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Intercultural Communication by Jazmine Waller

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Culture has become an important element of the language classroom because cultural knowledge lies behind sociolinguistic competence. Language learners acquire background knowledge in order to communicate and to increase their comprehension in the target language. Intercultural communication teaching is growing field in many parts of the world hence the materials and activities that are designed to aid both the teachers and the learners are of vital importance to how learners view individuals from other cultures and how they act when communicating with them. Kramsch (1993) examines the significance of context and culture in foreign language teaching within a 'dialogic approach'. She focuses on the use of stories, literary and non-literary texts and cross-cultural learning, and uses case studies to demonstrate ways in which learners can be sensitised to context. Others like Gumperz et al (1979) have conducted a study with a view to helping people who regularly engage in intercultural communication to become aware of the differences that may cause problems, and take account of variation in their real life encounters with speakers whose interacting ways differ from their own. This study looked at 'communication problems' between members of Britain's white majority and members of Asian minority: Indians and Pakistanis. Another study that attempts to approach culture in the classroom through analysing discourses is reported in Littlewood (2002) investigation to show how cultural awareness can be developed through 'negotiations of meaning'. His study shows how interlocutors tend to resort to their shared system of knowledge and belief to guide them in their intercultural communication. The teachers' role: Teachers play crucial role in teaching culture in a foreign language classroom. Having to cater to the individual needs of students in a homogeneous class of students from one culture is already a challenge. It is even bigger challenge if st

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