Importance of Teaching Culture with the Language - Research Paper Example

This paper is concerned with the integration and the contribution of the teaching of culture into the foreign language room. Nevertheless, considerations will be given as to why the teaching of culture must be integrated and how will it be done effectively. This paper will demonstrate and exhibit that teaching a foreign language is not the same as giving a speech or simply learning and memorizing new English vocabulary but rather incorporates some cultural elements which are tangled with language it self. Furthermore, the challenge will be made to incorporate culture in teaching language using some methods and techniques currently used. The main point of the paper is that effective communication does not deal only with language proficiency and that in enhancing and enriching communicative competence, cultural aspects can also lead and contribute to the respect toward different cultures around the globe. Introduction Several components comprise the learning of foreign language such as grammatical competence, communicative competence, language proficiency, and considerations of attitudes with regard to one’s culture. Scholarly, knowledge about customs, beliefs, and culture of other countries are indisputably considered as an integral part of foreign language learning, and teachers who are teaching language have seen the importance of including the teaching of culture into the foreign language curriculum. Foreign language learning is also considered foreign culture learning and thus, culture has been taught in the foreign language classroom. However, debates arises on the issue of what the culture meant and how can it be integrated into the language learning and teaching. In language learning, culture is not a separate subject to learn along with the studies and learning about speaking, listening, reading, and writing but rather it is always in the background and considers as the secondary factor in learning the language skills. This paper has also the aim to disentangle issues, shedding some light about the role of teaching culture, as well development and understanding the importance why this has to be incorporated in language teaching. Furthermore, communications are requiring understanding and to be able to come up with understanding, it requires being in the shoes of foreign culture. What is culture and why should it be taught? It is important to scrutinize the relationship between language and culture and why is it important to study the culture along with the studies of language as an integral part of the English language curriculum. Language is considered as a social institution, playing an important role in the society, it is influential between and among the people at large. It must be understood among the people of any nation that language is a cultural practice, aside from the fact that it is considered as a part of the culture itself. Nevertheless, if language is considered as a a cultural practice and a part of the culture it self, undeniably, it is relevant to say that it would just be proper to study culture in relation to language. Language never claims to be independent construct but it is considered as a social practice brought about by the society structures and forces of social institutions where in we lived in. Language and culture interpenetrate, which means that language cannot exist alone like in a vacuum because there is a big connection between the two (Webster, J. 2008). The existence of language cannot be separated from culture, it is passed and inherited from the past practices and beliefs and determines the quality and consistencies of the lives of the people. It is considered as an explanation to the cultural past of certain society and a guide to social reality (Salzman, P. 1998). The interdependence of language and culture is well manifested in the daily lives. Children speak and master their mother tongue through making and using hypothesis under the circumstances where it can be used, and by learning probabilities. Children, during the process of mastering their mother tongue, usually associates and internalize words in relation to the cultural aspects present in the surroundings. The acquisition of language does not follow universal sequence, but rather, it differs across cultures. Being a competent member of the society requires to be witty through exchanges of language particularly with regard to social situations (Rose, R. K. and Kasper, G. 2001). Language teaching is also considered as culture teaching and teachers must not give emphasis that disadvantages occurs and instead, teachers must go beyond in the monitoring of linguistic studies and be aware of the multifaceted and numerous processes under the cultural mediation that the foreign language learner experienced in reviving and proving the relationship between language and culture. Communication and culture cannot be separated because the fact lies on the reality that culture does not only dictates who talks to whom, talks about what, and how communications have been done, it also helps in determining how people encode messages and inputs, how will it be interpreted, sent, and noticed. Culture is the foundation of communication. Moreover, in defining culture as something learned from the past, transmitted from generations to the next via human actions either in any form of interaction and through linguistic communication, it is deliberately obvious that culture plays a fundamental role and co0nsidered as a system determined by different socio-political processes. Culture is the ways of the people and it includes social practices that connects group of people together and differentiates them from others. Culture is the accepted ways when it comes to behavior of certain people. It is the features or aspects of human life that have been learned by people being belonged to a particular group. Moreover, this includes thinking, feeling, acting, and manifestation of a group exhibited in the every achievements and contributions to civilization. Culture claims to be the social legacy and regulate lives at every turn. Culture is not static and subjected to change depending on the present situation in a certain society. It is also relevant to say that the changing of the culture could also affect