TEACHING OF CULTURAL CONTENTS IN ESL TEXTBOOKS: CHALLENGES FACED BY ESL TEACHERS AT INTERMEDIATE LEVEL IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study investigates the challenges faced by ESL teachers in teaching cultural contents at the intermediate level in District Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study aims to identify the difficulties encountered by the ESL teachers while teaching the target-language cultural contents to the students. In the initial stage, the textbook was examined and the cultural contents were located. A questionnaire was drafted, based on the text which was followed by interviews. The study used mixed methods approach including questionnaires and interviews. The sample size of the selected participants included fifty-two teachers. The findings of the research revealed that teachers face several difficulties while teaching foreign cultural words to learners. One major problem was the students’ lack of background knowledge of the target culture. Secondly, it was challenging to explain such concepts in the absence of their equivalent words in the local language. During the study, it was known that the teachers faced difficulty explaining the meanings mainly those related to conflicting concepts from religious and ideological points of view. The study recommends measures to train the teachers to effectively teach the target culture through proper training.