4.2.2.1. Language learning support
During the interview, the students provided numerous explanations regarding effective methods for presenting and teaching cultural content. One of the justifications highlighted the importance of facilitating understanding and retention.
By employing various techniques such as providing cultural background information, utilising visual illustrations or cultural objects, researching at home, and organising discussions, many students shared a belief that they could “understand the lesson easier”, “easily approach the lesson”, and “remember the knowledge longer”.
For example, S1 indicated that some cultural-related lessons “introduce complex knowledge and new cultural words,” so students should be “introduced to these things beforehand to approach the lessons more easily.” Additionally, S2 and S3 emphasised the importance of exposing students to visual sources or cultural artefacts, as they can see them directly, which can “leave a strong impression” on them and encourage better understanding and retention. S3 also added that some lessons could be “overwhelming to learn without any prior background,” so students should prepare carefully before their lesson. Concerning discussion, the interviewees believed that during this activity, students could “learn things they did not know before and learn from their peers”. One exemplified that some students may be knowledgeable about American culture, while others may excel in Vietnamese culture and learn from each other effectively. They also recognised that learning from friends is an effective method in addition to learning from teachers.
Another reason students support cultural teaching techniques is the opportunity to develop various skills alongside acquiring cultural knowledge. In the intẻviews, students mentioned many skills that they can enhance thanks to techniques such as role- play, discussions, and independent.
Through role-play, students can improve their speaking and listening skills, as well as their confidence and creativity. Improving listening comprehension and
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speaking skills is also a benefit of learning diverse cultures, as found by Chen and Lin (2017) and Yang and Zhang (2020). To illustrate, S2 in this study stated that:
Role-play is fun and helps us develop our speaking and listening skills because we need to recreate different real-life scenarios. When we role-play, we can explore our creativity and boost our confidence.
In addition, according to S3, discussions help students “express opinions and listen to the viewpoints of others,” creating “a friendly idea-exchanging platform.” This allows students to develop critical thinking, speaking, and communication skills.
Likewise, Byram and Wagner (2018) also suggested incorporating multicultural foreign language teaching can enhance learners' critical thinking abilities.
Furthermore, the interviewees in this study agreed that conducting research at home encourages independent learning. For example, S5 believed that when preparing the lesson in advance, students can improve their “self-discipline and self- learning abilities” since they have to “find information independently without the help of teachers.”
4.2.2.2. Learning motivation
Diverse teaching methods also boost students’ motivation for learning. Many students in the interviews thought techniques for cultural teaching render lessons
“fun”, “interesting”, or “motivating.” Students in the interview listed role-playing, using illustrations and cultural artefacts, or participating in discussions as engaging teaching ways. S3 claimed that role-play activities could “encourage students’
interest in the lesson” and “make the lessons fun,” while S4 also noted that “using programs like movies, TV shows, and videos are fun, relatable, and easier to understand.” S2 also emphasised the use of diverse teaching methods, because combining various teaching methods, such as watching videos and role-playing,
“prevents monotony and adds interest to the learning process.”
4.2.2.3. Practicality
Practicality serves as a strong reason for using various techniques for cultural instruction. When teachers use techniques for culture instruction, most of the interviewed students found the lessons and the teaching contents “practical” and
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“relatable.”
Employing expert sources, such as exchange students or guest speakers, provides students with firsthand knowledge and authentic perspectives, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of different cultures. This can be illustrated through S1’s remark since he claimed that expert sources, with their expertise and experiences, “will speak more persuasively and captivate the listeners.” Moreover, according to S2, the students may feel that “hearing from real experiences is more practical and relatable than just reading from books or materials.”
In addition, the use of illustrations and visual aids plays a crucial role in effectively conveying cultural information in a concise and accessible manner, catering to the diverse learning styles of students. To illustrate this point, S3 emphasised that relying solely on textual information makes it challenging for students to “visualise the cultural content they are learning,” highlighting the need for visual aids. S3 also provided a specific example of a lesson on Chầu văn singing, where students were introduced to this traditional art form through videos. S3 vividly described the benefits, stating students can “see how people dress and which musical instruments are used, which is very vivid.” This example underscores the significant impact that visual aids can have in providing students with a deeper and more immersive understanding of cultural elements.
In terms of incorporating cultural artefacts, this method brings a tangible element to the classroom, making the content more engaging and relatable. S4 explained, indicating that the physical aspects of cultural products, such as costumes or equipment, including their size, shape, colour, and texture, can be “explored by students through touch and observation.” This hands-on experience allows students to develop a clearer understanding of the cultural knowledge they are acquiring.
These findings correspond with the research by Kramsch (2018), as this author found that students can have more meaningful language learning experiences by being exposed to different cultures and worldviews in their language class.
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4.2.2.4. Flexibility in choosing teaching techniques
During the interview, students point out the need for teachers’ flexibility in using diverse teaching techniques. For instance, S3 stated that:
I noticed that during some lessons, when a documentary was used, sometimes students often could not concentrate for long because there was a lot of complex information or difficult vocabulary, and the video was not interesting to the students. However, when animated films or fun videos with relatable content are shown, students become more engaged and focused.
Given the varying types and difficulty levels of the materials and the diverse range of students' proficiency levels, it is crucial for teachers to adapt their approach to ensure effective learning.
Additionally, the use of diverse teaching methods allows teachers to cater to different learning needs and preferences. According to S2, “while one method may work for some students, it may not be suitable for others,” making the learning process less effective for many. S1 added that some students benefit from reading texts in his class, but some like learning through audio, visual aids, or note-taking. By incorporating various methods, teachers can make lessons more engaging for different types of students. This finding can be reinforced by the study of Chávez (2014) and Alrashidi (2021), which highlighted students’ different ages, language proficiency, cultural backgrounds, and preferences for teaching activities of cultural content.
Some students also preferred diverse teaching methods to avoid monotony in class. S5 drew attention to the fact that if teachers stick to just one method, such as watching videos or only doing role-plays, the lessons will become “boring and uninteresting.”
Meanwhile, concerns regarding the time constraint also arise. Both S3 and S4 believed that methods like inviting expert sources might be complicated to carry out because “the class time is limited.” They were afraid that within a short amount of time, students would not have enough time to engage in discussions and learn from these expert sources. This finding is also in line with the study of Alrashidi (2021), in which students questioned the feasibility of some methods since these methods were time-consuming and required extra effort
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In conclusion, according to the conducted interviews, learning about different cultures offers numerous benefits to students, namely knowledge expansion, language learning assistance, learning motivation, practicality, cultural awareness, personal interests, and familiarity issue. The students also mentioned language learning support, learning motivation, practicality, and teachers’ flexibility as justifications for choosing suitable techniques to teach and present cultural elements.