Exploring Intercultural Awareness in English Language Teaching: A Comparative Study of Indonesian and Ghanaian English Teachers

Abstract

The English teachers must develop intercultural awareness and competence in the era globalization. However, comparative studies that specifically focus on the experiences of foreign English teachers are limited. Thus, the research aims to investigate and compare the similarities and differences of the intercultural awareness and practices of Indonesian and Ghanaian English teachers in the context of English language teaching. This research used qualitative methods within the framework of a comparative study design and data were collected through semi structured interviews. The participants were 2 EFL teachers from Ghana and Indonesia. The researcher analyzed it to identify patterns by organizing, coding and summarizing the data into themes. The findings of this research indicated that the integration of intercultural awareness in English language teaching is very important element that must be recognized and valued. However, the Ghanaian teacher focuses on global cultural acceptance and integrates various international cultures into classroom activities or called as intercultural awareness. In contrast, the Indonesian teacher emphasizes understanding and preserving local culture within English language teaching or basic cultural awareness. Thus, motivating the teachers to strive to create an inclusive and tolerant learning environment with using teaching materials and techniques that appropriate where students from different cultural backgrounds feel valued and understood. Based on the findings it is recommended that future research can explore these aspects more broadly and varied.