Do Instructors’ Perceptions on Teaching Culture in Foreign Language Classroom Make a Difference: Lessons from a Qualitative Study of Language Instructors and Learners

Year 2014, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 1 - 14, 14.07.2016

Xinxiao Yang Dianbing Chen

Abstract

The Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (1996; 2006) listed culture as one of five goals of learning a foreign language. However, the perceptions of foreign language instructors towards the teaching of culture and their effects on students’ foreign language learning remain unclear. This study involved six instructors from five different foreign language programs and four undergraduate students who are enrolled in the current language programs. Documents, classroom observations, and interviews were collected and analyzed to report the findings. The results indicated that instructors’ perceptions on teaching culture in foreign language classroom did make a difference in students’ learning and teaching a foreign language.

Keywords

The teaching of culture, perceptions, instructors, culture teaching and learning, qualitative study

References

• Creswell, G. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Creswell, J. W., & Clark, P. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. M. (1997). Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives (3rd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
• Barnes-Karol, G., & Broner, M. A. (2010). Using images as spring boards to teach cultural perspectives in light of the ideals of the MLA report. Foreign Language Annals, 43(3), 422-445.
• Brooks, N. (1960). Language and language learning: Theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
• Brooks, N. (1968). Teaching culture in the foreign language classroom. Foreign Language Annals, 1, 204-217.
• Damen, L. (1987). Culture learning: The fifth dimension in the language classroom. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
• Damen, L. (2003). Closing the language and culture gap: An intercultural communication perspective. In Lange, D. L., & Paige, R. M. (Eds.), Culture as the core: Perspectives on culture in second language learning (pp. 71-88). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing Inc.
• Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2000). The handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Furstenberg, G. (2010). Making culture the core of the language class: Can it be done? The Modern Language Journal, 94(2), 329-332.
• Gass, S. M.. & Mackey, A. (Eds.). (2012). The routledge handbook of second language acquisition. New York: Routledge.
• Glesne, C., & Peshkin, A. (1992). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction. White Plains, NY: Longman.
• Kearney, E. (2010). Cultural immersion in the foreign language classroom: Some narrative possibilities. The Modern Language Journal, 94(2), 332-336.
• Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Lafayette, R. C. (1997). Integrating the teaching of culture into the foreign language classroom. In P. R. Heusinkveld. (Ed.), Pathways to culture (pp. 119-148). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, Inc.
• Lange, D. L. (1998). The teaching of culture in foreign language courses (Report No. PO17A50050-95A). Washington DC: Center for International Education.
• Lange, D. L. (2003). Future directions for culture teaching and learning: The implications of the new culture standards and theoretical frameworks for curriculum, assessment, instruction, and research. In Lange, D. L., & Paige, R. M. (Eds.). Culture as the core: Perspectives on culture in second language learning (pp. 337-354). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing Inc.
• Lange, D. L., & Paige, R. M. (2003). Interdisciplinary perspectives on culture learning in the second language curriculum. In Lange, D. L., & Paige, R. M. (Eds.). Culture as the core: Perspectives on culture in second language learning (pp. ix-xvii). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing Inc.
• Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Matsumoto, D. (2009). Teaching about culture. In R. A. R. Gurung, & L. R. Prieto (Eds.), Getting culture, (pp. 3-10). Sterling, VA: Stylus.
• Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Modern Language Association Ad Hoc Committee on Foreign Languages (2007). Foreign languages and higher education: New structures for a changed world. Profession 2007, 234–245.
• National Standards in Foreign Language Learning Education Project. (1996). Standards for foreign language learning in the 21st century. Yonkers, NY: National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project.
• National Standards in Foreign Language Learning Education Project (2006). Standards for foreign language learning in the 21st century (3rd ed.). Alexandra, VA: Author.
• Ormrod, J. E. (2012). Essentials of education psychology: Big ideas to guide effective teaching (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
• Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching (2nd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Schwandt, T. A. (1997). Qualitative inquiry: A dictionary of terms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Shrum, J. L., & Glisan, E. W. (2005). Teacher’s handbook: Contextualized language instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Thomson Heinle.
• Stake, R. E. (2005). Qualitative case studies. In Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp.443-466). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Street, B. V. (1993). Culture is a verb. In Graddole, D., et al. (Eds.), Language and culture (pp.23-42). U.K.: BAAL and Multilingual Matters.
• Thomas, G. (2011). How to do your case study: A guide for student & researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2008). Living languages: Multilingualism across the lifespan. Westport, CT: Praeger.
• Wlodkowski, R. J. (2008). Enhancing adult motivation to learn: A comprehensive guide for teaching all adults (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.