So here's the topic for the the discussion for Jan. 10, 08;
What were the most convincing arguments for teaching culture in the foreign or second language classroom?
Of course, you can also ask and discuss whatever pertinent topics that you want. Feel free to pose questions and even post images if you should feel inclined.
Thanks,
Dr. M
11 comments:
With regards to teaching culture in the foreign language classroom, I believe that the article "Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century" makes a great point:
--"...students need to develop an awareness of other people's world views, of their unique way of life, and of the patterns of behavior... Such awareness will help combat the ethnocentrism that often dominates the thinking of our young people." (Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures)
[With this, I believe that, as culture is taught with language, students will not only know HOW to speak, but WHAT to talk about with those of the given culture.
For example, I know that many in my wife's culture would ("uniquely") prefer not to discuss what they do professionally when meeting someone new, but rather talk about food, family, weather, and the landscape. This is quite different from our culture--since the first thing we usually ask is, "What do you do?"]
I agree with Drew...I think that as we expose our students to new cultural views and perspectives, it will increase both awareness and understanding. The best way to become more culturally aware is, in my opinion, to actually spend time immersed in another culture. However, it is an unfortunate reality that not everyone will have the opportunity to leave the United States, or, to be truly immersed in another culture. Because of this, I think that as second language teachers, it is our job to give students at least a taste of what they could experience abroad.
Chapter 8 of Teaching Language in Context shared a story "of a Georgia school board member who approached Genelle Morain of the University of Georgia with the question: 'Why should a student who will never leave Macon, Georgia, study a foreign language?' Her reply was a succinct but profound: 'That's why he should study another language'".
As sad as it is for me to think that a student might never leave their hometown, I agree with Genelle Morain. I also believe that as students are exposed to language and culture together, they will be more likely to seek the opportunity to spend time in other countries and exposed to other cultures, which can increase understanding and acceptance in a world of ethnocentrism and bigotry.
For me, the chance that teaching culture in the classroom will have this effect on some students is convincing enough to do it, and do it well.
I also liked the quote that Drew put up and I believe that to be one of the main things our students come away with as we teach culture in the classroom. It broadens their minds and helps them to understand that our ways of looking at the world aren't necessarily the best and certainly aren't the only ways of viewing it.
The article "Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century" also says that "The study of a second language and the resulting intercultural exploration expand a learner's view of the world in different ways. This study creates an awareness of the existence of alternative views of other cultures while, at the same time, providing insights into the learner's native language and culture."
Thus learning about different cultures opens our mind to different views as well as gives us a new perspective of our own culture.
In today's "shrinking world", I believe that having an awareness of the differences in cultures is especially important.
I spent some time talking to my SPAN 102 classes today about this issue of culture. I even shared D&C 90:15 with them. I tried to explain that learning a foreign language and its culture will expand the way you see the world and make you more tolerant towards others. It seemed like something "clicked" for them. I'm hoping that it will help motivate them to learn the language.
Also, in Portuguese, Mike Child showed us a video about some of Brazil. I could feel myself getting more and more excited about the language as I watched the film.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is that today I saw a real connection between language and culture. I recognized the connection in part because of the discussion we had yesterday.
I believe that it is vital to teach culture so that students become mroe open-minded. They need to understand both others and themselves more fully. In studying another culture, we become aware of other worldviews, but in the process, we also become more aware of how our own culture has shaped us. I feel that I am more aware of the beautiful diversity of the world as well as myself through studying culture. I like the part of the reading that Sarah pointed out, that because students may never travel to another country, they need to learn a different language.
Also, language is one product of culture. Therefore, students will better understand the language that they are studying if they understand the culture that produced it. Not studying the culture and the people who use the language is like studying acting without ever seeing how it has actually been done by real people. There is so much emphasis in education in putting things in context. We can put language study into context by putting it into the broader picture of the language.
Also, studying culture is a great source of motivation for students. Perhaps this is because the language takes on life when we do. From personal experience in the classroom, my students have expressed a lot of enthusiasm when we have learned about the culture. I believe that the more contact that students have with the target culture (to the extent of interacting with native speakers), the more likely they are to continue studying the language and making it a part of their life long-term.
While I am not convinced that I can accurately present the richness of
Hispanic culture to my students, I also wonder if it is possible to teach language while leaving out culture. In virtually every article that we read, the authors confess the "complexity of the interaction between language and culture" (Standards for Foreign Language Learning, p. 53). I think it will creep in with the language, and some students will recognize it. Other students won't, which is why it is probably a good idea to actually highlight cultural insights for them.
I think it is important for the students to have a concept of differing cultures because of the ethnocentrism that Drew cited. I think that the goal of helping my students question their ethnocentrism is a realistic goal
for me, while teaching my students every nuance of Hispanic culture is not.
Linguistically speaking, I think that, as mentioned in class, that putting a word together with a concept, physical object, or action (for example, some things associated with religion or particular customs or food [who knows what a guanábana really is until they've seen and tried it?]) helps to make that thing more real. Teaching culture allows you to bring those sort of things in to the classroom and make the language something more than just a linguistic exercise, but something that is actually used.
As far as globalization goes, I think the Pratt made an interesting point in her article. As you all read, she mentions the fact that the focus on language learning for the purposes of national security is misguided in the sense that if people in the United States, both those in positions of power and the layfolk, already had an accurate knowledge of and appreciation for other languages and cultures, many of the crises that have arisen might never have done so in the first place. For example, the issue with immigration in California. Without going into the ins and outs of the whole illegal debate, I think much of the popular reaction seen in California is a result of unfounded or disproportional fears that have arisen out of prejudice or ignorance of Hispanic language, religion, and cultures. If, as Omaggio-Hadley mentions, the study of other cultures and languages were an essential part of children's "basic education" in the United States, many problems could be avoided, or at least resolved in a less polemical, polarized, and offensive manner.
Also, amen to the other comments.
What is a guanábana?
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=guan%C3%A1bana&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
Some sort of fruit, it looks like.
obviously there is no way to know until you have seen and tasted it. ;)
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