In the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching, it is
common for instructors and students to come from very different cultural
backgrounds. Instructors who leave their home countries and go to teach
abroad may have trouble adjusting to the culture of their new teaching
context, and cultural misunderstandings that interfere with learning may
occur in the classroom (Kramsch, 1993). This research focused on
cultural conflicts between Western, native English-speaking instructors
and their Arab students at two university-level EFL programs in the UAE.
Questionnaires and interviews were used to discover the details of
specific classroom cultural conflicts and categorize them. Nine
categories of classroom cultural conflicts were identified, the major
ones being inappropriate materials/discussion topics, mixed-gender
issues, and disrespect for religious customs.