CULTURAL AWARENESS

”DIFFERENT CULTURE BETWEEN THE FIRST LANGUAGE AND TARGET LANGUAGE”

Introduction
Nowadays, English teachings gain different patterns of strategies, methods, appr
oaches intended to improve the quality of English language teaching itself. With
the strategies, methods, and approaches varied from the traditional-simple to c
omplex-sophisticated. We clearly heard contextual, communicative, interactive le
arning English, and recently we also hear the English learning based cross-cultu
ral understanding. In this section, understanding of cultural differences refers
to the ability of people to understand, interpret, and adapt to the differences
themselves, for being "right" can be wrong even if the existence of differences
are misunderstood.
cultural differences also have very dominant role in determining life goals as t
hey relate to the value system influenced by language, rules and norms of each c
ulture. Obviously, we cannot be separated in the context of cross-cultural commu
nication, this is clearly patterned on the human needs that are always interacti
ng with a variety of human coming from various origin, so it is impossible that
cultural differences, little or much, do not exist. Mulyana formally defined cul
ture as an order of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings,
hierarchies, religion, time, roles, spatial relationships, the concept of the u
niverse, material and possession objects acquired by a large group of people, ge
neration to generation, through the efforts of individuals and groups. “tatanan pe
ngetahuan, pengalaman, kepercayaan, nilai, sikap, makna, hirarki, agama, waktu,
peranan, hubungan ruang, konsep alam semesta, objek-objek materi dan milik yang
diperoleh sekelompok besar orang dari generasi ke gen-erasi melalui usaha indivi
du dan kelompok”.(Mulyana, 1996:18).
Precisely, the study of language cannot be separated with the role of communicat
ions media . Discussing what related to the communications media , language must
be the core subject of the review. This can not be separated from the position
of language as a medium of expression of the human mind mirror (mirror of a mind
), or as proposed by Dell Hymes (1970) that: as the symbolic language guide to c
ulture (language as symbolic clues to understanding human culture). On the other
hand, the language and culture are closely related to each other, as following
Robins’ opinion: "The link between study of human language with other studies spec
ifically related to human is very obvious, especially linguistics and anthropolo
gy, the study of entire human culture must be closely interrelated. This argumen
t requires the researchers to know and control the society having the culture; o
therwise, the results are considered less in-depth research and data are conside
red less valid, Robins (1993: 488-489). this discourse increasingly emphasized t
he importance of the function of culture in social life and more we can feel the
various phenomena that are not integral to the existence of culture itself.
In the context described above, how difficult and simple language dynamics remai
n worthy to be kept in mind as if there is social interaction among people, lang
uage constitutes the core of a culture, because the rate of cultural manifestati
on cannot be set aside from role of a language.
Statement of problem
By this introductory illustration, the benefit culture and language in different
era that demands awareness of the difference is so important. Therefore, the st
atement of the problems discussed in this paper is
1. What is the function of cultural awareness in communication of society having
different cultural backgrounds.
2. What is the function of awareness cultural in teaching, learning, and mastery
of the target language
Analysis
In the previous section, it briefly shows how important the relationship between
language and culture. Culture as the development of public relations in the sen
se that the language used as a tool of communication be more meaningful, it is f
ormed because a clear need to explore a culture of society, so learning and mast
ering the language tend to be non-negotiable, or almost a liability. In the adva
nce of the communication in different cultures, we commonly recognize the norms
that exist and to know the norms of language knowledge is also required to get t
o know more about the characters, structures, ways of thinking and tradition tha
t has occurred in the interplay forth between language and culture in social int
eraction. As stated by Ohoiwutun (1997: 85) below: "reciprocal influence between
language and culture will soon be seen in the process of learning a second lang
uage or foreign language. The patterns of communication which are clearly influe
nced by the culture can be traced through the observation of language tendencies
.
It is important for those learning a language to understand cross-culture, becau
se learning a language is also learning the culture of the language as said by (
Goodenough 1981) Language is not only a "property" that is in humans that were e
xamined unilaterally by language experts, but also means of communication. Commu
nication is always accompanied by the interpretation of meaning contained therei
n. From the perspective of discourse, meaning is never absolute. It is always de
termined by a variety of contexts that always refers to the signs in human life
in which there is culture. Therefore, language is never separated from the cultu
ral context and its existence is always overshadowed by culture. Language as one
of cultural products is divided into two kinds, verbal language and non-verbal
language. In the context of verbal language, there are some aspects which must b
e observed in communicating, particularly with issues related to the dialect. Al
most all languages have a relatively large number of speakers having different d
ialect.
