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The Study of Culture on Foreign Language Teaching

Article in International Journal of Social Science and Humanity · January 2013

DOI: 10.7763/IJSSH.2012.V2.161

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 International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 2, No. 6, November 2012

The Study of Culture on Foreign Language Teaching

Somayeh Mohammadi Chahak and Fatemeh Sadat Basirizadeh

ways. Peck [1998] has described culture as'' the accepted

Abstract—Foreign language is included of several and patterned ways of behavior of a given people''. Culture
components, including grammar, communicative, language is our continent, our collective identity. Larson and Smally
proficiency, for learners, the knowledge of the conventions, [1972; 39] described culture as a blue print that guides the
customs, beliefs, is indisputably an integral part of foreign
language learning. Teaching a foreign language is not only
behavior of people and is incubated in family life. It governs
learning structure or learning new vocabulary and expressions our behavior in groups, makes us sensitive to matters of
but mainly incorporates, cultural elements, which are not status, and helps us to know what others expect of us and
integrated with language itself. This paper shows that effective what will happen if we do not live up to, their expectations.
communication is more important than language Thus, culture helps us to know how far we can go as
proficiency .Culture promotes objectivity and cultural individuals, and what our responsibility is to the group.
perception. In fact, most teachers and students lose sight of the
fact that knowledge of grammatical system of a language has to
According to Tang [1999] culture is language and language
be complemented by understanding of culture specific is culture. He suggests that to speak a language well, one
meanings. has to be able to think in that language, and thought is
extremely powerful. Apparently culture is an ingrained set
Index Terms—Acquisition, culture, language, of behaviors and modes of perception becomes highly
communication important in the learning of a second language. A language
is a part of language. The two are intricately interwoven, so
that one cannot separate the two without losing the
I. INTRODUCTION significance of either language or culture [Brown 1994/177].
We all know that language teachers cannot avoid
A. Why Teach Culture
conveying impressions of another culture. Language only
involves knowledge of syntax, phonology and lexis is but Communication in some classes is seen as the application
also it cannot be separated from the culture in which it is of grammatical rules in oral or written practice. In fact
deeply embedded. Any listening to the utterances of native learning about the target culture is as a threat to the native
speakers, any reading of original text, or any use of the values. It should not be forgotten that students should try to
language to convey messages will introduce attention to achieve deep understanding of the culture since many
cultural elements. In fact culture should be highlighted as an learners who live in abroad face with some serious problems
important element in language learning. To communicate in comprehension, interpretation, body language, translation
internationally inevitably includes awareness of cultural and production. Since these problems cause person not to
implications and differences. By failing to draw students' understand and accept the point of view of another
attention to these cultural elements and to discuss their individual whose values have been determined by a
implications, the teacher allows misconceptions to develop different culture. He faces with some misunderstanding.
in the students' mind. However, as we use the language, we As a matter of fact students should realize that there are
must be aware of cultural norms for conversation and these many ways of looking at things, many ways of doing things
norms differ from one culture to another. Some of the norms and expressing things. The study of another culture helps
can be entirely different and conflict with other cultures' the students to respect and understand to other view points
norms. When students misunderstand the culturally and other forms of manner.
determined bases for the reactions and behavior of other B. Culture and Language
people, students can develop contempt for hostility toward The relevance of teaching with language is based on
speakers of the language they are learning. To solve the belief that language and culture are interconnected.
communication problems in the target language in the EFL The predominant view is that culture cannot be taught
classrooms, they should learn the target culture within without language and similarly, that language cannot be
syllabus, and teachers motivate them to discuss these taught without culture. The native language is learned along
differences. with the ways and viewpoints of the social groups, and these
ways and viewpoints find expression through the language.
In Peck's (1998) words, ‘without the study of culture,
II. WHAT IS CULTURE? foreign language instruction is inaccurate and incomplete’’
Culture has been and continues to be defined in many (p.1).
Canale(1983)maintains that it is necessary to teach about
the target culture in social studies classes so that students
Manuscript received September 28, 2012; revised November 27. 2012
Somayeh Mohammadi Chahak and Fatemeh Sadat Basirizadeh are with
are not only taught how to meet their communicative goals,
Islamic Azad University, Qom branch, Qom, IRAN (e-mail: but are also taught the sociocultural knowledge of the
sm_sevenj@yahoo.com)

