Exploring language teachers' beliefs about inter-cultural competence and their cultural practices

Intercultural competence is one of the most important components of language learning today. Teachers bear the responsibility for educating intercultural competent individuals in the classroom. The purpose of this study is to determine the beliefs and practices of English as a Foreign Language [EFL] teachers regarding intercultural competence and their cultural practices in the classroom. It examines whether teachers' intercultural beliefs and classroom practices differ in line with variables such as gender, education level, school type, years of experience and erasmus experience. To answer these questions, the 'Intercultural Competence for Teachers' questionnaire developed by Sercu (2005) was used. 122 English teachers working in Mersin participated in the survey. The survey was conducted online. Descriptive statistics, t-tests and ANOVA were utilized.The results of the survey indicate that teachers are willing to incorporate intercultural competence into their teaching and that they understand the importance of intercultural competence in their English classes.