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Title: ELEMENTS OF CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION IN TEACHING ENGLISH


1
ELEMENTS OF CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION IN TEACHING
ENGLISH
  • IZABELA DANKIC, PH. D.

2
WHAT IS CULTURE?
  • A societys culture consists of whatever it is
    one has to know or believe in order to operate in
    a manner acceptable to its members. Culture is
    not a natural phenomenon it does not consist of
    things, peoples behavior or emotions. It is
    rather organization of these things. It is the
    form of things that people have in mind, their
    models of perceiving, relating, and otherwise
    interpreting them

3
What is culture?
  • Cultural knowledge is socially acquired. We
    learn all necessary behaviors that are part of
    that knowledge. It is a knowhow necessary to
    fulfill social requirements (Wardhaugh, 1998)
  • Culture is knowledge which is shared and
    negotiated between people, belonging to all of
    them

4
What is culture?
  • Culture is associated with civilization, and
    culture and civilization refer to the whole way
    of life of a foreign country included but not
    limited to its production in the arts,
    philosophy, and high culture in general.
    (Byram, 1989)

5
What is culture?
  • Culture is the systematic, rather arbitrary,
    more or less coherent, group invented, and group
    shared creed from the past that defines the shape
    of reality, and assigns the sense and worth of
    things it is modified by each generation and in
    response to adaptive pressures it provides the
    code that tells people how to behave predictably
    and acceptably, the cipher that allows them to
    derive meaning from language and other symbols,
    the map that supplies the behavioral options for
    satisfying human needs. (Seeley, 1997)

6
THE ELEMENTS (ASPECTS) OF BRITISH
CULTURE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE EVERDAY
LIFE HISTORY
THE MEDIA GEOGRAPHY
TRANSPORT IDENTITY
WELFARE ATTITUDES
HOUSING POLITICAL LIFE
FOOD AND DRINK THE MONARCHY
SPORT AND THE GOVERNMENT
COMPETITION PARLIAMENT
THE ARTS ELECTIONS
HOLIDAYS THE LAW
SPECIAL OCCASIONS INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS RELIGION EDUCATION THE ECONOMY
7
CULTURE AND LANGUAGE
  • Language expresses cultural reality
  • Language is the principal means of
    communication in our everyday life. People
    belonging to the same society share common
    knowledge and common experience. When they
    communicate they refer to that knowledge and they
    can express their personal opinions, beliefs, and
    point of view.

8
  • Language embodies cultural reality
  • Language is not only used to express
    experiences, but also to create experiences
    because of its verbal and non-verbal aspects. The
    medium people choose for communication is
    important in creation of such experiences
    (whether is spoken, written, or visual medium) .

9
CULTURE AND LANGUAGE
  • Language symbolizes cultural reality.
  • Language has itself a cultural value for its
    speakers. It is seen as an aspect of their
    social identity. They identify themselves and
    others through the use of language.

10
2. TEACHING CULTURE (TC) V. TEACHING LANGUAGE (TL)
  • LANGUAGE IS THE GLUE THAT BINDS A GROUP OF
    PEOPLE TOGETHER, (BROWN, 1987) THE MOST
    OBVIOUS MARKER OF CULTURAL IDENTITY
  • THERE IS QUITE A LONG HISTORY OF TEACHING CULTURE
    IN EUROPE (LANDESKUNDE, CIVILISATION) AND IN
    AMERICA
  • IN BRITAIN, THE FOCUS IS ON HISTORY,
    INSTITUTIONS, CUSTOMS IN ADDITION TO CUSTOMARY
    LANGUAGE AND LITERARY STUDIES)

11
TC v.TL
  • After the World War II the idea of teaching
    culture through teaching language was
    strengthened together with the development and
    influence of anthropology. This was particularly
    strong in America where the American Committee on
    language and culture expressed the following

12
TC v. TL
  • (1) Language is a part of culture and must be
    approached with the same attitudes that govern
    our approach to culture as a whole.
  • (2) Language conveys culture so that the language
    teacher is also of necessity a teacher of
    culture.
  • (3) Language is itself subject to culturally
    conditioned attitudes and beliefs which can not
    be ignored in the language classroom. (Stern,
    1996, p.251).

