Teaching a foreign language doesn't consist only on teaching grammatical
structures , vocabulary, idiomatical expressions, and things of this
kind, but also about cultural aspects, for today language is not longer
considered a code or collection of rules and strings of sentences to
form phrases and propositions. Now language is being studied in relation
to society.
Also, is important to keep in mind that to have an effective communication is not enough to have language proficiency by itself, but also is vital to have cultural and critical awareness, which includes customs, beliefs, assumptions, life styles, system of values from other countries, and our diplomatically and courteous approach toward these things. However, teaching culture doesn't consist only on transmitting information about the people from a certain community or country, even though knowledge about a certain group is important.
Also, is important to keep in mind that to have an effective communication is not enough to have language proficiency by itself, but also is vital to have cultural and critical awareness, which includes customs, beliefs, assumptions, life styles, system of values from other countries, and our diplomatically and courteous approach toward these things. However, teaching culture doesn't consist only on transmitting information about the people from a certain community or country, even though knowledge about a certain group is important.
To have a communicative competence of the foreign language doesn't guarantee a knowledge of the different manners of expressions or the historical background they have on certain English speaking countries or societies. This is another important thing to keep in mind. Now, it is very effective to expose language learners with foreign literature to familiarize them with the physical and emotional aspects of the foreign language and culture because rather than being a fifth adjunct to the four skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening), culture can best find its expression through the medium of literature.
Therefore, we have seen that cultural knowledge is not only an aspect of communicative competence but an educational objective on its own, and "to foster cultural awareness by teaching culture means to bring to the learner's conscious the latent assumptions and premises underlying their belief and value systems," (Humphrey, 1997: 242) and show them that their own culture predisposes them to a certain worldview.
Let's not forget that any language is a social construct shaped by society at large or in particular, like the "cultural niches". In the same way the social and cultural context changes with time so does language. This reminds me of many English native people, I have seen interpreting wrongly the meaning of certain texts because they don't know or don't keep in mind the cultural and social context of previous centuries, therefore even though they are reading English, the connotations and meanings of certain words are not the same as today's. And this not only happen with English but almost with any other language. It is important to keep in mind that language varies according to social variables, such as sex, age, social class, location, therefore, the concomitant register differences should not go unnoticed.
Language teaching is culture teaching and this makes us realize as English teachers that we would be doing a great disservice in placing emphasis on the former to the detriment of the latter. This tell us that as English teachers we must be good readers of literature as well, and knowledgeable enough to be able to master an English class and introduce a cross cultural environment in the class.
"Culture and communication are inseparable because culture not only dictates who talks to whom, about what, and how the communication proceeds, it also helps to determine how people encode messages, the meanings they have for messages, and the conditions and circumstances under which various messages may or may not be sent, noticed, or interpreted... Culture...is the foundation of communication."
Now, as future English Teachers we must also become quite knowledgeable about the cultural aspects of the language, and in our efforts to teach culture we must awake our student's awareness of their own culture and value, to be able to cultivate in them an objective approach toward cross-cultural analysis, and made them understand the target culture from an insider's perspective, which is their own culture, to interpret cultural behaviors. Because "by exploring their own culture, discussing the very values, expectations, traditions, customs, and rituals they, according to Straub, they unconsciously take part in and become ready to reflect upon the values, expectations, and traditions of others ‘with a higher degree of intellectual objectivity’.
Chapter 4 by Giselle Bautista Garcia
Therefore, we have seen that cultural knowledge is not only an aspect of communicative competence but an educational objective on its own, and "to foster cultural awareness by teaching culture means to bring to the learner's conscious the latent assumptions and premises underlying their belief and value systems," (Humphrey, 1997: 242) and show them that their own culture predisposes them to a certain worldview.
Let's not forget that any language is a social construct shaped by society at large or in particular, like the "cultural niches". In the same way the social and cultural context changes with time so does language. This reminds me of many English native people, I have seen interpreting wrongly the meaning of certain texts because they don't know or don't keep in mind the cultural and social context of previous centuries, therefore even though they are reading English, the connotations and meanings of certain words are not the same as today's. And this not only happen with English but almost with any other language. It is important to keep in mind that language varies according to social variables, such as sex, age, social class, location, therefore, the concomitant register differences should not go unnoticed.
Language teaching is culture teaching and this makes us realize as English teachers that we would be doing a great disservice in placing emphasis on the former to the detriment of the latter. This tell us that as English teachers we must be good readers of literature as well, and knowledgeable enough to be able to master an English class and introduce a cross cultural environment in the class.
"Culture and communication are inseparable because culture not only dictates who talks to whom, about what, and how the communication proceeds, it also helps to determine how people encode messages, the meanings they have for messages, and the conditions and circumstances under which various messages may or may not be sent, noticed, or interpreted... Culture...is the foundation of communication."
Now, as future English Teachers we must also become quite knowledgeable about the cultural aspects of the language, and in our efforts to teach culture we must awake our student's awareness of their own culture and value, to be able to cultivate in them an objective approach toward cross-cultural analysis, and made them understand the target culture from an insider's perspective, which is their own culture, to interpret cultural behaviors. Because "by exploring their own culture, discussing the very values, expectations, traditions, customs, and rituals they, according to Straub, they unconsciously take part in and become ready to reflect upon the values, expectations, and traditions of others ‘with a higher degree of intellectual objectivity’.
Chapter 4 by Giselle Bautista Garcia
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