1 Introduction

Teacher cognition is crucial for achieving teaching objectives. The Ministry of Education has included the cultivation of cross-cultural communication skills in English teaching objectives. Foreign language teachers play a key role in cross-cultural communication teaching, and their understanding and role positioning in cross-cultural communication teaching are of great significance for the cultivation of students' cross-cultural abilities and the professional development of teachers.

Cross cultural teaching cognition of foreign language teachers

The study of foreign language teacher cognition originated in the 1970s and is divided into descriptive research on the overall cognition of teachers and targeted research on specific subjects or curriculum contexts. Research in China started relatively late, but has developed rapidly in recent years, involving multiple subjects such as speaking, grammar, and reading. The cultivation of cross-cultural competence has become an important part of foreign language teaching, and international and domestic scholars have begun to pay attention to teachers' understanding of cross-cultural teaching. This study focuses on the teaching cognition of cross-cultural communication courses among college English teachers, and uses a qualitative method of semi-structured interviews to collect data, aiming to explore teachers' views and practices on IC course teaching.

3 Research Design

This chapter elaborates on the research design, including the selection of research subjects, data collection and analysis methods. The research subjects are 12 college English teachers with over 3 years of experience in teaching intercultural communication (IC) courses. Their diverse backgrounds ensure the diversity and richness of the data. The data collection is mainly conducted through semi-structured interviews, which involve teachers' understanding of IC course teaching, including teaching content, cultural involvement, textbook selection, teaching methods, and teacher role positioning. The interview recordings of each teacher were transcribed and analyzed after confirmation. In addition, researchers also collected teachers' teaching syllabi, textbooks, courseware, academic papers, and project applications to supplement and verify interview data. The data analysis adopts the thematic analysis method, based on Borg's framework of teacher cognitive elements, dividing the data into four major categories and coding and cross case comparison to summarize the cognitive themes of teachers towards IC course teaching.

4 research findings

College English teachers emphasize cultural diversity and the integration of Chinese culture in their understanding of teaching content in cross-cultural communication courses. Teachers tend to teach general culture rather than specific culture to enhance students' cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity, while emphasizing the understanding and dissemination of Chinese culture. In the selection of teaching materials, teachers exhibit three attitudes: loyalty to textbooks, reliance on textbooks, and independent selection. Some teachers are more inclined to use current affairs materials and update textbook content. In terms of teaching activities, teachers believe that cross-cultural knowledge teaching, interactive experience, and critical thinking cultivation are key, and promote students' cross-cultural understanding through methods such as case studies and simulation games. In terms of teacher role cognition, teachers see themselves as knowledge transmitters, guides, and co learners, emphasizing the importance of guiding and promoting students' self exploration in the teaching process.

5 Discussions

College English teachers exhibit unique cognitive characteristics in cross-cultural communication course teaching. They value cultural diversity and emphasize the importance of Chinese culture in teaching, which is in line with non essentialist views. In the selection of teaching materials, teachers demonstrate diverse cognition, including those who are loyal to the textbooks, as well as those who are based on the textbooks and independently selected. This is in contrast to the limited cross-cultural teaching resources in the past, reflecting the development and abundant resources of the discipline of cross-cultural communication. In terms of teaching activities, teachers believe that knowledge imparting is the foundation, but they place more emphasis on cultivating interactive experiences and critical thinking abilities, emphasizing the integration of students' personal narratives and the creation of cross-cultural interactive environments. In terms of teacher role positioning, they are not only knowledge lecturers, but also guides and co learners, surpassing the traditional role of foreign language teachers and playing a key role in the development of students' cross-cultural abilities.

6 Conclusion

This study revealed the cognition of 12 college English IC course teachers in cross-cultural communication teaching through interviews. Teachers emphasize cultural diversity and integrate Chinese culture into their teaching content; In the selection of teaching materials, there are three strategies: loyalty to the textbook, based on the textbook, and independent selection; In teaching activities, emphasis is placed on combining cross-cultural knowledge teaching with interactive experiences; In terms of role positioning, they are both knowledge transmitters, guides, and learners. The research results have theoretical and practical significance for the cognitive research of foreign language teachers, cross-cultural teaching practices, and teacher education development, providing reference for teacher educators to design targeted sex education projects. Future research can track the development and changes of teachers' cross-cultural teaching cognition from a historical perspective.