论文部分内容阅读
Abstract: It has been widely accepted that culture and language are inseparable and interrelated with each other. With regard to the role of cultural studies in L2/FL education, there has also been an agreement on the important role of culture in language learning and teaching.
Keywords: culture; language; L2/FL education
1. Introduction
The role of culture in English as a second language (L2) or foreign language (FL) education has received considerable attention in the past twenty years in line with the agreement that the relationship between culture and language is inseparable.
2. Culture defined in L2/FL education
It is on a general level that culture has frequently been referred to as ‘the ways of a people’. Although defining ‘culture’ is not an easy task, particularly in an increasingly international world, it is possible to define ‘culture’ on a more specific level by outlining four different meanings for the purposes of language education. Their aesthetic sense refers to cinema, literature, music, and media, while their sociological one describes the organization and nature of family, interpersonal relations, home life, customs, institutions, material conditions, and so on. Their semantic sense involves the whole conceptualization system which conditions perceptions and thought processes, and their pragmatic sense of culture, includes the background knowledge, social and paralinguistic skills, and the mastery of the language code which are necessary for successful communication. (Adaskou et al., 1990)
3. The relationship between language and culture
There is a common agreement that language is one part of culture; and language plays a very important role in culture. It is accepted by some scientists that culture could not be maintained anymore without language; while language reflects culture, culture is simultaneously influenced and shaped by language.
The relationship between language and culture is so intimately interrelated that its correct understanding is vital in cross-cultural communication. Various cases of pragmatic failure in foreign language occurs when the ‘meanings’ of words in two languages are assumed to be the same, but actually indicate different cultural patterns. With the shift of emphasis on communicative competence in language education, in a simple way, culture is thought of as the necessary context for language use.
4. The role of cultural studies in L2/FL education
4.1 The importance of cultural studies in L2/FL learning There has been an emphasis among many scholars on the importance of cultural studies in L2/FL education. It is stated that with linguistic competence alone language learners can never be fully competent in that language, only when students learn both linguistic and cultural norms that they can master a language. Language study is senseless for L2/FL students if they have no ideas about the people who speak the target language or the country where the target language is spoken.
There are a series of benefits for language learners with cultural studies taken into account. One of the major problems in language learning is addressed, as to how to conceive of the native speakers of target language as real people. Studying culture in most cases gives learners a liking of that, for it would help learners relate the abstract sounds and forms of a language to real people and places. It is suggested that cultural studies enable students not only to learn the target language but also to render the study of L2/FL meaningful because they will be studying ways of life, behaviours, thoughts, or values and norms, of real people. In a broader sense of general education, cultural studies also play a useful role in spreading the knowledge of geography, history, etc. of the target country. The study of culture studies and motivation in L2/FL education suggests that the study of culture is well worth trying to increase motivation for students to learn the language. Instead of limiting in a monolingual and monocultural environment, studying culture may help learners observe similarities and differences among various cultural groups.
4.2 The importance of cultural studies in L2/FL teaching
For people involved in language teaching, they have also gradually reached the agreement that teaching L2/FL is inaccurate and incomplete without the involvement of culture. It stresses that language teaching is indeed culture teaching as the two are tightly connected with each other and the educational value of culture teaching within L2/FL education is great. Actually, at present the L2/FL culture is presented as an interdisciplinary core in many L2/FL curricula designs and textbooks. It is obvious nowadays that the overall goals of culture teaching in language education are cross-cultural understanding and cross-cultural communication in a modernized world.
On the case of EFL, it is once asserted a hidden curriculum that Western cultural values are an implicit part of EFL teaching. There is a claim that cultural content as anything other than contextual background has begun to be included in language teaching programs in accordance with the undeniable growth of English as an international language.
5. Conclusion
It is easy to find support among most learners and teachers for cultural studies, however, gaps exist between classroom practices and research findings because the weight of the term ‘culture’ is hard to conduct. Further studies are needed on the effective methods of how to bring culture into the classroom context.
References
Adaskou, K., Britten, D., & Fahsi, B. (1990) Design decisions on the cultural content of a secondary English course for Morocco, ELT Journal, 44 (1), 3-10.
