Despite having different ways to explain themselves, all interviewees
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considered one of the most prominent benefits of including cultural content in their English textbook is knowledge expansion. Most of the interviewees mentioned keywords such as “gain knowledge” or “expand cultural knowledge. To illustrate, S2 stated that she can broaden her understanding of different cultural knowledge and interesting facts through “reading passages in the textbook and learning through the teacher's activities related to cultural content.”
Many of the interviewed students stated that they can broaden their knowledge about the cultures of different countries worldwide. For example, S4 claimed:
Students like us do not have much opportunity to get exposed to languages like Chinese, Russian, or Japanese, so it is difficult to understand the cultures of those countries through native reading materials. Thanks to English as the common language and our English textbook, I can have a source to absorb cultural content more easily and expand my knowledge.
Moreover, many students named different cultural topics for knowledge expansion as they thought they could learn more about these topics with the help of textbooks. According to S1, students can learn more about themes such as “cuisine, customs, clothing, and festivals” through their textbook, while “politics, economy, and daily life” are some mentioned topics by S2.
Likewise, Alrashidi (2021) highlighted that the students in his study expressed a strong interest in learning from various cultural sources as a means to broaden their understanding of different cultures. On the other hand, in Xiao's (2010) study, it was discovered that one reason students preferred to learn target culture information was their desire to acquire knowledge about target culture.
4.2.1.2. Language learning support
During the interview, students provided several reasons related to language learning effectiveness and why they favoured including cultural content in their English textbooks. Two students when asked claimed “learn more vocabulary about cultures” as a reason for cultủal instruction, allowing them to use these words and phrases in other learning activities. In addition, S4 added that with a broader vocabulary related to cultures that students learn, they will find it easier to “approach the lessons and apply the acquired vocabulary in activities such as reading, speaking,
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or listening exercises.” Similarly, Chen and Lin (2017) and Yang and Zhang (2020) suggested that teaching cultural content from various sources can improve students' language learning, including vocabulary building, listening comprehension, speaking skills, and writing skills. One student also emphasized knowledge retention as another benefit of teaching culture, as comparing and contrasting features of different cultures helps students “memorize the knowledge better.”
4.2.1.3. Learning motivation
Motivation is another contributor to students’ interests in incorporating culture-related information in their English textbooks, which corroborates with the findings of Alrashidi (2021). Many of the interviewees in this study found lessons containing cultural facts and information enjoyable and captivating, increasing their enthusiasm for learning. They thought lessons would be “more interesting” or “more appealing” with the incorporation of cultural instruction. This is exemplified by the reason given by S5, which emphasised “learning language knowledge like grammar and pronunciation can be quite boring”, and students would find the lessons captivating if they could also “learn about culture through different tasks, such as through reading and listening exercises.” Meanwhile, S2 stated that incorporating cultural content into a lesson can help students “discover some surprising pieces of information or facts, contradicting their beliefs.” This makes lessons more captivating
to students, boosting their enthusiasm for learning.
4.2.1.4. Practicality
The interviews showed that students' learning preferences were influenced by the practical purposes of acquiring culture-related knowledge. All students emphasised the importance of communication effectiveness as a motivation for learning about different cultures with repeated keywords including “communicate effectively”, or “easier to communicate”. For instance, students such as S1 and S2 indicated they loved studying different cultures from their textbooks, as it would be easier for students to “communicate with many different people and in different situations when they have such broad knowledge.” S3 even detailed that besides
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native speakers, students would also meet “people from Asia and Africa who speak English,” so it is important for them to understand their cultures to communicate more effectively. S3 added that if one does not have basic knowledge of their interlocutor’s culture, “awkward situations and misunderstandings” may arise, leading to communication breakdowns. This bears some striking similarities to the studies by Byram (2018b) and Cortazzi and Jin (2015) since they found that integrating cultural instruction in language teaching can enhance students' ability to communicate effectively with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
The interviews also named some future settings that they may need to take cultural awareness into consideration. These settings include their workplace, especially “multinational corporations,” where they interact with colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds. They also mentioned “future visits to non-English speaking countries”, “studying abroad,” and encounters with foreign tourists in their country as potential contexts for using English as a means of communication. As explained by S2, by meeting people from foreign countries, students can “use English as a common language for communication,” and knowing their cultures can help them “communicate successfully.” This is congruent with the study conducted by Alrashidi (2021), in which the interviewee stated she wanted to learn culture-related vocabulary to use for her travels and to talk about the daily habits in her countries.
