The teachers were asked to rank eight given objectives concerning the teaching of language, culture and general education. From these ‘Promoting the acquisition of a level of proficiency in the foreign language that will allow the learners to use the foreign language for practical purposes’ (a language learning objective) was considered by 55.32% of the respondents as the most important.

The two most important culture learning objectives, ‘Promoting the pupils' familiarity with the culture, the civilisation of the countries where the language which they are learning is spoken’, and ‘Promoting the acquisition of an open mind and a positive disposition towards unfamiliar cultures’, were ranked third and fourth respectively. In addition, a general learning objective connected with developing ‘the skills that will be useful in other subject areas in life (such as memorise, put into words, formulate accurately, give a presentation, etc.)’ was ranked fifth while ‘Assisting the pupils to develop a better understanding of their own identity and culture’  (a culture learning objective) was considered one of the least important in the list.

Furthermore, the teachers were asked what they understood by 'culture teaching' in an FLT context. The respondents put the nine objectives of culture teaching in the following order of importance:

1.       Provide information about daily life and routines

2.       Develop attitudes of openness and tolerance towards other peoples and cultures

3.       Provide information about the history, geography and political conditions of the foreign culture(s) 

4.       Provide experiences with a rich variety of cultural expressions (literature, music, theatre, film, etc.)

5.       Provide information about shared values and beliefs

6.       Promote the ability to handle intercultural contact situations

7.       Promote reflection on cultural differences

8.       Promote the ability to empathise with people living in other cultures

9.       Promote increased understanding of the students' own culture

Most teachers consider the providing of information on various aspects of culture (ranks one and three) closest to their idea of culture teaching and this teacher-centred approach dominates the top half of the list. The skills dimension (sixth position) has more limited support even than cognitive or attitudinal objectives. The finding that the promotion of the learners' familiarity with their own culture is believed a less important objective of FL education (see above) is confirmed here.

In an answer to further question, most teachers (67.35%) stated that they devote about 80% of their teaching time to the foreign language and about 20% to culture. At the same time, no teacher reported teaching only the foreign language without any culture. Moreover, as many as 81% answered affirmatively when asked whether they have the feeling ‘they would like to devote more time to 'culture teaching' during their foreign language teaching classes, but somehow never get round to it'.

Whenever the teachers were asked to express their opinions freely, without making a choice between given statements, they always answered in favour of the cultural dimension in foreign language teaching. This is confirmed in the last section of the questionnaire concerning the teachers’ views on various aspects of intercultural teaching. Their comments, which could range from 'I agree completely' to 'I do not agree at all', revealed a degree of willingness to teach intercultural communicative competence. The teachers agreed completely with both of the following statements:

1.       I would like to promote the acquisition of intercultural skills through my teaching.

2.       I would like to teach intercultural competence through my foreign language teaching.

Teacher and student contact with a foreign culture outside the classroom

The teachers were asked to rank their contacts with a foreign culture while at home. The average scores (in brackets) should be interpreted as follows: 3.00 - 2.01 means that the teachers often have contact with the foreign culture primarily associated with the FL they teach, 2.00 - 1.01 means once in a while, below 1.00 - never.

1.       Media contacts (via newspapers, television, radio) (2.78)

2.       Visits to a cultural institute representing the foreign country (2.13)

3.       Contacts with people originating from the foreign country (2.12)

4.       Contacts with foreign teachers or pupils who visit my school (1.71)

5.       Contacts with foreign language assistants (usually natives from the foreign country) in my school (1.53)

Contact with a foreign culture in their home country are primarily media contacts with 80% indicating that they have such contact regularly. In answering an additional open question several teachers mentioned other types of contacts such as joining teachers' discussion lists on the internet and exchanging e-mails.

The teachers also ranked the various kinds of contacts with the foreign culture that they think their pupils have. (The mean scores are to be interpreted as above)

1.       Watch one of the country's television channels (2.49)

2.       Use the internet to learn more about the foreign country (2.31)

3.       Travel to the foreign country (holiday with family) (1.94) - 20% thought that their Ss never travel

4.       Read one of the country's newspapers or magazines (1.92)

5.       Read literature written by authors living in the foreign country or originating there (1.91)

The teachers suggest that their pupils get into contact with the foreign culture most often through the internet or TV. Interestingly the teachers believe their pupils are in contact more often via direct travel than via literature.

Teachers' culture - teaching practices

Coursebooks used in classrooms

81.63% of those who use coursebooks also use additional materials: audio (39%), video (29%) and other supplementary materials (31%) - these included the internet, computer programs and CD-ROMs. One of the two teachers who stated they never use coursebooks confessed that he mainly uses the internet.

