Strategies for Withstanding the Inevitable at Ground Zero —An Analysis of Intercultural Sensitivity in the ELT Classroom

Abstract

This paper is an analysis of how intercultural sensitivity is lived out in the classroom. It draws focus on the importance of intercultural awareness in the context of ELT and how this trait ultimately impacts teachers’ pedagogical decisions and daily teaching strategies. The study shows the dynamics of intercultural sensitivity as teachers grapple with not only the culture stemming from mostly Western published textbooks and their students’ culture, but their own culture as well. The study draws on qualitative data from a case study of expatriate teachers in a Saudi Arabian university ELT context. The data were generated through focus group discussions, interviews and classroom observations.