Efl Students' Views and Experiences of Culture Learning: Are They Worthy to Foster Intercultural Competence?

In the light of globalization, intercultural competence is crucially demanded by the language learners to be successful speakers and mediators in International interaction and communication. This study aims at investigating how the Indonesian EFL students view and undertake the culture learning in their classrooms. This study was a survey research carried out in October and December 2016 in two state universities: 1) University of Riau (UR) located in Riau Province and 2) Brawijaya University (UB) in Malang-East Java. There were a total of 80 participants involved by using random sampling. The student questionnaire (adopted and adapted from HST. Kiet, 2011) consisting of six statements was used. To answer the research question, descriptive statistics analysis (Sum of score, Mean and Standard Deviation) was used to analyse the completed student questionnaire. The findings reveal that the students showed positive attitudes in culture learning purposes; they mainly learned cultural facts oriented to target culture exploration as the dominant cultural learning in the classroom; they used media such as internet, TV and literature as the most dominant cultural learning sources outside the classroom; they found that culture learning benefited them to their EFL learning; and finally they agreed that the target culture should be taught together with the target language in EFL classes. Therefore, it is suggested that future researchers do such an in-depth study pertaining to students' ICC learning and development in the environment of classroom interactions.


INTRODUCTION
The competence of teachers and their activities cannot be passed over while talking about the VWXGHQWV ¶ UHDGLQHVV IRU DFWLYH SDUWLFLSDWLRQ LQ WRGD\ ¶V JOREDOL]HG ZRUOG Most importantly, facilitating and equipping English students or English teacher candidates with essential intercultural competence (ICC hereafter) during the period of university study is a precondition to cope with the rapid changing of WRGD\ ¶V world. In addition, the realities and opportunities of building the ICC of particularly Indonesian English teachers are crucially demanded now referring to Indonesian National Qualifying Framework (INQF) with its In ESL/EFL settings, the intercultural contents as a crucial element in ICC development are typically embedded in an academic subject such as foreign languages or social studies. However, the degree to which subjects such as foreign languages and social studies are intercultural depends on the curriculum orientation (Davies and Read, 2005). It is recognized that language is not neutral and foreign language teaching can involve exposing students to a YDULHW\ RI WH[WV DQG UHSUHVHQWDWLRQV RI D FXOWXUH LQ RUGHU WR GHYHORS VWXGHQWV ¶ FULWLFDO understanding of the cultural aspects of language and cultural representations (Byram & Feng 2004;Ware & Kramsch, 2005). However, theorists argue that experiential learning about culture is more effective than learning that is confined within a classroom (Byram & Feng, 2004).
Current studies show many pathways of how ESL/EFL students have been experienced with ICC learning development. One of the foremost activities is pertinent to how experiential OHDUQLQJ WKURXJK ,&7 XVH HQDEOHV VWXGHQWV WR GHYHORS ,&& 7RGD\ ¶V ZHE-based technologies have altered such slow motion of past international interaction that would have generally required long trips. Now, ICT is being used by foreign language teachers as a tool to facilitate teaching and learning. As a matter of fact, interaction between learners and native speakers of a ODQJXDJH RU µWDQGHP OHDUQLQJ ¶ LV RIWHQ XVHG WR HQKDQFH ERWK ODQJXDJH OHDUQLQJ DQG FXOWXUDO understanding (Byram & Feng, 2004). The internet, email, blogs, online learning, E-learning, chat rooms, instant messaging, and tandem learning can be used to explore cultural representations and enable students to develop intercultural awareness, intercultural competence, and language skills and reflect on its relevance to their experiences (Ho, 2000;Elola & Oskoz, 2008;Baker, 2012;Son & Park, 2012;Dervin, 2014).