the future culture as it evolves and develop, as technologies are upgraded and populations are growing. Culture is the real world experiences compiled and organized as a phenomenal world of forms that give structures to precepts and concepts, systems of the cause and effect among the relationship, systems in the structures of the world in the preferences of hierarchies, and compilation of peoples experiences of the past, how it affects the present and gives the silhouette of the future’s culture (Kaulemu, D. (2008). Cultural awareness must be given acceptance as an important component in enriching communicative competence However, if language and culture are inseparable, why should culture be given extra attention to consider in language learning while there are other aspects along with the curriculum that needs more attention? Extending the concern in studying the culture along with the language learning is considered important because whoever is learning the foreign language also shows the manifestation of learning the cultural knowledge as well as the skills to be a competent speaker. The inclusion of culture in the foreign language curriculum helps avoid stereotypes of understanding language. This also enables the students take the control in the learning process and achieves the autonomy in the evaluation and questioning within the wider scope the learning of the language is included (Neuner, G. and Byram, M. 2006). Methods and Techniques of how to Merge Cultural teaching with language Teaching The study of academic and educational practices in general is the scope of methodology and this includes theoretical underpinnings and related research. The approach that is considered, with regard to learning language entwined with learning culture are the theoretical beliefs about the nature of language, nature of language learning and how both of these could be applied in the academic setting. Some methods in language teaching were developed and used over the past century. 1. Grammar Translation Methods - First to be known in the foreign language teaching as the Classical Method. This is about the translation of the languages not popularly used at the present. This is applicable both for the teenagers and the adults. 2. Direct Method - this is concern about the oral communication, spontaneous in the use of language, and developing the ability to think faster in relation to the target language. This is applicable with adults and the young people. 3. Audio Lingual Method -the concept of teaching using this method is based on linguistic and psychological theory. 4. Community Language Teaching -it is the language learning that applies counselling-learning education. In this king of learning, students are encourage to use their feelings, intellect, interpersonal relationship and the enthusiasm to learn are addressed and balanced. This is applicable with children and the young people. 5. Silent way - Students are encouraged to be autonomous and independent in learning, be active, and responsible in the learning processed being engaged with. This is applicable with the adult people. This is applicable for young people and the adult. . 6. Suggestopedia -teachers are given the total control and authority in the learning process. This is applicable for children and young people. 7. Total Physical Response -it is a conceptual teaching of language using compound sentences but easy to perceive because the language being used were uttered with movement and actions of the teachers or the students. This is applicable for children 8. Natural Approach – as a part of the language learning process, students are allowed to use their native language alongside with the target language. This is applicable for children and young people. Furthermore, foreign language teachers around the world agree that positively sensitizing students to cultural phenomena is needed and vital along with the language learning and teachers must be able to incorporate the following to the methods mentioned above. 1. Cultural Islands – this is how to develop mental image among the minds of the students through the help of posters, pictures, maps, and signs. 2. Celebrating Festivals – Festival celebration is one of the most favourites among the students. This can be done through drawing posters, putting decorations on the classroom related to the festivals, preparing foods popular to certain cultures. Occasions must be celebrated in the classroom so the students would be familiar to the culture of certain country. 3. Kinetics and Body Language – culture comprises of verbal and non-verbal communication. In teaching communication, gesture is an effective way of non-verbal teaching. This is one way of injecting greater authenticity into the classroom and makes the study of language more interesting. 4. Culture Capsules – this is concern with the comparison of culture to another culture to be able to see the difference and their distinction. 5. Cultural Consciousness-Raising – attitude is considered to be another factor in language learning that leads to cross cultural understanding. Attitude is one of the three integrated components aside from linguistic and cultural. Conclusion It is therefore relevant to conclude that teaching of culture should be considered as an integral part in learning the foreign language. Culture must be accepted as the message to the students and language must serve as the medium in its understanding. In promoting empathy and understanding among the people in all nations, teachers are expected to present to their student the true picture or representation of different cultures and language. Nevertheless, this could only be achieved if the cultural awareness is viewed as an important factor in the learning of the foreign language. References Webster J.J. (2008). Introduction: Meaning in context: Implementing intelligent applications of language studies. Biddles, Norfolk. York Road: London. Salzman, P. (1998). An anthology of Elizabethan Prose fiction. Oxford Press, NY: USA. Rose, R. K. and Kasper, G. (2001). Pragmatics in language teaching. Cambridge university Press. NY: USA. Kaulemu, D (2008). The struggle after the Struggle. Cardinal Station Press. Washington D.C.: USA. Neuner, G. and Byram, M (2006). Intercultural Competence. Council of Europe Press. Strasbourg Cedex: Read More