The Effect of the Foreign Culture on Learners‟ Reading Comprehension through the Secondary School Textbook “Getting Through”.

Abstract

The present research attempts to examine the effects of the foreign culture introduced in the reading materials on learners’ reading comprehension, and the way culture is actually dealt with foreign language classes in the Secondary School level. Throughout the study, we tend to explore teachers’ as well as students perspectives and opinions towards the issue under investigation through diagnosing test contain two texts which involve foreign cultural clues to the students from second year textbook, and designing teachers questionnaire. In other words, this study focuses on whether reading materials incorporating foreign cultural clues facilitate learners’ reading comprehension. In addition, the teachers’ cultural knowledge, methods techniques, activities, materials currently used to teach and integrate culture into English foreign classes. The results show that texts include foreign cultural clues hinder the process of reading comprehension. Likewise, the results of teachers’ questionnaire confirm the idea of reading materials incorporate foreign culture type hinders learners reading comprehension. Moreover, language and culture are closely related and the unavailability of resources and materials which might have helped teachers to introduce the target culture in their classes. On the basis of this findings, a set of recommendations for both students and teachers in order to offer useful ways of reaching culture in English foreign classes.