13
TC v. TL
  • Theory v. Practice
  • They have found out that young people acquire
    some information but very little knowledge of the
    foreign culture through language classes the
    influence of extra-curricular forces such as the
    media is greater than the intuitive and
    unsystematic efforts of the teachers. (Byram and
    Morgan, 1994, p. 3)

14
TC v. TL
  • Theory v. Practice
  • Culture is seen as mere information conveyed by
    the language, not as a feature of language
    itself.
  • A great number of studies recommend that culture
    should be taught together with language, culture
    is still rarely seen in the same light as
    language.

15
TC v. TL
  • Theory v. Practice
  • English teachers were educated to become teachers
    of language and literature.It is too readily
    assumed that exposure to language teaching will
    lead to some kind of cultural knowledge.

16
TC v. TL
  • FOREIGN CULTURE TEACHING THEORIES
  • Establishing a sphere of interculturality - to
    be able to understand a foreign culture we have
    to put it in relation with our own culture.
  • Teaching culture as an interpersonal process
    --replace the presentation/prescription of
    cultural facts and behaviors by the teaching of a
    process that applies to understanding differences

17
TC v. TL
  • Foreign culture teaching theories
  • 3. Teaching culture through differences that
    exist between cultures
  • 4. Crossing disciplinary boundaries they
    encourage language teachers to broaden their
    readings to include besides literature, studies
    by social scientists, ethnographers, and
    sociolinguistics on both their society and the
    societies that speak the language they are
    teaching.

18
TC v. TL
  • Foreign culture teaching theories
  • 5. Intercultural tolerance must be emphasized in
    helping teachers develop awareness (overcome
    stereotypes , prejudices, one-sided views) and
    relationships, discover personal experiences,
    horizontal relationships in the classroom,
    relationships among families, neighbors, free
    activities and media.

19
TC v. TL
  • The UNESCO GUIDE suggests the realms of
    learning should encompass (p. 30)
  • 1. welcoming awareness of the presence of others
    in ones social environment,
  • 2. acknowledgment of the positive aspects of
    diversity and its appreciation,
  • 3. respect and integration of differences to
    enrich and strengthen society,

20
TC v. TL
  • The UNESCO GUIDE suggests the realms of
    learning should encompass (p. 30)
  • 4.vision and work towards achieving common goals
    that are mutually advantageous to diverse groups
  • 5. recognition of interdependence and human
    universals and work towards positive arrangements
    of diversity in an interdependent world.

21
3. ATTITUDES AND THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM PRACTICE
22
  • A video grab image shows John Bercow speaking to
    Britains Prime Minister David Cameron as he is
    led to the Speakers chair after being reelected
    as speaker of the House of Commons, in central
    London, May 18, 2010.
  • Betty Boothroyd

23
  • FALLACY OF PROJECTED COGNITIVE SIMILARITY we
    all project the logic of our own reasoning to
    explain the actions of others.
  • THE OBJECTIVE to get students thinking about
    different forms of human behavior

24
What are intrinsic and extrinsic factors
that help shape English language teachers
attitudes? Intrinsic factors which help shape
personal position based on prior
knowledge and past experiences
(education, travels, encounters with
foreigners, professional or private
life) Extrinsic outside factors which influence
teachers position on foreign
language teaching and learning?
(national curriculum)
25
  • National Curriculum in England and Wales
  • (B-H) indirectly or directly indicate that TFL
  • should
  • offer insight into the culture and civilization
    of the countries where the language is spoken
  • encourage positive attitudes to foreign language
    learning and to speakers of foreign languages and
    a sympathetic approach to other cultures and
    civilizations
  • develop pupils understanding of themselves and
    their own culture.

