intercultural learning through blog exchanges in foreign language classes
DESCRIPTION
INTERCULTURAL LEARNING THROUGH BLOG EXCHANGES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES. Nguyen Thi Hong Nhat. 1. The Role of Culture in Language Learning and Teaching. 2. Teachers’ Difficulties in Teaching Culture. 3. A case study. Contents. The Role of Culture in Language Teaching and Learning. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
INTERCULTURAL LEARNING THROUGH BLOG EXCHANGES
IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES
Nguyen Thi Hong Nhat
Contents
The Role of Culture in Language Learning and Teaching
1
Teachers’ Difficulties in Teaching Culture2
A case study3
The Role of Culture in Language Teaching and Learning
“The need for cultural literacy in ELT
arises mainly from the fact that, most language learners, not exposed to culture elements of the society in question, seem to encounter significant hardship in communicating meaning to native speaker.”
(Bada, 2000)
“The need for cultural literacy in ELT
arises mainly from the fact that, most language learners, not exposed to culture elements of the society in question, seem to encounter significant hardship in communicating meaning to native speaker.”
(Bada, 2000)
The Role of Culture in Language Teaching and Learning
Dictates who talks to whom, what/ how the
communication proceeds
Determine how people encode messages
Culture -Culture -Communication:Communication:
InseparableInseparable
(Samovar, Porter, & Jain, 1981)
The Role of Culture in Language Teaching and Learning
Effects of the culture class Item No. Item Responses % Chi-Square
1 Did this course contributeto any of your language skills?
Yes 100 0.000
No 0
Item No. Item Responses Frequency % Chi-Square
2 To which skill did thecourse contribute most?
Reading 10 26.3 0.015
Writing 2 5.3
Listening 10 26.3
Speaking 16 42.6
( Bilal Genc & Erdogan Bada, 2005)
Contents
The Role of Culture in Language Learning and Teaching
1
Teachers’ Difficulties in Teaching Culture2
A Case Study3
Teachers’ Difficulties in Teaching Culture
11 Overcrowded Curriculum
22 Fear of Not Knowing Enough
33 Lack of Adequate Training
44How to Measure Cross-Cultural
Awareness
Definition: Blog is “an online journal that an individual can continuously update with his or her own words, ideas, and thoughts.” (Campbell, 2003. p.1)
Blogs have potentials to be a valuable tool because of: easy-to-use accessibility (Campbell, 2003) space for learners’ voice, awareness of audience
(Leverett, 2006; Ward, 2004) high learners’ autonomy (Hanson-Smith & Egbert, 1999) effective teacher–student communication and peer
interaction (Arslan & Sahin-Kizil, 2010; Dippold, 2009)
2. Blogs as a tool for language learning and teaching
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Design of the study3.1
Data collection and data analysis3.2 Data collection and data analysis3.2
Research questions
Research design
Participants: 40 intermediate-level EFL students in a cultural class and 10 Fulbright American teaching fellows.
American people American history
Public holiday Custom and tradition
Instruments and data analysis
Writing tasks
(12)
Teacher marking
sheets (6)
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Learning diaries (4)
Writing tasks
(12)
Interviews
Reflection essays
1
Writing tasks
(12)Pre-
Questionnaires Post-
questionnairs
2 3
Results: Vietnamese students’ intercultural competence improvement through blog exchanges
Characteristics of blogging
Elements enable students to establish successful intercultural relationships with their partners via blogging
Teaching Culture: Strategies and Techniques
Posters, pictures, maps, signs, and realia
Posters, pictures, maps, signs, and realia
Assigning students foreign names
Assigning students foreign names
Building and maintainingAuthentic social cultural network
Building and maintainingAuthentic social cultural network
CULTURE ISLAND: MAKE STUDENTS BE
WET IN THE WATER OF CULTURE
CULTURE ISLAND: MAKE STUDENTS BE
WET IN THE WATER OF CULTURE
Teachers’ Difficulties in Teaching Culture: Suggested Solutions
Teachers’ role is not to impart factsbut to help students attain the skills that are necessary to make sense out of the facts
Teach culture, grammar, vocabulary in an integrative fashion, not
serial one.
Curriculum
Fear Of Not Knowing
Enough
Lack Of Adequate
TrainingMeasurement
Create a framework with a list of activities such as writing reflection, writing diary, presentation
Ever - learning
Bibliography
Huges, G. M. (1984). An Argument for Cultural Analysis in the Second Language
Finnocchario M. (1964), English as a second language: From theory to practice. New York: Simon and Schuster
Lafayette, R.C. (1978), Teaching Culture: Strategies and Techniques, Virginia: Arlington.
Bada, E. (2000) Culture in ELT, Chukurova University Journal of Social Sciences (6),100-110.
Henrichsen, L. E. 1998. Understanding Culture and Helping Students Understand Culture. (Web document)