Naslov
Teaching Culture and Culture Learning in the EFL- Classroom: From Static to Dynamic

Autori
Vodopija-Krstanović, Irena

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Poglavlja u knjigama, znanstveni

Knjiga
Future Perspectives for English Language Teaching

Urednik/ci
Delanoy, W. ; Volkmann, L.

Izdavač
Universitätsverlag Winter

Grad
Heidelberg

Godina
2008

Raspon stranica
189-200

ISBN
978-3-8255-5530-2

Ključne riječi
Coursebooks, Culture, ELT, EFL

Sažetak
This article looks at various dimensions of culture teaching and learning in the EFL classroom with particular reference to the Croatian context. Culture teaching and learning have long been a matter of debate in EFL resulting in a shift away from the positivist facts transmission approach based teaching and learning which focussed on data about the target English-Speaking Anglo-American cultures. Nevertheless, EFL teaching materials and the perceptions of both teachers and learners do not always follow the new directions in culture teaching. Consequently, target culture data can be found in EFL teaching materials and a facts based approach to teaching culture is still practiced by many ELT professionals. There seems to be a rift between theory and practice, and academics and practitioners often differ with respect to their perspectives on what culture teaching and learning is about and which cultures to include. Widdowson (2003) states that there is distrust of theory among English language teachers, which is often perceived as distant from practice. Hence, culture teaching/learning which aims at developing the learner’s tolerance, understanding and intercultural communicative competence for the use of English in local and international contexts, is often not fostered in practice. This study will discuss issues in EFL language and culture teaching and I will look at the culture section of a Croatian elementary EFL textbook and provide some insights on the concept of culture encapsulated therein, and how the notion is reflected in learning. In this context, Bennet’s (1993) Intercultural Sensitivity Developmental model and the experiential learning framework proposed by Moran (2001) will be examined to glean insights into the process approach to culture learning as an alternative to the static facts transmission approach. The author believes that it is necessary to make both teachers and learners aware of the role of culture in ELT and to encourage EFL practitioners to reflect on their practise and think of their activities and teaching in broader terms than the promotion of effective second/foreign language acquisition.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Filologija

POVEZANOST RADA