Cultural factors on German language teaching and students’ cross-cultural psychological anxiety

• Published in: CNS spectrums Vol. 28; no. S2; p. S107
• Main Author: Xue, Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.10.2023
• Subjects: Abstracts; Anxiety; Foreign language learning; German language; Language acquisition; Pedagogy; Students; Teaching methods
• ISSN: 1092-8529; 2165-6509
• DOI: 10.1017/S1092852923005229

BackgroundEducational environments are evolving, recognizing that language acquisition extends beyond the science of linguistics and spans broader dimensions of sociocultural understanding. In the realm of German language education, there exists a marked effect of cultural factors on teaching strategies and student performance, which in turn influences cross-cultural anxiety. This study investigates the integration of cultural factors into the curriculum and pedagogy to alleviate cross-cultural anxiety, thus fostering a more conducive learning landscape for German language students.Subjects and MethodsThe study incorporated a mixed-subjects design involving both students and teachers of German language courses across various educational institutions. These participants were selected based on their exposure to German language learning environments. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and the Sociocultural Adaptability Scale were employed as the primary data collection tools. These standardized scales served to quantify the perceived levels of cross-cultural anxiety and the extent of cultural factor integration in the pedagogy. The collected data was rigorously analyzed using the statistical software, SPSS23.0.ResultsThe analysis of the collected data showed a compelling pattern. There was a significant correlation between the extent of cultural factor integration in teaching methodologies and the levels of cross-cultural anxiety among the students. As the implementation of culturally integrative teaching strategies increased, the foreign language anxiety experienced by learners decreased accordingly. This observational pattern was consistent across the various educational institutions involved in the study.ConclusionsThe research validates the import of cultural integration in alleviating cross-cultural anxiety. Incorporating such strategies could potentially enhance the efficacy of German language teaching.