26
  • The Common European Framework of Reference
  • for Languages
  • The following competences and skills in culture
  • teaching and learning are particularly
    emphasized
  • sociocultural knowledge knowledge of society
  • and culture of the community
  • 2. intercultural awareness knowledge, awareness
  • and understanding of the relation
    (similarities
  • and distinctive differences) between the
    world
  • of origin and the world of the target
    community.
  • It is also enriched by awareness of a wider
    range
  • of cultures and it helps to place them both in
  • context.

27
  • For example Learning Lakota
  • Kill the Indian, and save the man Genocide
    of a culture
  • http//www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-30-fall-2
    006/learning-lakota
  • Intercultural skills and know-how
  • The ability to bring the culture of origin and
    the foreign culture into relation with each other

28
  • Attitude formation and attitude change are
    complex processes and mere exposure to language
    learning and information about other cultures
    will not necessarily lead to the desired results.
  • The Bosnian study conflicting results
  • Teachers support systematic British culture
    teaching, but because students have other
    opportunities to learn about the Anglo-American
    culture they emphasize language skills.

29
4. The Goals of Cultural Instruction
  • Intercultural competence is the objective of
    teaching culture.
  • All students will develop the cultural
    understandings, attitudes and performance skills
    needed to function appropriately within a society
    of the target language and to communicate with
    the culture bearer (Seeley, 1984)
  • The selection of cultural data should be guided
    by how well they will increase students skills
    in intercultural communication.

30
7 major goals of cultural instruction
  • 1. Reasons behind culturally conditioned behavior
  • Understanding that people act the way they
    do because they are using options the society
    allows for satisfying basic physical and
    psychological needs.
  • Different cultural patterns must be
    employed if one wants to satisfy basic needs.
    These include also non-linguistic elements
    (facial expressions, visual interaction, body
    movement and gesture, proximity behaviors, and
    multichannel communication)
  • 2. Interaction of language and social variables
  • Understanding that social variables as
    age, sex, social class, and place of residence
    affect the way people speak and behave.

31
The Goals of Cultural Instruction
  • 3. Conventional behavior in common situations
  • Understanding of the role convention plays
    in shaping behavior by demonstrating how people
    act in different situations.
  • 4. Cultural connotations of words and phrases
  • An awareness that culturally conditioned
    images are associated with even the most common
    target words and phrases.
  • 5. Evaluating statements about a society
  • The ability to evaluate the evidence to be
    able to make objective statements about the
    target culture.

32
The Goals of Cultural Instruction
  • 6. Researching another culture
  • Skills to be able to research, find and
    organize information about the target culture
    from the library, the mass media, people, and
    personal observation.
  • 7. Attitudes toward other cultures
  • Develop intellectual curiosity about the
    target culture and empathy toward its people.

33
How do we develop activities to fit these goals?
  • 1. Everything that you choose must have a deeper
  • cultural purpose.
  • 2. One might say that these goals can be summed
    up under one goal to think like a native?
  • 3. What is the position between the students
    native and target language and culture? Croatian
    versus British?
  • Are we to celebrate Croatian over English?
  • (Beware of ethnocentrism (integration and
    loyalty among members of the same group negative
    attitude towards foreigners, their culture and
    language and glorification of ones culture, but
    derogatory stereotyping of outgroup
    characteristics).

34
NC v. FC Music
  • I don't ever wanna drink againI just ooh I
    just need a friendI'm not gonna spend ten
    weekshave everyone think I'm on the mendIt's
    not just my prideIt's just 'til these tears have
    driedThey tried to make me go to rehab but I
    said 'no, no, no'Yes I've been black but when I
    come back you'll know know knowI ain't got the
    time and if my daddy thinks I'm fineHe's tried
    to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go

35
NC v. FC
  • Ne pomiÅ¡ljaj na kraj
  • iz srca mi dolazemracne i sumorne sjenene
    budi ludane pomišljaj na krajsamo ti
    možešocima mojim vratiti sjaj