DOI: 10.7763/IJSSH.2012.V2.161 522

 International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 2, No. 6, November 2012

second language group that is necessary in drawing generality concerning the target culture in terms of the
inferences about the social meanings or values of utterances. amount of evidence substantiating the statements;
Therefore the reasons for familiarizing learners with the y That they have developed the skills needed to locate
cultural components should be as follow: and organize material about the target culture from the
y Develop the communicative skills library, mass media, and personal observation;
y Use of more authentic language y That they process intellectual curiosity about the target
y More motivation to learn language culture and empathy toward its people.
y Develop intercultural and international language Another important point that needs to be addressed is that
if we wish the learners to master another language, we need
to help the learners become communicatively competent in
III. DEVELOPING CULTURAL AWARENESS IN EFL that language as much as possible. For Canale and Swain
CLASSROOMS (1979) and Canale (1983), the main goal of this
As is mentioned, both learners and teachers of a second communicative competence is to provide students with
language need to understand cultural differences, to meaningful interactions in authentic or real life situations
recognize openly that everyone in the world is not ''just like with native or native-like speaker of target language. Along
me’ ‘that people are not all the same beneath the skin .There with this approach to language teaching, Canale and Swain
are real differences between groups and cultures (1979) and Canale (1983) maintain that it is also necessary
(Brown,1994;167). Therefore, language teachers cannot to teach about the target culture in social studies classes so
avoid conveying impressions of another culture whether that students are not only taught how to meet their
they realize it or not (Rivers, 1981; 315). communicative goals, but are also taught ''the socio cultural
While most learners indeed find positive benefits in knowledge of the second language group that is necessary in
cross-cultural living on learning experiences, nevertheless a drawing inferences about the social meanings of values of
number of people experience certain psychological blocks utterances.
and other inhibiting effects of the second culture. Teachers
can help students to turn such an experience into one of
increased cultural and self awarness.It is possible that IV. CONCLUSION
learners can feel alienation in the process of learning a Language and culture are inextricably intertwined. At the
foreign language, alienation from people in their home very least, students should be given the insights which will
culture, the target culture, and from themselves. In teaching enable them to acquire the necessary cultural knowledge for
a foreign language we need to be sensitive to the fragility of participating in the second culture setting.
students by using techniques that promote cultural Both learners and teachers of a second language need to
understanding. understand cultural differences, recognize openly that
The use of dialogues in the early stages of language people in the world are not all the same beneath the skin.
learning EFL classrooms which can help students to Culture is one of the two main areas (the other being
overcome cultural ''fatigue’ ‘As students become familiar communication skill) in second language education in which
with the dialogue and act it out, they learn through role the greatest need and potential for improvement exist. The
playing how to interact with all kinds of people, as they did profession should remedy is record in transmitting cultural
in their own culture in childhood games. Numerous other understanding. We should try to transmit the knowledge
techniques-readings, films simulation, games, culture generated by anthropologist, sociologist, and other experts
assimilators, culture capsules and culture games can be used in the second culture to language teachers. As the teaching
for language teacher to assist them in the process of of culture, improves so will the image of language teaching.
acculturation in the classroom(Chastain;1988).
REFERENCES
A. What are the Goals for the Teaching of Language?
[1] K. Chastain, Developing Second Language Skills: Theory to practice
While teaching culture through the language teaching 3 ed, San Diego Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988.
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able to demonstrate that they have acquired certain Englewood cliffs: Prentice Hall Regents, 1988.
[3] M. Canale and M. Swain, “Theoretical Bases of Communicative
understandings, abilities, and attitudes; Approaches to Second Language Teaching and Testing,” Applied
y That they understand that people act the way they do Linguistics, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-39, 1979.
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education,” The Internet TESL Journal, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 1-12, 1997.
people speak and behave; [6] D. Peck, “Teaching Culture: Beyond Language,” 1998.
y That they can demonstrate how people conventionally [7] A. B. Sellami, “Teaching towards cultural awareness and intercultural
act in the most common mundane and crisis situations competence: From What through How to why culture is,” presented
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y That they are aware that culturally conditioned images [8] T. Romana, “The place of ‘culture’ in the Foreign Language
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y That they are able to evaluate the relative strength of Chicago, pp. 37-81, 1968.

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 International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 2, No. 6, November 2012

Somayeh MohammadiChahak is in Fatemeh Saadat Basirizadeh h is in Qom, Irran,

Qom, Iran . 15/2/19889. MA in english 1/11/1983; MA in English Literature frrom
teachinng from PNU university , Soouth Islamic Azadd University, Arrak, Iran 2010. She S
branchh , Tehran, Iran. 2010. She has been has been teacching English liteerature for 10 yeaars.
teachinng english for 11 years . she is She is senior lecturer in English literatture
seniorr lecturer in Engglish departmentt in department inn Tehran PNU Un niversity.
Qom Azad
A university .

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