The learner’s culture : an impeder or facilitator of learning foreign languages and developing intercultural awareness

الملخص EN

This paper aims at inquiring into the meaning of culture, its different types and its impact on its adherents.

Also, it attempts to answer the following query: “is the learner’s culture an impeder or a facilitator to learning foreign languages and accepting culture differences?”.

It uses a questionnaire which has been randomly administered to a sample of (100) students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at Batna-2 University.

The analysis of results asserts that Algeria is a multicultural context where a variety of ethnic groups coexist.

Additionally, it suggests that the native culture could be a prominent barrier to the process of learning a foreign language and its culture.

Thereupon, this paper fervently recommends the necessity of developing both cultural and intercultural awareness to equip the learner with the appropriate knowledge that could effectively facilitate the process of learning a foreign language.