Teachers’ perceptions towards ICC in the classroom: an exploratory case study in two public education settings in Caucasia, Colombia

Eng: Many scholars have underscored the pivotal role of culture in language education, regarding it as an indispensable facet of language instruction and acquisition. Despite extensive research into interculturality within the realm of foreign language instruction, scant attention has been devoted in Colombia by Bilingual Policies to comprehending the perceptions and assimilation of opportunities for cultural awareness by English instructors across varying educational levels and socio-cultural contexts in Colombian secondary education. This study endeavors to scrutinize English teachers’ conceptualizations of Intercultural Communicative Competence within their pedagogical practices and the extent of its integration within the language classroom. Employing an exploratory case study research design, the study engaged in interviews with two English teachers operating in disparate educational milieus—urban and rural public schools. Envisaged outcomes of this study encompass novel insights into extant literature on interculturality, shedding light on the cultural perspectives held by Colombian language educators within diverse educational settings and illustrating the integration of interculturality within specific educational strata. Drawing upon the implications of these findings, the study proffers recommendations to fortify ICC practices for prospective language educators in Colombia.