There have been various ICT tools used by the language learners particularly in relation to fostering their language skills incorporated with ICC in the classroom. Ho (2000) presents the development of intercultural awareness and writing skills through e-mail exchange between primary level students (Singapore and Birmingham, UK) that develops students ¶ FRQILGHQFH language skills and creativity, sense of awareness of intercultural concerns, and of their being part of a dynamic, international, global community. Baker (2012) asserts that E-learning offers many new pedagogic opportunities and develops an online course in ICC for a group of English language learners. The study reveals positive responses to both the course contents and the course delivery through e-learning and students had very favorable attitudes and responses to learning about ICC and global Englishes. Elola & Oskoz (2008) investigate how blogs are used to connect language learners in Spain and the US for the purpose of developing students ¶ ,&& DQG ODQJXDJH VNLOOV 'HUYLQ ¶V XVHV GLVFXUVLYH SUDJPDWLFV '3 WR examine how the students in two European countries construct interculturality online during several chat sessions. The study shows that the students can negotiate and defend their national DQG HWKQLF LGHQWLWLHV DQG DOVR FRQVWUXFW HDFK RWKHU ¶V SHUFHSWLRQV RQ ZULWWHQ GLVFRXUVHV 7KH further ICC research has extended its concern on the ICT tools usability. Son and Park (2012) examine intercultural usability of language learning websites due to its lack of intercultural focus and presentation of static information on the TL. They explore intercultural aspects of language learning websites and present usability guidelines for designing cultural dimensions of language learning to be integrated in intercultural language learning websites.
However, the challenges and implications of the ICT use in facilitating the ICC learning also need to be taken into account. Ho (2000) claims e-mail exchange project also yielded discernible shifts in tHDFKHUV ¶ WUDGLWLRQDO UROHV DQG UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV DQG WKH SDUW WKH\ SOD\HG LQ WKHLU VWXGHQWV ¶ SDUWLFLSDWLRQ DV WKH SURMHFW GHYHORSHG 1RWDEOH GLIIHUHQFHV ZHUH DOVR REVHUYHG LQ VWXGHQWV ¶ H[SHFWDWLRQ RI WHDFKHUV LQ WKH WZR FRXQWULHV %DNHU FODLPV WKDW for ELT to be of most relevance to users of English; it needs to incorporate knowledge of global English and intercultural communication education and e-learning course offers one example of how this can be delivered. Devrin (2014) proposes questions pertaining to the development of intercultural competence facilitated in such a context of online interaction as the students are sitting in a safe environment, writing to each other. He also questions the idea of electronic encounters possibility to become the ILUVW VWHS WR µUHDO ¶ LQWHUFXOWXUDO HQFRXQWHUV $OVR 6RQ Park (2012) assert that there is a need to answer the question of how language learning websites integrate the target language and culture for the development of intercultural sensitivity and competence.
$QRWKHU SDWKZD\ ZKLFK SRVVLEO\ SURPRWHV VWXGHQWV ¶ ICC development is through experiential learning via study abroad. How can teachers provide EFL students with meaningful and authentic intercultural experiences that also integrate language and content? Some educators, in response to this question, have adopted a communicative approach (Liaw, 2007) in which students use English to acquire knowledge of content and culture, thereby enhancing their understanding of the unfamiliarity. Experiential learning activities to engage students in an authentic dialogue of cultures (Su, 2008) can be done through visit abroad either for the sake of continuing the study or joining the international student-exchange program. In fact, many studies show the effect of visits abroad on intercultural competence development (Medina-Lopez-Portillo 2004;William, 2005;Gu & Schweisfurth, 2006;Heuser, 2012;Trede, Bowles & Bridges, 2013;Jackson, 2015). students are immersed within a culture, the more they learn and the more their intercultural sensitivity develops. Short study abroad programs may also result in increased intercultural sensitivity. However, Williams (2005) found that overseas study can develop intercultural capabilities only if students actually interact with the locals. Thus, it is not enough to simply study or work overseas; culWXUDO LPPHUVLRQ LV LPSRUWDQW +HXVHU ¶V VWXG\ among Japanese and American university students using ethnographic conversations in a tenmonth study abroad program in the USA can be used as a viable educational method for promoting language, content, and intercultural learning among EFL students. Whereas the experimental group experienced gains in intercultural competence, second language self-efficacy, and global-mindedness, the control group (students on the home campus prior to study abroad) regressed slightly. Trede, Bowles & Bridges (2013 suggest that intercultural