| As the world is clearly facing a challenge of transition; an unprecedented state of interconnectedness, talking about foreign languages and cultures has been an interesting, but sometimes controversial, topic across college campuses. However, the concept of foreign cultures representation in higher education is poorly understood and inadequately emphasized. The purpose of the study was to examine the attitudes of Saudi students enrolled, for fall 2008, in one of the ten modern foreign languages programs at the College of Languages and Translation at King Saud University main campus in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, towards foreign cultures. To be more specific, the study was designed to examine the impact of some factors, namely students' level of education, travel abroad habits and sources of knowledge/image of 'the other' on their perceptions and attitudes. Additionally, the study intended to address the potential impact of students' attitudes on their identities.;The findings of the study indicate that (1) subjects, as a group, had positive attitudes towards foreign cultures. Exceptions to this were just outliers. (2) Level of education was not statistically significant; there was no significant difference between freshmen and sophomores, on one hand, and juniors and seniors, on the other, in regards to their attitudes towards foreign cultures. (3) Travel abroad habit was found to be a statistically significant factor, t (246) = 5.51, p < .01, with a relatively large effect size d = .74; subjects who had traveled abroad showed a higher level of positive attitudes versus those who had not. (4) TV/media, as a source of knowledge, was by far the predominant source of knowledge for participants. However, none of the subjects' primary sources of knowledge: textbooks, instructors, family/friends, and TV/media, was statistically significant. Each source had equal chances of being the most, or may be the least, influential. (5) a relatively strong correlation, r = .71, was found between subjects' attitudes and their identities; the more positive attitude a subject had, the broader identity he possessed.;Moreover, the study highlighted instructors' lack of 'pedagogical content knowledge'. Only a little over 8% of total participants attributed their gain and knowledge about foreign cultures primarily to their instructors. Yet, more surprisingly, qualitative data showed that only two informants had considered themselves as major sources for their students' knowledge; a source for the subject being taught.;In conclusion, to maintain culturally sensitive and socially understanding Saudi generations, Saudi students should have access to more travel abroad opportunities, more reliable sources of knowledge, and more qualifying instructors. With what the world has been through, moreover, the study underscores the need for having well-developed curricula that deal precisely and directly with foreign cultures. Ambiguity and/or hope for good, appropriate representation of the other should no longer be part of the equation.;To gain a holistic perspective about the phenomenon being studied, multi-methods, quantitative and qualitative, were used. A questionnaire had been developed and distributed to students. The total sample consisted of 248 participants whose responses were statistically analyzed. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six faculty members teaching foreign languages and cultures at the College of Languages and Translation. |
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