36
NC v. FC
  • In general Mendelssohn's personal life seems to
    have been fairly conventional compared to his
    contemporaries Wagner, Berlioz, and Schumann
    save as regards his ambiguous relationship with
    the famed Swedish soprano Jenny Lind whom he met
    in October 1844. An affidavit from Lind's
    husband, Otto Goldschmidt indicates that
    Mendelssohn in 1847 requested for Lind (who was
    then not married) to elope with him to America.
    Mendelssohn met and worked with Lind many times,
    and wrote the beginnings of an opera, Lorelei,
    for her, based on the legend of the Lorelei Rhine
    maidens the opera was unfinished at his death.
    He is said to have included a high F-sharp in his
    oratorio Elijah ("Hear Ye Israel") with Lind's
    voice in mind, although she did not in fact sing
    this part until after his death, at a concert in
    December 1848. In 1847 Mendelssohn attended a
    London performance of Meyerbeer's Robert le
    diable an opera which musically he despised in
    order to hear Lind's British debut, in the role
    of Alice. His friend the critic Chorley, who was
    with him, wrote "I see as I write the smile with
    which Mendelssohn, whose enjoyment of Mdlle.
    Lind's talent was unlimited, turned round and
    looked at me,as if a load of anxiety had been
    taken off his mind. His attachment to Mlle.
    Lind's genius as a singer was unbounded, as was
    his desire for her success."

37
NC v. FC
  • What would happen to an orchestra if the
    conductor wasnt there could the musicians cope
    by themselves? Students will discover in this
    music lesson.These are all ideas that students
    can use to learn about the conductor in the
    orchestra. There is a complete lesson plan on
    this subject in Our Printable Music Lesson Plans
    Series
  • Demonstrate the basic beat patterns. Have
    students practice the patterns using pencils or
    drinking straws as temporary batons. Select
    individual students to choose a pattern, conduct
    it, and have the other students identify it.
    Dont forget to show the students the beat
    patterns at different tempi (fast, medium and
    slow).
  • Dynamics are indicated by the size of the
    conducting gestures big gestures loud, small
    movements piano. Conduct a beat pattern and
    have students count the beats out loud ask them
    to get louder and softer as you change the size
    of your gestures.
  • www.vjekoslavsutej.com

38
How do we develop activities to fit these goals?
  • reading emphatic literature to create empathy
  • watch emphatic films
  • 3. mini dramas three or more episodes
    representing cultural visit to a bar
    miscommunications. With each episode more
    information is presented, but the precise cause
    of misunderstanding is not clear until the end.
    (bar, child, windows, squash, mild beer (lager),
    barman shouts,
  • 4. culture assimilator episodes - interesting
    reading presenting a problem situation. They are
    provided with four different answers and they
    have to pick the right one. They are also
    provided with the explanations. (Shrove Tuesday
    meat on Monday, eggs on Tuesday pancakes)

39
  • 5. culture capsule usually a text
    accompanied with an activity that supports or
    represents cultural information presented in the
    text.
  • While in culture assimilators students have
    to identify culturally appropriate explanations
    for the described situations in culture capsule
    the explanation is both presented with a textual
    description, but also it is accompanied with a
    multi media support. (meals tea urban
    working class dinner)
  • 6. culture clusters three or more capsules -
    a half an hour skit simulation of the situation
    described and talked about in the related
    capsules.
  • 7. ask the right questions from trivial to
    questions that students find to be interesting
    for example making a scrapbook containing
    clippings from magazines pertaining to what a
    student finds to be interesting and ask and check
    it with the teacher.
  • 8.interviews with native speakers or people
    from the local community who lived in Britain.

40
Concluding remarks
  • Avoid all generalizations, let culture teaching
    be individual.
  • The guiding principle in material and acitivity
    selection should be what the cultural knowledge
    my students need to master in order to
    communicatively succeed in the target country.
  • Use every opportunity for improving your
    knowledge of English and of the Anglo-American
    culture as a teacher and help your students
    develop that skill too. (Cloudy With a Chance of
    Meatballs)
  • Nurture love and respect for your culture and
    your students cultures to be able to respect the
    culture of the people whose language you teach.
  • Your are the ambassadors of the Anglo-American
    culture among your students.
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