competence and global citizenship can be developed through international H[SHULHQFHV DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH VWXGHQWV ¶ DFDGHPLF SHUFHSWLRQV *X 6FKZHLVIXUWK KDYH shed light on the issue of the motivation and adaptations of Chinese learners in two markedly different contexts: China and the UK. The outcome of the intercultural learning process is as PXFK DERXW OHDUQHUV ¶ UHODWLRQVKLSV ZLWK WKHLU OHDUQLQJ HQYLURQPHQWV and teachers and intercultural encounters are potentially positive experiences in that they provide an opportunity for critical self-reflection and self-awareness, strategic adaptation and consequently professional and personal growth. Regarding the current progress ICC research involving English students particularly in EFL/ESL contexts, it can be argued that ELT classroom is considered as an appropriate context to foster ICC teaching and learning. Consequently, first of all English teachers are demanded to become intercultural competent teachers who can serve ICC teaching to their students well. Su (2014) asserts that EFL teachers should provide tasks to help students develop awareness that English is an international language owned by all who use it and design EFL curriculum with an international and multicultural focus and not merely uncritically focus on promoting Anglo-American and British norms, values, and life experiences by excluding others. Baker (2011) suggests that the ELT classroom is a site in which learners, and ideally teachers, are necessarily engaged in multilingual and multicultural practices and thus provides the ideal environment in which to develop ICC and to prepare users of English to communicate in global settings. Based on the aforementioned current issues of ESL/EFL students ¶ ICC learning and development, it signals further investigation focused on the students ¶ YLHZV DQG H[SHULHQFHV of culture learning. This study is FRQGXFWHG LQ RUGHU WR NQRZ WKH ,QGRQHVLDQ VWXGHQWV ¶ perceptions on the culture learning particularly in their EFL classrooms. Therefore, this study SURSRVHV D UHVHDUFK TXHVWLRQ ³KRZ GR WKH VWXGHQWV YLHZ DQG undertake their culture learning in Indonesian EFL higher HGXFDWLRQ LQVWLWXWLRQV"´ In specific, there are some aspects explored covering VWXGHQWV ¶ purposes of learning language incorporated with culture, the useful activities of their experience of culture learning in the EFL classroom, their experience of culture learning outside the classroom, their perceptions of the value of aspects of culture OHDUQLQJ LQ (QJOLVK VXEMHFWV VWXGHQWV ¶ HYDOXDWLRQ RI WKH EHQHILWV RI FXOWXUH OHDUQLQJ LQ WKH ()/ context, and their opinion about teaching of language and culture in the Indonesian EFL classes.

Research Design
This study was a survey research (Creswell, 2005) which collected data first-hand by asking the students some questions in order to gather information specifically in terms of their views and experiences of culture learning in their EFL classrooms. The survey research type employed in this study was questionnaire type which comprised multiple choice items in accordance with the given questionnaire statements. The questionnaire was distributed through group administered questionnaire in this case was English students in the EFL classrooms.

Research Setting and Participants
This study was carried out in October and December 2016 in two state universities: 1) University of Riau (UR) located in Riau Province and 2) Brawijaya University (UB) in Malang-East Java. Regarding the English VWXGHQWV ¶ LQYROYHPHQW in this research, I took a total of 80 participants (the fifth semester students) consisting 40 students from English Education Department UR and 40 students from English Language Studies UB by using random sampling (Creswell, 2005). The reason for involving the English students as the participants was due to their culture learning experiences in EFL classrooms. Moreover, considering the culture background of students-participants from the two universities, as a matter of fact, they shared a quite similar heterogeneous ethnicity in their EFL classrooms. Naturally, such heterogeneous ethnicity environment could positively and potentially engage the students to OHDUQ DERXW ³VHOI´ DQG ³RWKHUQHVV´. UR has students from Riau, Jakarta, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Jambi, Aceh and Palembang. Similarly, UB has students from several different provinces; Jakarta, Bandung, Kalimantan, Riau, Aceh, North Sumatra, Palembang, Sulawesi, Bali and West Sumatra. Since the two universities are public universities; the campuses have commonly become the first choice and favourable places to study for a majority of students who come from several different provinces in Indonesia. Every year, many students take the opportunity on the national scale admission to the public universities in Indonesia across different provinces. Therefore, both UR and UB have such heterogeneous students from different regions in Indonesia.

