It is simplistic to believe that second language learning can be accomplished without proper acquisition of the second language culture. This study aimed at investigating the feasibility of promoting Iranian EFL teachers’ intercultural sensitivity through training. To do so, 35 teachers, who proved to be homogenous, were randomly selected from among 45 teachers after the administration of the general language proficiency test TOEFL. Afterwards, Chen and Starosta’s Intercultural Sensitivity Scale was completed by the participants. They were then required to take the intercultural sensitivity training course for a semester. The same scale was completed by them at the end of the semester. A pre-test and a post-test were also administered. The results of the t-test run indicated a notable enhancement in the level of Iranian EFL teachers’ intercultural sensitivity. The findings could have some important implications for all stakeholders who are open-mindedly inclined to acknowledge the unavoidable, although neglected, role played by culture as the inseparable component of modern language education which can effectively trigger a movement away from ethnocentric stages towards ethno relative stages. Keywords: EFL, ethnocentrism, ethno relativism, intercultural sensitivity.
Given the ever-increasing trend of interconnectedness among nations on the one hand and the importance of professional development of foreign language teachers on the other, educational systems need to be reoriented to address intercultural dimension of language teaching and its interface with social and ethnic identities as its inseparable components. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between Iranian EFL teachers' intercultural sensitivity level with thier ethnic background, age, and gender. To collect the data, Chen and Starosta's (2000) Intercultural sensitivity scale (ISS) and a demographic background information questionnaire were utilized. The results of the t-test and a Pearson correlation indicated that there is a statistically significant relationship between gender and intercultural sensitivity. But, there is not a statistically significant relationship between age and intercultural sensitivity. Similarly, the relationship between ethnic background and intercultural sensitivity turned out to be insignificant.Keywords: Iranian EFL teachers; Intercultural Sensitivity; Gender; Age; Ethnic background
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