Using the Movie My Name is Khan to Promote EFL Learners' Intercultural Competence

Seung, hee Jin

Article

Journal of English Teaching through Movies and Media 2013;14(2):43-62.
Published online September 30, 2013.

Using the Movie My Name is Khan to Promote EFL Learners' Intercultural Competence

Abstract

This paper explores the benefits of using the movie My name is Khan (Johar, 2010) to promote learners' intercultural competence, which is the recent goal of English as a second language/English as a foreign language (ESL/EFL) education. Intercultural competence, the ability "to successfully communicate with speakers of other cultures" (Lochtman & Kappel, 2008, p. 31), is a critical skill with which English language learners should be equipped in this increasingly globalized world where intercultural communication takes place frequently via advancements in technology. This paper presents beneficial features of using the movie My name is Khan as a proper classroom material to offer learners enriching opportunities to develop intercultural competence in the EFL classroom setting. As to suggest practical strategies to utilize the movie in the classroom for intercultural teaching, this paper presents teaching objectives and aim, several classroom activities (i.e. pre-viewing, while-viewing, post-viewing activities) and assessment. Anticipated problems and possible solutions are also provided. It proposes that the movie My name is Kahn, together with carefully designed course tasks, will help to enhance EFL learners' attitudes, knowledge, skills, and critical cultural awareness, which are the major components of the intercultural competence model suggested by Byram (1997).

Key Words: intercultural competence;film;EFL;intercultural learning