Students’ and Instructors’ Perceptions of Teaching Culture in EFL Classes: A Case Study

The aim of the current study is to explore students’ and instructors’ opinions about teaching culture along with the language in the classroom. More specifically, the aim is to discover whether English Language Teaching Department in Shaqra University in Saudi Arabia includes teaching culture while teaching English language. Moreover, this study tries to discover whether the materials used in language courses enhance cultural awareness of the students. For these purposes, the adopted version of Gutsul’s (2012) questionnaire and semi-structured interview were given to the students; and for the instructors, an adapted version of Hui (2009) questionnaire is administered as well. The sample consists of 55 ELT students and 5 instructors from the ELT Department in Shaqra University. The results of the study show that students perceive teaching culture negatively in teaching English, while instructors found it positive and useful. It should also be mentioned that students’ low proficiency level influenced the findings of this study. Instructors’ opinions were considered positive, and they showed high awareness of the benefits of including culture into teaching English in EFL context. The findings of this study showed that the materials used in English language courses include cultural content, and the culture used was American culture. The results of the current study have educational implications. It is thought that the results may raise students’ awareness and give them general idea about including the target culture into the teaching of the target language. The study helps to discover the differences between students’ and instructors’ opinions of teaching culture. Keywords: Opinions, Teaching culture, Case study, materials, English Language Teaching, Implications.