An investigation of Vietnamese EFL teachers’ perceptions of intercultural competence and its application in high schools

In an era of globalisation, the term intercultural competence has grown in popularity. Intercultural competence allows for effective communication among people from different cultural backgrounds. The Vietnamese Government has indicated that EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers should be preparing their students for effective intercultural communication in English. This study is an investigation of Vietnamese EFL teachers’ understanding of the term intercultural competence and the strategies they use in their classrooms to promote it. The study employed a mixed methods design, with data collected from surveys, interviews, and classroom observations. Participants were 337 Vietnamese EFL teachers in 39 high schools across standard schools and schools for the gifted in the two major Vietnamese cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The findings provided evidence that most teachers valued that aspect of the English curriculum. However, their understanding of the term intercultural competence was vague and superficial. They devoted little class time to developing students’ intercultural competence. Their focus was the study of the language itself because the content of the major examinations was the language itself. When teachers did focus on intercultural competence in their lessons, they usually transmitted cultural facts without paying attention to conversational skills and an understanding of differences in behaviours, attitudes, and values in different countries. However, there was evidence of good practice in teaching intercultural competence by teachers in schools for the gifted. Notably, teachers designed classroom activities that encouraged students to act independently, to seek out relevant knowledge for themselves. This approach challenged the more traditional model of passive students waiting for the teacher to transmit knowledge to them. The study has identified a number of factors hindering the effective teaching of intercultural competence in high school EFL classes. The thesis concludes with recommendations for three groups of stakeholders, government policy makers, teacher educators, and EFL teachers themselves, for ways to enhance the teaching of intercultural competence in high schools in Vietnam.