RAISING EFL TEACHER TRAINEES’ INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS BY RESPONDING TO LITERATURE THROUGH LITERATURE CIRCLES

Abstract

This study aimed at determining the extent to which EFL teacher trainees’ intercultural awareness is elevated by the use of literature in literature circles and identifying the most prominent types of intercultural awareness indicators among EFL teacher trainees involved in literature circles. This study employed qualitative strategies by using observation, semi-structured interview, and document as the instruments of gained data. The results for the first question asserted that responding to literature through literature circles effectively raised EFL teacher trainees’ intercultural awareness. Moreover, the results for the second research question revealed that the most prominent intercultural awareness indicators emerged among EFL teacher trainees involved in literature circles were own cultural knowledge with total 15 statements indicated the knowledge and comprehension of own culture and different cultural knowledge with total 20 statements indicated the knowledge and comprehension of different cultures. It showed that literature circles as a medium to respond to literature is successfully develops EFL teacher trainees' intercultural awareness.