Pixel International Conferences

Culture plays an important role in foreign language (FL) teaching and learning and is one of the key standards in world language education according to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (The National Standards Collaborative Board, 2015). However, many Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) teachers face the challenge of integrating cultural learning into the regular curriculum. This study employed a mixed-methods approach and conducted an online survey, the Instructor Perception Questionnaire, which consisted of a 7-point Likert scale, multiple-choice questions, and open-ended questions. The survey examined teachers’ perceptions and interests, future willingness to incorporate culture, confidence levels, preparation time, and textbook usage. A total of 260 CFL teachers participated in the survey. The purpose of the study was to investigate CFL teachers’ perceptions of teaching Chinese through cultural context and to explore their reflections on improving the CFL teaching and learning environment. The results indicate that most CFL teachers consider culture-integrated language teaching to be valuable. They believe that students can begin exploring Chinese culture at the beginning level and that integrating cultural context into language learning supports and enhances students’ interpersonal communication skills in Chinese.

Keywords: Culture-integrated language teaching, Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL), Teacher perceptions, Cultural context in language learning

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