The cross – cultural approach to EFL teaching and learning

Abstract

The present article focuses on intercultural approach in teaching and learning English as a foreign language. A foreign language instruction cannot be reduced only to teaching of linguistic skills like pho-nology, morphology, vocabulary, and syntax, it should also include such vital component as cultural knowledge and awareness. The article gives some suggestions for intercultural activities as well as the ways of motivating students. Intercultural education leads, to a certain extent, to the acceptance of values, beliefs, and behavior that may conflict with one’s own. Systematic intercultural training is a pre-condition for educating a new generation of young people who will not only tolerate, but also understand, accept, and respect people from different world cultures. This article will discuss the intercultural approach and present ideas and resources for English language teachers who wish to broaden their students’ multicultural awareness.