Data Collection Technique and Analysis
The student questionnaire (adopted and adapted from HST. Kiet, 2011; See Appendix 1) consisting of six items was used. The data collected from the questionnaire related to the VWXGHQWV ¶ views and experiences of culture and language teaching and learning in their EFL contexts. 7KH TXHVWLRQQDLUH JDWKHUHG WKH LQIRUPDWLRQ LQ WHUPV RI WKH VWXGHQWV ¶ SXUSRVHV RI learning language incorporated with culture, the useful activities of their experience of culture learning in the EFL classroom, their experience of culture learning outside the classroom, their perceptions of the value of aspects of culture learning in English subjects, their evaluation of WKH EHQHILWV RI FXOWXUH OHDUQLQJ DQG WKHLU RSLQLRQ RI µWKH WDUJHW FXOWXre should be taught WRJHWKHU ZLWK WKH WDUJHW ODQJXDJH LQ WKH ()/ FODVVHV LQ ,QGRQHVLD ¶ Pertaining to the data analysis of the student questionnaire in order to answer the research question, the statistical data analysis was used. The completed student questionnaire was analysed by using statistical computation due to the constructed items used the Likert scale with a scoring range (See Appendix 1). Thus, the descriptive statistics analysis (Sum of score, Mean and Standard Deviation) was used to analyse the completed student questionnaire (Creswell, 2005).    In fact, discussing cultural similarities and differences was considered ³useful´ (M=3.83) and solving cultural dilemmas was the first least popular and was considered ³quite useful´ (M=2.44). The results indicate that the aspect of cultural facts oriented to target culture exploration was the most dominant cultural learning activities in the classroom. Table 3 reports on data of VWXGHQWV ¶ FXOWXUH OHDUQLQJ DFWLYLWLHV outside the classroom. The students were asked to choose among the five scales (from least useful up to most useful) to any activities they learned culture outside the classroom. The mean scores are used to interpret the usefulness of each activity.     ). The first least perception was misunderstanding in intercultural communication is mostly due to the language problems rather than cultural differences (M=3.14). The results show that the students had positive perceptions of learning cultures since they could be more tolerant and open-minded. They had awareness that language and culture learning were important and they also had good appreciation to their own culture.

FINDINGS
:   LQGLFDWHV WKH KRPRJHQHLW\ RI WKH VWXGHQWV ¶ YLHZV RI WKH FXOWXUH OHDUQLQJ EHQHILWV The result reveals that the students agreed that culture learning benefited them to their EFL learning.
0RUHRYHU LQ WHUPV RI WKH VWXGHQWV ¶ DJUHHPHQW ZLWK WKH VWDWHPHQW ³WKH WDUJHW FXOWXUH VKRXOG be taught together with the target language in EFL classes in ,QGRQHVLD´ WKH WKUHH VFDOHV ³\HV´ ³ZLWK OLPLWDWLRQ´ DQG ³QR´ ZHUH JLYHQ DV WKH RSWLRQV ,W FDQ EH VHHQ LQ WDEOH 6.  and culture in the EFL context. The result shows that most students agreed the target culture should be taught together with the target language in their EFL classes.
In brief, the students show their positive views and supportive experiences of both language and culture learning in their EFL classroom. 6WXGHQWV ¶ goals for culture learning indicate that the ICC aspect of showing respect for otherness, empathy and tolerance towards other peoples and cultures was identified as the leading purpose that represented other ICC purposes. They showed their positive attitudes in culture learning purposes. They mainly learned cultural facts oriented to target culture exploration as the dominant culture learning in the classroom. The media (internet, TV and literature) was the most dominant culture learning sources outside the classroom. The students had positive perceptions of learning cultures. The students found that culture learning benefited them to their EFL learning. Finally, they agreed that the target culture should be taught together with the target language in their EFL classes.

6WXGHQWV ¶ 9LHZV DQG ([SHULHQFHV RI &XOWXUH /HDUQLQJ LQ ,QGRQHVLDQ ()/ Classrooms in Higher Education Institutions
,Q WHUPV RI WKH VWXGHQWV ¶ YLHZV and experiences of culture learning, the findings show that the VWXGHQWV ¶ purposes for cultural learning indicate that the ICC aspect of showing respect for otherness, empathy and tolerance towards other peoples and cultures was identified as the leading purpose that represented any other ICC purposes. As a matter of fact, this view constitutes the core attributes of ICC. This finding is in line with Byram et al. (2002) who assert that the ICC dimensions in language teaching aims to develop learners as intercultural speakers or mediators who are able to engage with complexity and multiple identities in intercultural communication which is held on the basis of respect for individuals and equality of human rights as the democratic basis for social interaction and to avoid the stereotyping which accompanies perceiving someone through a single identity.  (2011) claims that exploring traditional media and art through English including film, television, radio, newspapers, novels, and magazines can be used in culture teaching and learning for the sake of critically exploring and evaluating the images of local and other cultures.
