By Mayra Yaranga.
Nobody can deny the vital importance of the
presence of culture in every lesson we teach. However, the question of when to
teach it and how to approach it are still aspects which need to be carefully considered.
On one hand, the traditional apportionment of
language in four skills makes it hard for teachers to identify the aim of a
lesson. Perhaps this is why trying to insert the teaching of culture in class
might be misconstrued as teaching it ‘independently’ and, although a chance to
teach culture may seem hard to identify, in reality it is always present
regardless of the contents given.
This could become evident when working on a reading
exercise, for instance. Students read about important street markets in the
world, which, apart from generating discussion on whether students know them or
like them and the reading micro skills they develop, can also open up the
debate on how different or similar these street markets are to Peruvian ones and
the reasons why they are organised in a certain way and the way people interact
with them in one part of the world or another. A key principle here is that
culture should not be understood simply as the “target language culture,” but
as a contrast between the diverse lifestyles and views likely to appear in
every teaching context.
For our students to succeed in developing communicative competence, they don’t only need grammar or isolated vocabulary but content, and this is what culture provides. When learning a language, students also have the great opportunity to learn about the way in which others think, feel and interact. This is not limited to native English speakers alone, but, since English is spoken all around the world, scenarios emerge in which speakers of other languages might also turn this language into an effective tool for cultural communication. Therefore, fostering the inclusion of culture can greatly enhance the opportunities for meaningful lessons.
Now it’s YOUR
turn
Do you teach cultural aspects in you class? How do
you approach it?
Biodata
Mayra Yaranga (1985) has completed Doctorate studies in Education at UNIFÉ; she holds a Master’s Degree in Media, Culture and Identity from Roehampton University (London) revalidated by PUCP, a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from UPCH and the Professional Title of Licenciada from IPNM. Currently she works as Pedagogical Specialist, Cambridge Oral Examiner and Member of the Research Area for Universidad del Pacífico Language Centre. She is also ESP coordinator and an Associate Professor at UNIFÉ. She has published papers in the fields of English Language Teaching and Cultural Studies.
