Students’ perceptions of integrating culture into Chinese language learning: A case study at a Thai university
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Abstract
This study investigates Thai undergraduate students’ perceptions of integrating cultural elements into Chinese language learning. Despite the growing trend of learning Chinese in Thailand, little is known about how students value cultural integration alongside linguistic skills. Using Byram’s (1997) Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) framework, the research employed a mixed-methods design. Data were collected from 85 fourth-year students through a validated questionnaire combining Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings indicate that students strongly value cultural integration, especially in areas of daily life, festivals, and social norms, as these enhance engagement and intercultural communication. However, challenges such as an uneven balance of cultural content and implementation issues were also reported. The study contributes to curriculum development in Chinese language education, emphasizing that culture is not supplementary but fundamental to achieving communication competence.
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