Professional preparation of teachers to form foreign language culture as a condition of socialisation of schoolchildren

Objective The relevance of the study on the formation of foreign language culture in school education lies in the growing need for teachers to be competent in intercultural socialisation, which involves understanding and engaging with diverse cultures. A foreign language is a crucial tool for this socialisation process, fostering communication across cultural boundaries. The aim of this article is to identify approaches in teachers’ professional activities that contribute to the development of foreign language culture as a key factor in students’ social lives.Method This study employed a descriptive survey design based on written responses to open-ended questions completed by 120 teachers from different regions of Kazakhstan. The study examined teachers’ reported approaches to integrating foreign language culture into classroom practice. The analysis was conducted through quantitative content analysis of qualitative survey responses, supported by synthesis, systematisation, and generalisation of the coded findings.Results The findings indicate that, from teachers’ perspectives, foreign language education is perceived as contributing to students’ intercultural awareness and socialisation by exposing them to cultural materials, communicative tasks, and classroom practices oriented towards interaction with diverse cultural contexts. Rather than demonstrating a measurable increase in students’ intercultural competence, the results show that teachers associate culturally responsive materials, individualised learning methods, and active student engagement with the creation of conditions that may support intercultural understanding. The study therefore frames foreign language culture as a pedagogical resource that teachers consider valuable for broadening students’ awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity.Conclusions The study suggests that foreign language culture is perceived by teachers as an important component of students’ socialisation and self-education. The findings provide insight into integrating culturally oriented and communicative practices into teacher training programmes. However, the study does not claim to measure improvements in students’ intercultural competence; rather, it identifies the pedagogical practices that teachers regard as supportive of intercultural awareness and social participation in foreign language learning contexts.