The findings also revealed that media (internet, TV and literature) was the most dominant cultural learning sources outside the classroom. In case of EFL learning context, the students have little or no contacts to English native speakers. Such alternative culture learning sources like accessing media was considered useful, supportive and effective to facilitate the students in learning culture and language. It is in line with Godwin-Jones ¶V (2013) argument that textbooks oversimplify and distil complexity into simple patterns and easy to understand paradigms, however many available opportunities could provide alternatives to students with the coming of todD\ ¶V ,&7. In fact, many teachers have recognized that to have students work with culturally and linguistically authentic speech, using the internet for example to connect their students with groups of willing native speakers offers the best opportunity to move beyond the textbook. In fact, there have been many inquiries on the integrating and use of media range from the traditional to the most advanced such as ICT media in the area of language and culture teaching and development (Ho, 2000;Elola & Oskoz, 2008;Hamilton & Woodward-Kron, 2010;Son & Park, 2012;Baker, 2012;Freiermuth & Huang, 2012;Yang & Fleming, 2013;J. Wang et al., 2013;Dervin, 2014;Pandey, & Ardichvili, 2015).
The findings indicate that the English students evidently had positive perceptions of learning cultures since they believe it help them become more tolerant and open-minded, have equal positive values of language and culture learning and have good appreciation to their own FXOWXUH 6XFK VWXGHQWV ¶ SRVLWLYH SHUFHSWLRQ DV WKH EHQefit of learning culture is confirmed in %\UDP ¶V 0RGHO RI ,&& explaining that foreign language teachers are asked to guide students through the process of acquiring competencies in attitudes, knowledge, and skills related to ICC while using a foreign language. Teachers must lead students through activities in which ICC dimensions are considered, and ideally transform the students. Consequently, when language skills and intercultural competency are linked in a language classroom, students become optimally prepared for participation in a global world communication and LQWHUDFWLRQ ,Q UHODWLRQ WR WKLV VWXG\ WKH VWXGHQWV ¶ SRVLWLYH DWWLWXGH UHIOHFWs WKHLU WHDFKHUV ¶ positive values in culture teaching. This is confirmed in Anderson ¶V (1993) claim that stuGHQWV ¶ SHUFHSWLRQV RI ODQJXDJHV DQG WKH OHDUQLQJ SURFHVV DUH FXOWXUDOO\ GHULYHG DQG PD\ differ drastically from those of their foreign language teachers. As a matter of fact, the Indonesian EFL students were identified to possess such positive views on their culture learning mirror to what have been exposed by their English teachers in the ELT classrooms. The study shows that the students found that culture learning benefited them to their EFL learning. It is in line with VWXGHQWV ¶ YLHZV as they agreed the target culture should be taught together with the target language in their EFL classes. This finding relates to Wright (1996) that claims a central concern in ELT; therefore, should raise awareness of the importance of culture in language education. Although it is often thought that culture and language can be taught separately; it is inevitably that culture is present in the language classroom despite any attempts to remove it (Byram, 1997;Kramsch, 1993). In sum, bringing students to see and grasp the positive ideas of the juxtaposition of culture learning and language learning are both crucial for effective communication and language learning now and in the future.

CONCLUSIONS
The Indonesian EFL VWXGHQWV ¶ SHUFHSWLRQV RI FXOWXUH OHDUQLQJ showed the positive views and experiences in many aspects. The students showed their positive attitude to the culture learning purposes. They mainly learned cultural facts oriented to target culture exploration as the dominant cultural learning activities in the classroom. The media (internet, TV and literature) was the most dominant cultural learning sources outside the classroom. The students found that culture learning benefited them to their EFL learning. Finally, they agreed that the target culture should be taught together with the target language in their EFL classes. ,Q IDFW VXFK UHYHDOHG SKHQRPHQD ZHUH SDUWO\ DQG RU ODUJHO\ GXH WR WKH (QJOLVK WHDFKHUV ¶ investments as the role models in their EFL classrooms. It can be discerned that there have been such positive reflections and/or implications of what had been exposed by their English teachers in EFL classrooms which trigger the students to develop their ICC through inside and outside classroom activities. Presumably, such supportive and conducive interactions between teachers and students and between students and students have gradually accomplished intercultural awareness and understanding. Therefore, it is suggested to the future researchers to investigate such an in-depth study pertaining WR VWXGHQWV ¶ ICC learning and development in the environment of classroom interactions. It is important to see how classroom interactions could EH DQ LGHDO VLWH WR IRVWHU VWXGHQWV ¶ ,&&