Evey-Week 6 Intercultural language teaching

Evey—Week 6 ICLT

Why is intercultural language teaching important? What does ICLT involve?

With the backdrop of growing economic globalization and trade liberalization, Intercultural language teaching (ICLT) has been getting more attention. Liddicoat (2012) believes that simple language can involve complex culture and culture differences often arise communication problems. Therefore, language teaching is more than teaching vocabulary and grammar. Culture should be integrated into language learning as well. ICLT not only involves understanding the culture in the target language and the cultural differences between the learners’ own culture, but also ‘provides opportunities for learners to reflect on their own culture through the eyes of others’ (Heather, Clare 2015), which is usually ignored by most language teachers. Through reflection, learners can establish their own identity instead of following the other cultures blindly. It is a good way to help students become aware of the culture differences between L1 and L2.

What are the problems of teaching culture to foreign language learners?

Problem 1: some learners feel threatened in their L1 identity by too much emphasis on culture. (Claire, 2013)

Problem 2: many of non-native language teachers feel inadequate when teaching culture they are not really familiar with. (Claire, 2013)

Problem 3: the feeling that culture is somehow an optional extra, which is marginal and dispensable.(Alan)

How to solve these problems?

As far as I am concerned, teachers should apply different approaches in foreign language teaching and second language teaching. For immigrants and people who have already been in the other country, they need to adapt themselves to the new environment as quickly as possible, so they have the need and motivation to learn another culture. On the other hand, the foreign language learns are not strongly motivated in learning other cultures, unless they are going to go abroad in the future. Therefore, the focus of cultural teaching to foreign language learners can be on their own cultural first. Then the teacher can integrate L2 cultural.

For example

Background: teacher & students—Chinese; L2—English; culture—Christmas

Step1: use English to talk about the most important festival—Spring Festival in China. Talk about: Why do people celebrate Spring Festival? What activities do people do? What food do people eat? The history of Spring Festival.

Design idea: arise students’ interests in talking about festival, and make them familiar with how to talk about their own culture in L2

Step2: ask students which festival is the most significant in western countries. The answer is Christmas. Then the teacher can give students some reading materials about Christmas, or play the videos related to Christmas. After that, teacher can go on talking about Christmas by asking these questions: Why do people celebrate Christmas? What activities do people do at Christmas? What food do people eat? The history of Christmas and so on. (make sure students can find answers in the reading materials or videos)

Design idea: students have already talked about their own culture in these aspects (food; activity; history; reason), so they are familiar with the sentence patterns they are going to use, which will make the discussion easier.

Step3: compare the differences between the two festivals. (different origins; food; activities and so on) ask some related question such as: Has your view of Christmas changed after the discussion?

idea: comparing is another way to input and can be accepted by students.

Step4: talk about some in-depth questions about culture such as: Why does an increasing number of Chinese celebrate Christmas? (for example: religious reason; commercial reason; a chance to have fun and so on) How do you feel about it? What do you think about western people celebrate Spring Festival? What is one thing you think a westerner might like and not like about Spring Festival?

Design idea: to reflect on students’ own culture through eyes of others; to establish students’ cultural identity; let them know it is normal to celebrate a festival in their own way; understand the purpose of celebrating and respect others’ tradition.

Step5 (optional): task—talk about the most important festival in your country with your foreign friends on Internet. Give an oral report about ‘how my foreign friend celebrates Christmas’.

Design idea: integrate culture leaning with task to create a relationship between the culture knowledge and real world, which can help to motivate students and enhance what they learned.

   

In conclusion, a good way to teach culture is to arise students’ interests. In foreign language teaching, a teacher can involve more culture of L1, and compare with L2. We should also let students know there is no absolutely right or wrong when it comes to culture, and they should keep curious; sensitive; and tolerant towards a different culture. 

References:

Kramsch, C. (2013). Culture in foreign language teaching. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 1(1), 57-58

Liddicoat, A.J. (2008). Pedegogical practice for integrating the intercultural in language teaching and learning. Japanese Studies, 28(3), 277-290. doi: 10.1080/10371390802446844

Pulverness, A. (2004, January). Here and there: issues in materials development for intercultural learning. Paper presented at Culture in ELT Seminar- Intercultural Materials in the Classroom and on the Web, British Council, Krakow, Poland. Retrived from http://www. academia. edu/268758/

Clare Conway, Heather Ricards (2015). Intercultural language learning and teaching Focus on Teaching 167811 CAI 169206

 [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://autonline.aut.ac.nz/webapps/blackboard/content/