Application Of An Intercultural Approach To English Language Teaching In High School

The rapid and profound development of globalization has created huge demands for intercultural communication,which makes the training of intercultural communication competence(ICC)an increasingly important subject in the study of English language teaching(ELT)in China.However,literature review indicates that teachers in current high school English class generally pay more attention to the acquisition of test-taking skills,while the teaching of related cultures turn out to be lacking in substance.This is illustrated in the finding that students' performances are higher in cognitive level than in behavioral level.Given the undesirably low focus on how to make high school students become active intercultural communicators in current classroom-based ELT studies,this paper seeks to find an intercultural approach that fits in high school English class and see how students' ICC is affected when this approach is applied.As a pilot study,current situations of ELT and cultural awareness of high school English learners in China were investigated,with the requirements for ICC development in New Curriculum Standard for High School English and cultural factors in major high school English textbooks in China analyzed.Based on Byram's ICC framework,class activities embodying intercultural teaching method were designed and applied to high school students.Intercultural Sensitivity Scale(ISS)was used to evaluate the students' intercultural sensitivity both before and after these activities.In addition to quantitative data,students' feedbacks and teachers' observation provided qualitative ones.Results of data analysis suggests that an intercultural approach to ELT contributes to the development of students' intercultural sensitivity and awareness,particularly in terms of attitude,one of the five aspects of ICC in Byram's model,in which significant positive changes were identified.Therefore,the paper concludes that applying an intercultural approach to ELT and involving intercultural elements in English classes are beneficial to the development of students' ICC.