Useful Techniques for Teaching Language and Culture
Useful Techniques for Teaching Language and Culture
The following are some useful techniques for presenting culture in the classroom:
Genuine Materials
Using authentic sources from the native speech community helps to engage students in authentic cultural experiences. Sources can include films, news broadcasts, and television shows; Web sites; and photographs, magazines,newspapers, restaurant menus, travel brochures, and other printed materials.Teachers can adapt their use of authentic materials to suit the age and language proficiency level of the students.
Films
Film and television offer students a chance to observe behaviors which are hidden in texts. Film is often one of the more current and comprehensive ways to encapsulate the look, feel, and rhythm of a culture and now they are available in CD/DVD. Film also connects students with language and cultural issues simultaneously (Stephens, 2001), such as depicting conversational timing or turntaking in conversation. At least one study showed that students achieved significant gains in overall cultural knowledge after watching videos from the target culture in the classroom (Herron, Cole, Corrie, & Dubreil, 1999).
Role Play
The role-play must take place after an exposure to authentic conversation. For example, after learning about ways of addressing different groups of people in the target culture, such as people of the same age and older people, students could role play a situation in which an inappropriate greeting is used. Other students observe the role play and try to identify the reason for the miscommunication.Then they role play the same situation using a culturally proper form of address.
Proverbs
Contrasting common proverbs in the target language possibly will focus on how the proverbs are different from or similar to proverbs in the students’ native language and how this concept gives insights of the target culture.
Volunteers Cultural Resources
Native speakers’ volunteers are a good authentic source for acquiring cultural awareness. They can be invited to the classroom as expert sources or by the direct interaction in the teaching process to teach certain oral topics.
Interviews
An effective way for students to learn about the target language and culture is to send them into their own community to find information via interviewing native speakers in the community, which they can record in notebooks or on audiotapes or videotapes. Discussion activities could include oral cultural topics. No doubt this technique needs time and devotion from teachers in preparation or appreciation.
Literature
Literary contents are often full with cultural information and evoke unforgettable reactions for readers. Texts that are carefully selected for a given group of students and with specific goals in mind can be very helpful in allowing students to acquire insight into the target culture.
Newspapers
Newspapers and magazines are a good source of cultural information: local papers will provide elements of everyday life in society such as interviews, advertisement and other social affairs.
The Study Abroad
Taking the advantage of studying abroad is very essential for the second language teacher to interact in authentic situations and to transfer this awareness to his community.
References
#Idrees,Abdulmahmoud – Alza’eim Alazhari University (Khartoum, Sudan)-Teaching and Learning Culture of a Second Language 5-6.
## Stephens, J. L. (2001). Teaching culture and improving language skills through a cinematic lens: A course on Spanish film in the undergraduate Spanish curriculum. ADFL Bulletin, 33(1), 22-25.
### Herron, C., Cole, S. P., Corrie, C., & Dubreil, S. (1999). The effectiveness of video-based curriculum in teaching culture. The Modern Language Journal, 83(4), 518-533.
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- Techniques for Teaching Culture in the EFL Classroom
- Teaching Culture: A Variation On Jigsaw Reading
- Aiming toward better language acquisition and the role of culture
