Complexities of Culture in the Classroom

In his book Culture in Second Language Teaching and Learning, Hinkel brings to our attention many concerns and realizations about teaching and learning second culture and language.  He explains that culture is sometimes identified with notions of personal space, appropriate gestures, time and so forth.  Part of his definition of culture that appeals to me is that it includes defining the way a person sees his or her place in society.  I believe how we view our personal role in society makes up a big part of who we are.  For example, I view my role in my community as a teacher and student and someone for children to look up to.  This gives me a purpose in life and helps fulfill my identity. 

One concern Hinkel brings up is that foreign language can rarely be learned or taught without addressing the culture of the community in which it is used.  Unfortunately though, in many language classrooms culture is frequently reduced to foods, fairs, folklore, and statistical facts.  Instead of teaching these surface level parts of culture, it is important to link the teaching of language to culture as a whole.  Often times this is a difficult task and teachers are not trained in pedagogy courses successful ways of teaching culture and language together.  Another concern is that even the nonnative speakers who have had many years of experience with the second culture may have to “find their own place at the intersection of their natal target cultures” (6).  Also, although it may be possible to develop an intellectual understanding and tolerance of other cultures, it may not be as easy for people to become cognitively like members of other cultures.  For example, it may be difficult for adults to see the world through culturally different eyes.  When teaching Spanish I am challenged by these concerns because I have spent a very small amount of time in countries where the Spanish language is spoken; therefore, I have not developed my own identity within the target language culture and find it difficult to teach something I am not completely a part of.  In addition, Spanish is spoken in several countries that I have not even visited.  Although I can read about the culture in books, it is hard to relate to the “below the iceberg concepts of culture” let alone link this to the language to teach culture and language hand in hand.      

What is Culture

Often times when people think of culture, the first thing that comes to mind is what we see on the surface such as spoken language, music, clothing, religion, etc.  However, culture is much harder to define than some simple surface observations.  In her book Teaching culture: perspectives in practice, Morgan divides culture into five main aspects which include products, practices, perspectives, communities, and persons.  She says that “Culture is the evolving way of life of a group of persons, consisting of a shared set of practices associated with a shared set of products, based upon a shared set of perspectives on the world, and set within specific social contexts” (24).  Morgan illustrates culture as an iceberg where products and practices are the top of the iceberg, communities and persons are deeper into the ice, and perspectives are the big block of ice below the water.  This concept of culture resonates with me because it clearly shows how culture is made up of so many aspects and goes deep below the surface.  My definition of culture includes the fact that it is always changing within society and within individuals.  Morgan touches on the process of change within cultures when she explains “the evolving way of life reflects the dynamic nature of culture-that there is a history and tradition to the products, practices, perspectives, and the communities of the culture.  It also stresses that the persons of the culture are in the process of actively creating and changing products, practices, perspectives, and communities” (24).  I believe culture is so complex because it encompasses large groups of people yet each individual is unique.  Culture is actively changing as a whole and also individual beliefs and values change with time. 

Morgan also brings up a good point that the five aspects of culture are extremely important for language teachers to understand because teachers deal with products, practices, perspectives, persons, and communities particularly as they intersect with the use of language.  We can use these aspects to help our students better understand language and its uses in different contexts. 

In addition, Morgan’s example of the use of the French forms of tu and vous were interesting to be because it relates to my personal experience with Spanish.  When I went abroad for the first time I tried to use the vocabulary and forms of words to fit into the culture.  Then when I went abroad to a different Spanish speaking country, I applied the same “rules” and customs of the language and soon found out the language was quite different even though I was still speaking the Spanish language.  Language can be a means of showing respect, and the pragmatics of language vary from country to country even when it is labeled as the same language.  Morgan’s chapter Language and culture, was useful in understanding how as a teacher, I can use language as a way to teach culture.  Participating, describing, interpreting, and responding to culture are all things that can be difficult for students, and as teachers, if we are able to help are students develop these skills, they will come to understand and be more accepting of other people different from them.        

English 343: Cross cultural issues in TESOL

I am excited to get to know everyone in the class and look forward to learning together to gain a better understanding of cultural issues such as assimilation and globalization and explore how these apply to language learning and teaching. It will be interesting to study classroom interactions, participation patterns and cross-cultural issues in curriculum and material development so I can improve classroom lesson plans and become a better teacher.