Integrating Local Cultural Factors into English 10 Lessons: An Action Research Study

Abstract

The purpose of this action research was to examine how incorporating local culture into the “Communication and Culture” section in an English lesson would influence students’ engagement levels. The action research was conducted with tenth-grade students at a rural Vietnamese high school where the English textbook Global Success was used. Since the textbook featured only target culture content with little or no reference to local Vietnamese culture, students struggled to connect to the topics. The teacher-researcher followed a two-cycle process of action research, which consisted of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. Sources of data collection included classroom observations, student questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and teacher reflective journals. Results indicated an increase in student engagement, specifically behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. The study found that active behavioral engagement doubled in the second cycle. Other positive changes included students feeling more confident when communicating and some students progressing towards deeper levels of description by comparing cultural values such as family relationships and traditional songs. Students felt the tasks were less difficult because they could share what they already know about their culture. Students also took on less of a learner role and more of a peer-like role when working with the teacher-researcher. The results of this study imply that the incorporation of local culture can be both feasible and successful in similar rural EFL contexts.