Investigating Cultural Identity of Students Learning English through Short Stories: A Case Study of Iranian Students of English

A multitude of studies have highlighted the importance of implementing literary works in language and culture teaching. Despite the growing attention to cultural teaching through literary texts, the number of studies highlighting learning culture through short stories is still limited. This study investigated effects of teaching short stories on Iranian English students’ cultural identity reconstruction. Seven source and target stories entailing cultural conceptualizations of faith, love, and justice were taught during a semester. Four undergraduate students of TEFL at Yazd University were selected through purposive sampling. The researchers applied various instruments, including narrative interviews, open-ended questionnaires and diary studies. They collected the data related to participants’ self-images of initial, present, and future phases of learning English. The data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. The findings identified a three-stage developmental path of cultural identity reconstruction, initiating from being profoundly mesmerized by a foreign culture, followed by appreciating national identity. In the third stage, they experienced a stage of respect for intercultural diversities and had a tendency for active membership in international communities. The participants demonstrated a strong tendency to preserve their cultural identity and move toward globalization. The findings supported the flexibility and multiplicity of cultural identities confirming social constructionists’ views. The findings underline the need for fundamental revision of teaching materials for the course Oral Reproduction in order to strengthen the cultural identity of Iranian English learners on their path towards globalization.