Frequency and kinds of culture teaching activities

The teachers ranked their use of the culture teaching activities given in the questionnaire. The average scores are to be understood in the following way: 3.00 - 2.01 means teachers often do this type of activity, 2.00 - 1.01 once in a while, below 1.00 - never.

1.       I tell my pupils what I heard (or read) about the foreign country or culture. (2.58)

2.       I tell my pupils why I find something fascinating or strange about the foreign culture(s). (2.56)

3.       I talk with my pupils about stereotypes regarding particular cultures and countries or regarding the inhabitants of particular countries. (2.42)

4.       I ask my pupils to compare an aspect of their own culture with the same in the foreign culture. (2.38)

5.       I ask my pupils about their experiences in the foreign country. (2.32)

6.       I talk to my pupils about my own experiences in the foreign country. (2.32)

7.       I comment on the way in which the foreign culture is represented in the foreign language materials I am using in a particular class. (2.20)

8.       I ask my pupils to describe an aspect of their own culture in the foreign language. (2.18)

9.       I decorate my classroom with posters illustrating particular aspects of the foreign culture. (2.14)

10.   I bring objects originating from the foreign culture to my classroom. (2.08)

11.   I ask my pupils to think about what it would be like to live in the foreign culture. (1.90)

12.   I ask my pupils to participate in role-play situations in which people from different cultures meet. (1.90)

13.   I touch upon an aspect of the foreign culture regarding which I feel negatively disposed. (1.88)

14.   I ask my pupils to think about the image which the media promote of the foreign country. (1.88)

15.   I ask my pupils to independently explore an aspect of the foreign culture. (1.80)

16.   I use videos, CD-ROMs or the Internet to illustrate an aspect of the foreign culture. (1.80)

17.   I invite a person originating from the foreign country to my classroom. (1.38)

The top of the list is dominated by teacher-directed activities. Intercultural activities aiming at developing the skills of comparing, describing and exploring cultural phenomena are ranked fourth, eighth and fifteenth respectively. Activities that represent a more recent approach to culture teaching are to be largely found at the bottom. 30.6% never ask their students to think about the images the media promote, hence its fourteenth position. 26.5% never ask their students to explore independently an aspect of culture, which is part of any project work, and do not give an opportunity for experiential or independent learning. One can only wonder why as many as 32.65% of the teachers never use video, CD or the internet to illustrate an aspect of the foreign culture in their classes.

School trips and exchanges

Language teachers have a unique opportunity to develop their students’ intercultural competence in the classroom before, during and after intercultural events such as trips abroad, foreign exchanges or cross-curricular activities. It is believed that first-hand experience of intercultural contacts best motivates the students and school trips were defined in the questionnaire as short visits to the foreign country that may last one day or longer, as opposed to exchange programmes which, additionally, involve receiving the inhabitants from the other country. We expected the results of the research to show whether our respondents consider it part of their responsibility to help their students participate in such events and to provide examples of their actual practice.

Only 37% of the teachers consider it part of their teaching role to actually prepare for a school trip during their FL classes and several described the kind of work they do with their students e.g. gathering information from maps and guidebooks. 49% however consider it part of their teaching role to prepare for an exchange project in their classes. Preparatory activities mentioned included: lectures, films on the places to visit, preparing a 'Polish evening' for the hosts, etc. None however mentioned searching for information on the internet, exchanging e-mails, or designing web pages concerning cultural issues.

Cross-curricular intercultural activities and projects

46.8% of Polish schools organise cross-curricular intercultural activities or projects. However, the respondents provided no information on the use of the internet in this context.

Summary

The teachers unanimously declared their willingness to teach intercultural competence in their classes. When forced to make a choice or establish their hierarchy of aims, however, they stressed other priorities. More attention is paid to cognitive and attitudinal aspects of teaching than to the development of skills. Moreover, they traditionally focus on imparting knowledge and opinions to their students, showing less interest in approaches or techniques based on involving student initiative or drawing on student experience.

Although a great majority of respondents seem to consider the internet and other media a crucial type of contact with foreign cultures for both teachers and students, they are not frequently exploited in teaching culture. Some use the internet to supplement their coursebooks, but they never mentioned this in the context of preparatory work connected with school trips, exchanges or cross-curricular activities. 

It needs to be remembered that the survey could only capture what the teachers claim is their reality. However, we assumed that a relatively direct relationship exists between the teachers’ beliefs regarding their practice and their actual practice. Naturally, it is only further research, e.g. interviews with respondents, that would help understand the reasons for the opinions given.