Culture in Language Teaching
1. Culture: An Integral Component of Language Teaching
Way of life and behaviors of speech communities
A global concept was problematic
because
Information technologies, globalizatin, multicultural democracies
Important question
What culture should we teach?
2. The Cultural Dimensions of Language Study
Perspectives of culture
2.1 The Modernist Perspective
Context in which language is spoken
Humanistic Concept
General knowledge of literature and the arts. Also called Big C culture.
Sociolinguistic Concept
Native speakers using language for communicative purposes. Also called Little c culture.
Depends on whether language
Foreign language
Classes without contact with native speakers. Culture is practical and tourist.
Second language
Classes in the target country or with native speakers. Culture can take form as debates, discussions about living and working conditions for immigrants.
Heritage language
Classes for native speakers who wich to connect with their ancestral roots. Culture is the reason to be of language teaching.
Intercultural Education
Objective: Increase dialogue and cooperation between different cultures within a global economy.
Mastery of English as second or international language
2.2 The Post-Modernist Perspective
Referring to Discourse, identity and power. This has influenced the teching of other languages.
Culture as Discourse
Ways of using language, of thinking, feeling, believing and acting that can be used to identify oneself as member of a socially group or 'social network'.
Culture as a discourse is embodied history
Culture as Identity
Dissociates the individual learner from the collective history, it gives people power to take their destiny in their own hands.
Individuality is also cultural
Culture as the moral right to be heard and listened to
Individuals who define themselves as members of cultural groups characterized by ethnicity, gender, sexual prefernces, religional affiliation, etc.
Moral and ideological struggle--->How to teach cultural and moral difference without ignoring conflictual aspects of that difference?
3. New Ways of Integrating Language, Culture, History and Identity
Reconceptualization of culture to supply need of learners of
Foreign language: citizens of nation states needs to learn languages of citizens of other nation states.
Second language: for industialized countries, the immigrants need to be integrated into the host societies.
Heritage language: long time residents need to learn the language of their ancestor to feel reconnected with their roots.
3.1 Foreign Language
Pluriculturalism and interculturalism. Interest in teaching other languages than English.
3.2 Heritage Languages, Second Languages
Preservation of endangered languages
Culture must be think as a subjective, entity linked to an individual's history in variable contexts of language use.
3.3 Resignifying Culture as Historicity and Subjectivity
Culture is embodied history and language is the bridge that connect individual with society.
