Glocalization of materials to value local culture in the development of English communicative competence in fifth-semester students of the Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages with Emphasis on English at Unidad Central del Valle del Cauca

Abstract

This work addresses the glocalization of didactic materials for English language teaching, to value local culture in the educational context. This study was developed in the Unidad Central del Valle del Cauca with fifth-semester students of the Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages with an Emphasis on English. The identified problem lies in the limited integration of local cultural elements in the English educational resources, which reduces the students' connection with their environment and decreases the relevance of the learning process. To approach this situation, a questionnaire was designed and applied to students to identify their interests and significant cultural elements that could be incorporated into a glocalized didactic sequence. Subsequently, this sequence was implemented in the classroom, and data was collected through field diaries, in which the experiences, perceptions, and reactions of the participants during the process were documented. The information collected was subjected to a qualitative coding process, which made it possible to organize and categorize the data for deep analysis. The results show that the glocalization of materials not only favors students' recognition and appreciation of local culture but also contributes to increased motivation and participation in learning English. This study provides a viable proposal for cultural integration in language teaching, fostering more meaningful and contextualized learning.