Kramsch, C. (2001) Language and Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lessard-Clouston, M. (1996) Chinese teachers views of culture in their EFL learning and teaching, Language, Culture and Curriculum 9 (3), 197–224.
Keywords: culture; language; L2/FL education
1. Introduction
The role of culture in English as a second language (L2) or foreign language (FL) education has received considerable attention in the past twenty years in line with the agreement that the relationship between culture and language is inseparable.
2. Culture defined in L2/FL education
It is on a general level that culture has frequently been referred to as ‘the ways of a people’. Although defining ‘culture’ is not an easy task, particularly in an increasingly international world, it is possible to define ‘culture’ on a more specific level by outlining four different meanings for the purposes of language education. Their aesthetic sense refers to cinema, literature, music, and media, while their sociological one describes the organization and nature of family, interpersonal relations, home life, customs, institutions, material conditions, and so on. Their semantic sense involves the whole conceptualization system which conditions perceptions and thought processes, and their pragmatic sense of culture, includes the background knowledge, social and paralinguistic skills, and the mastery of the language code which are necessary for successful communication. (Adaskou et al., 1990)
3. The relationship between language and culture
There is a common agreement that language is one part of culture; and language plays a very important role in culture. It is accepted by some scientists that culture could not be maintained anymore without language; while language reflects culture, culture is simultaneously influenced and shaped by language.
The relationship between language and culture is so intimately interrelated that its correct understanding is vital in cross-cultural communication. Various cases of pragmatic failure in foreign language occurs when the ‘meanings’ of words in two languages are assumed to be the same, but actually indicate different cultural patterns. With the shift of emphasis on communicative competence in language education, in a simple way, culture is thought of as the necessary context for language use.
4. The role of cultural studies in L2/FL education
4.1 The importance of cultural studies in L2/FL learning There has been an emphasis among many scholars on the importance of cultural studies in L2/FL education. It is stated that with linguistic competence alone language learners can never be fully competent in that language, only when students learn both linguistic and cultural norms that they can master a language. Language study is senseless for L2/FL students if they have no ideas about the people who speak the target language or the country where the target language is spoken.
There are a series of benefits for language learners with cultural studies taken into account. One of the major problems in language learning is addressed, as to how to conceive of the native speakers of target language as real people. Studying culture in most cases gives learners a liking of that, for it would help learners relate the abstract sounds and forms of a language to real people and places. It is suggested that cultural studies enable students not only to learn the target language but also to render the study of L2/FL meaningful because they will be studying ways of life, behaviours, thoughts, or values and norms, of real people. In a broader sense of general education, cultural studies also play a useful role in spreading the knowledge of geography, history, etc. of the target country. The study of culture studies and motivation in L2/FL education suggests that the study of culture is well worth trying to increase motivation for students to learn the language. Instead of limiting in a monolingual and monocultural environment, studying culture may help learners observe similarities and differences among various cultural groups.
4.2 The importance of cultural studies in L2/FL teaching
For people involved in language teaching, they have also gradually reached the agreement that teaching L2/FL is inaccurate and incomplete without the involvement of culture. It stresses that language teaching is indeed culture teaching as the two are tightly connected with each other and the educational value of culture teaching within L2/FL education is great. Actually, at present the L2/FL culture is presented as an interdisciplinary core in many L2/FL curricula designs and textbooks. It is obvious nowadays that the overall goals of culture teaching in language education are cross-cultural understanding and cross-cultural communication in a modernized world.
On the case of EFL, it is once asserted a hidden curriculum that Western cultural values are an implicit part of EFL teaching. There is a claim that cultural content as anything other than contextual background has begun to be included in language teaching programs in accordance with the undeniable growth of English as an international language.
5. Conclusion
It is easy to find support among most learners and teachers for cultural studies, however, gaps exist between classroom practices and research findings because the weight of the term ‘culture’ is hard to conduct. Further studies are needed on the effective methods of how to bring culture into the classroom context.
References
Adaskou, K., Britten, D., & Fahsi, B. (1990) Design decisions on the cultural content of a secondary English course for Morocco, ELT Journal, 44 (1), 3-10.
Kramsch, C. (2001) Language and Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lessard-Clouston, M. (1996) Chinese teachers views of culture in their EFL learning and teaching, Language, Culture and Curriculum 9 (3), 197–224.