Teaching Culture in the EFL/ESL Classroom.

Abstract

This article is intended to discuss prominent issues in teaching culture to second and foreign language students. The concepts of language and culture will be defined, respectively. Next, the characteristics and components of culture will be presented. In addition, commonly used terms in language and culture including enculturation, acculturation, cultural awareness, cross-cultural awareness, cultural identity, culture shock, and culture bump will be discussed, compared and contrasted. The relationship between language and culture will also be pointed out. Moreover, factors such as teachers, curricula, and textbooks that have an impact on the success and failure of teaching culture to second and foreign language students will be examined. Besides, various views on culture in language learning will be explored. The hidden assumptions of culture learning and teaching when language teachers embrace the bandwagon of communicative language teaching approach will be addressed. Additionally, techniques for teaching cultural awareness and ways to integrate culture learning into the foreign and second language classrooms will too be described. Furthermore, some practical guidelines on accounting for cultural issues for language classroom teachers will be indicated. The advantages and disadvantages of teaching culture in the language classroom will be mentioned. Finally, some discussion and conclusion will be made.