In addition, the findings of the interviews revealed that all students considered other practical uses of learning cultural contents. They firmly believed that, as Vietnamese individuals, it was crucial to learn about their native culture and ensure its preservation. For example, S2 stated that as Vietnamese, students should
“understand Vietnam first before learning about other countries' cultures.” Learning about Vietnamese culture through English textbooks equipped them with the fundamental knowledge necessary to introduce their country to foreign friends in the future. This can be illustrated by the fact that learning culture-related elements in
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textbooks will help students to “have more understanding and respect for Vietnamese culture” and “introduce our country's culture to foreigners face-to-face or through social media platforms like Facebook or TikTok.” This finding corroborates the study of Xiao (2010) and Vu (2016).
4.2.1.5. Cultural awareness
Similar to the findings of Xiao (2016) and Alrashidi (2021), the interviewees in this study provided cultural awareness as a reason for advocating the inclusion of cultural content in English textbooks. The interviewees' cultural awareness was evident through their recognition of the cultural diversity in various countries worldwide by mentioning “cultural differences”, “different cultures”, “different traits” or “different rules”. For instance, S4 indicated that “each country has different cultural traits” that students should know as this gives them a more open view of the world’s culture. S4 further elaborated on how Vietnam has distinct rules compared to Western countries and other Asian countries, and S5 pointed out a similar example:
The culture in each country is different. For example, in Vietnam, our country, we greet each other in a certain way, but in the United States, England, or China, people greet each other differently.
The interviewees' cultural awareness fostered a positive attitude towards cultural differences and a desire to adapt their behaviour to suit different communicative contexts. Thanks to cultural teaching, many interviewees believed they could be “respectful”, “more open-minded”, or “more tolerant” towards cultural differences. Through learning cultural content in their English textbook, S2 stated that learning about cultures will help her “know some things that should or should not be done in a culture” so she can “avoid feeling awkward and offending the people of that culture.” In addition, S1 emphasised that learning diverse cultures allows him to “have a more open-minded and modern attitude, rather than being conservative or narrow-minded.” Similarly, Byram and Wagner (2018) also found that incorporating cultural content into English lessons can facilitate the development of empathy and a deeper appreciation for diverse cultures.
70 4.2.1.6. Personal interests
Personal interest is also a significant reason for students concerning the coverage of cultural information in English textbooks. Firstly, many students are
“curious” to explore different cultures and expand their knowledge beyond their own.
I enjoy exploring and learning. Unfortunately, I have little time at home to delve into different cultures. In class, when reading passages in the textbook and learning through the teacher's activities related to cultural content, I can expand my understanding of different cultural knowledge and interesting facts.
According to S3, she is eager to learn to expand her cultural knowledge through the textbook and her teacher’s activities. Secondly, the desire to understand products of pop culture motivates students to engage with cultural content. While S5 wanted to have a better understanding of “TV series and videos from English- speaking countries”, S1 expressed his interest in “understanding memes in English and listening to US-UK music”. This creates a fascination among students to understand the cultural references embedded within these digital trends.
4.2.1.7. Familiarity level of cultural content
In addition to the positive reasons for incorporating cultural information in English textbooks, the students also expressed certain concerns regarding the extent to which this type of information should be included. While recognising the value of cultural content, they deliberated on the specific topics that are “easier to understand”
“practical”, and “more related” to be covered. During discussions on the cultural subjects that should be incorporated into the textbook, S2, S3, and S4 voiced a preference for learning about familiar topics such as “daily lives, food, customs, or social norms,” arguing that those topics are “more applicable and practical compared to other political or complex themes,” or those topics are closer to them, and it is easier to “absorb the knowledge.”
By focusing on familiar aspects of their culture, the students believed they could establish stronger connections between their experiences and the content being taught. This, in turn, will enhance their engagement and motivation to learn. S4 particularly emphasised the importance of familiarity, asserting that with familiar
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topics, students “will be more interested in learning.”