Culture In Language Teaching

Yaneth Patricia Rodríguez

Universidad Abierta y a Distancia UNAD

TEF 5201 Linguistic Antropology For The TELF

Dr. Luis Romero Neces

January 5th 2024

Culture is a system of knowledge, habits, traditions and beliefs that are acquired through social

interaction, in turn reconstructed with personal and social experiences, without leaving aside the

symbols that are an essential part of the meaning of the identity of the being. human and which in turn

implies the form and variety of social interactions, including communication and language. Therefore, it

is important to identify the role of culture in language learning and how it can enrich learning?.

Consequently, it is imperative that the teaching and learning of a new language be linked to the

culture of the entities involved, that is, to the culture of both the teacher and the students, as well as to

the historical and cultural connection of the language. , have access and knowledge of the student's

cultural identity, avoid preconceptions and generalizations, which are usually erroneous, make use of

prior knowledge, symbols, colloquial expressions and generate intercultural links, where the learning of
(Kramsch, 2013)
the language and the culture is the same.

Since, it is a complex task for both the student and the teacher, as it plays a crucial role in

teaching foreign languages, providing context, meaning, and understanding of the language being

learned. When teaching a foreign language, it is essential to incorporate cultural elements, as these

enhance the learning experience and provide students with a deeper understanding of the language and

its native speakers, provide meaning to the knowledge acquired and allow it to be socially reliable. That

is, it helps you understand the social phenomena and cultural language of the society that surrounds
(Bal & Savas, 2022)
you.

Indeed, language, in essence, is more than a means of communication; Just like culture, it is a

construction that reflects the identity of its speakers. It integrates a communication system and codes

that are common in society through the use of symbols, sounds or gestures with shared meanings.

Which have been in constant evolution and generate various roots, branches and intercultural links, for
example the relationship between Romance languages, the technical and scientific use of some concepts

that allow symbols and sounds to be similar in different languages, such as word "Computer" which only

has slight inflections in languages like Pashto, Swahili, Spanish and English. In other words, language does

not only apply to grammatical structure, semiotics, vocabulary or other linguistic structures, it is part of
(Kramsch, 2013)
cultural development and is inherent to history.

Therefore, in foreign language education, teaching culture involves imparting an understanding

of the social context, historical background, and everyday practices that shape the language. It goes

beyond the superficial aspects of traditions and rituals, delving into the complexities that influence

communication and expression within a linguistic community, which implies a real approach and interest

in understanding and sharing their cultural language, for example the difficulty that it generates for some

students of Afghan origin, sharing the same classroom with students of the opposite gender, the effort

involved in changing the direction of writing, among other cultural nuances that influence their
(Kramsch, 2013)
intercultural relationship.

In other words, by delving into the integration of culture in the teaching of foreign languages,

the importance of intercultural competence is highlighted. From a pedagogical point of view,

intercultural competence refers to the ability to interact effectively and appropriately with people from

diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, the ability to integrate words and concepts from other

cultures into their lexicon, in an extraordinary way, see students who culturally speak Arabic, or even

Ukrainian, who respond in Spanish, since they have found a cultural exchange in the language. They

develop skills such as cultural sensitivity, open-mindedness, and adaptability, allowing students to
(Bal & Savas, 2022)
navigate the complexities of intercultural communication.

Because of, learning and teaching a new language in different contexts requires educators to

navigate the diverse cultural landscapes that shape students' experiences, value students' prior
knowledge, allow for grammatical connection to their native language, compare and contrast the

vocabulary, since even in the same language, culturally it has different meanings. Understand that

linguistic and intercultural skills are not limited to the memorization of vocabulary and grammatical

rules, it is the understanding of various linguistic tools, the understanding of symbols, their meaning and
(Jawas, 2020)
understanding of the cultural contexts in which those are embedded.

In conclusion, teaching culture in foreign language classrooms involves going beyond the mere

transmission of facts about a culture, it generates empathy, tolerance and effective communication

across cultural borders. facilitates the mastery of communication effectively and competently. It opens

the possibility for the students themselves to influence the learning process by building communication

channels in tune with the diverse origins, beliefs and experiences of their students. Integrating elements

of students' own cultures into the language curriculum creates a more inclusive and engaging learning

environment. It not only fosters a sense of belonging but also enhances students' ability to connect with
(Bal & Savas, 2022)
the language on a personal level.
 Reference

Bal, N. G., & Savas, P. (2022). Intercultural Language Teaching and Learning: Teachers’ Perspectives and
Practices. Participatory Educational Research, 9(6), 268–285. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.139.9.6

Jawas, U. (2020). Cultural diversity and its influence on english teaching and learning in an EFL context.
International Journal of Instruction, 13(4), 559–574. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.13435a

Kramsch, C. (2013). Culture in foreign language teaching Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research 58
Claire Kramsch/Culture in foreign language teaching. In Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research
(Vol. 1, Issue 1). www.urmia.ac.ir/ijltr