 2(1), 4.
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[21] Kourova, A., & Modianos, D. (2013). Inter-cultural awareness and its role in enriching students’ communicative competence. The International HETL Review, 2013, 60-70.
[22] HARRAT Ala, N. R. (2024). Investigating the Relationship between Audiovisual-based Media and EFL Learners’ Intercultural Knowledge.
[23] Creswell, J. W., Hanson, W. E., Clark Plano, V. L., & Morales, A. (2007). Qualitative research designs: Selection and imple-mentation. The counseling psychologist, 35(2), 236-264.
[24] Berns, M. (2013). Contexts of competence: Social and cultural considerations in communicative language teaching. Springer Science & Business Media.
[25] Eriksen, T. H. (2006). Diversity versus difference: Neo-liberalism in the minority debate. The making and unmaking of difference, 13-36.
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  • APA Style

    Boustar, R. (2025). Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Intercultural Aspects of ELT in Moroccan EFL Discourse. International Journal of English Teaching and Learning, 3(1), 12-22. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijetl.20250301.12

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    ACS Style

    Boustar, R. Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Intercultural Aspects of ELT in Moroccan EFL Discourse. Int. J. Engl. Teach. Learn. 2025, 3(1), 12-22. doi: 10.11648/j.ijetl.20250301.12

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    AMA Style

    Boustar R. Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Intercultural Aspects of ELT in Moroccan EFL Discourse. Int J Engl Teach Learn. 2025;3(1):12-22. doi: 10.11648/j.ijetl.20250301.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijetl.20250301.12,
      author = {Rania Boustar},
      title = {Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Intercultural Aspects of ELT in Moroccan EFL Discourse
    },
      journal = {International Journal of English Teaching and Learning},
      volume = {3},
      number = {1},
      pages = {12-22},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijetl.20250301.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijetl.20250301.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijetl.20250301.12},
      abstract = {The teaching of intercultural aspects of English Language Education (ELT) has gained a scholarly attention in intercultural language education studies. This study seeks to explore Moroccan teachers and students’ perceptions towards the teaching of the target culture(s) in Moroccan EFL classrooms, which are essentially marked by diversity in terms of cultures, languages and identities. The study starts from the hypothesis that there is an under-representation of the target language culture and its deep features in Moroccan EFL curricular and the focus is likely to be on the incorporation of surface elements of other foreign cultures. It also assumes that both students and teachers encounter many challenges in target culture teaching and learning due to students’ low linguistic level in English and due to the types of cultural contents included in textbooks. Based on data collected through quantitative and qualitative research, the findings reveal that there is a common preference among teachers and students toward the Anglophone cultures; however, given the outdated contents of textbooks and the ministry’s official guidelines emphasis on students’ language proficiency, there is a need for the integration of recent cultural capitals of the target culture in textbooks and teaching practices. The research recommends equal consideration of world cultures and realities in Moroccan EFL textbooks and discourses as well as further critical research engagement with EFL discourse that holds accountable for social justice and equity in language education.
    },
     year = {2025}
    }
    

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    AU  - Rania Boustar
    Y1  - 2025/05/22
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    T2  - International Journal of English Teaching and Learning
    JF  - International Journal of English Teaching and Learning
    JO  - International Journal of English Teaching and Learning
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    AB  - The teaching of intercultural aspects of English Language Education (ELT) has gained a scholarly attention in intercultural language education studies. This study seeks to explore Moroccan teachers and students’ perceptions towards the teaching of the target culture(s) in Moroccan EFL classrooms, which are essentially marked by diversity in terms of cultures, languages and identities. The study starts from the hypothesis that there is an under-representation of the target language culture and its deep features in Moroccan EFL curricular and the focus is likely to be on the incorporation of surface elements of other foreign cultures. It also assumes that both students and teachers encounter many challenges in target culture teaching and learning due to students’ low linguistic level in English and due to the types of cultural contents included in textbooks. Based on data collected through quantitative and qualitative research, the findings reveal that there is a common preference among teachers and students toward the Anglophone cultures; however, given the outdated contents of textbooks and the ministry’s official guidelines emphasis on students’ language proficiency, there is a need for the integration of recent cultural capitals of the target culture in textbooks and teaching practices. The research recommends equal consideration of world cultures and realities in Moroccan EFL textbooks and discourses as well as further critical research engagement with EFL discourse that holds accountable for social justice and equity in language education.
    
    VL  - 3
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