Related to the previous context of differences in language, language variation,
language styles affect the way people communicate from different cultures. For e
xample, almost everyone has a dialect of the language. Dialect refers to all the
differences between the various uniform language of a culture, including pronun
ciation, the use of words, and sentences. The relationship between culture and a
cts of speaking is more clearly seen in the difference pattern of speaking of ea
ch different culture. In Indonesian culture, information (in the form of actions
recalled) is more often conveyed indirectly by using the language of allusion o
r sign language, but in general British culture, it is more directly and conveye
d verbally.
However, not all people who learn a particular language (foreign) must know and
master the culture as the opinion of Robins (1993: 488) at the top, because in f
act many people who are smarter in specific language (foreign) but they rarely e
ven have never faced or communicated with the society having of the language dir
ectly. They only know from teachers, books and tapes. Here is an analysis of oth
er approaches, mastering a language doesn’t mean an obligation to master its cultu
re as well, since all can not be separated from the interests and objectives fro
m which the initial or instruments to master other languages
However, important aspect of communication which is influential in the use of no
n-verbal language can not also excluded. According to Du Praw (Toward a More Per
fect Union in the Age of Diversity: 1996) forms of non-verbal language can inclu
de facial expressions, and body language (gestures), such as eyes, smile, use yo
ur left hand and right, shake of the head, hand movements, and so on. What also
includes in the types of non-verbal language is the seating arrangement in an ev
ent, and the distance between the communicator during the communication process
going. Although there are forms of non-verbal communication that is universally
understood, the forms of these communications are interpreted vary from one cult
ure to another culture. This example has become axioms or statements of truth ev
en without proof, for example a smile, Indonesian considers it as the universal
language to express hospitality, and friendship, but the Eastern Europeans, the
smile is only given to close friends and family. They will not smile at random t
o give a new person they meet. So when viewed from the perspective of Indonesia,
the Eastern Europeans can be considered less friendly, and not friendly. Includ
ing the use of left and right hand mentioned above. Europeans and Americans do n
ot feel there is a difference function between the left and right hand. After al
l, both arms are same, according to them, but according to our culture, using th
e left hand when giving something to someone else can bring fatal consequences.
You must be ready labeled not polite if you do it. Shaking head in most cultures
often means "no", but for India it means the opposite.
Different ways to understand forms of communication, both verbal and non-verbal,
can lead to misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication, so that our opin
ions of a culture or a particular community frequently to move into an identity
that leads to stereotype or leveling.
Simply, this concept refers to a group or community that shares the same perspec
tive in understanding the culture around the world. Culture and communication ca
n not be separated from one another, because culture not only determines who is
ready to talk with, about what and how people encode messages, meaning he has fo
r the message, and condition-condition for sending, consider and interpret the m
essage. Culture is the foundation of communication so that if the various cultur
ally diverse practices are evolving communications.
The paper on the theme of cultural awareness” Different Culture Between The Firs
t Language And Target Language” is also functioning to complete the suitable skill
s to gain cross-cultural understanding. If the basic cross-cultural understandin
g has been owned, and through ongoing training or experience in the workplace, w
e can gradually achieve a more subtle appreciation of cultural differences, ther
efore there must also attempt to understand:
Cross cultural understanding, it simply refers to the basic ability of people to
recognize, Interpret and correctly about them to people, incidences or Situatio
ns that are open to misunderstanding due to cultural differences. The fundamenta
l intention of cross-cultural training is to Equip the learner (s) with the appr
opriate skills to attain cross-cultural understanding
Cross-Cultural Knowledge is critical to basic cross-cultural understanding. With
out it cross-cultural appreciation can not take place. It refers to a surface le
vel of familiarization with cultural characteristics, values, beliefs and behavi
ors.
Cross Cultural Awareness and Cultural Awareness, it develops from cross-cultural
knowledge as the learner understands and appreciates a culture internally. This
may also be accompanied by changes within the learner s behavior and attitudes
such as a greater flexibility and Openness.
Cultural Awareness is the foundation of communication and it involves the abilit
y of standing back from our selves and becoming aware of our cultural values, be
liefs and perceptions. Why do we do things in that way? How do we see the world?
Why do we about them in that particular way?
Cultural awareness becomes central when we have to interact with people from oth
er cultures. People see, Interpret and Evaluate things in a different ways. What
is considered an appropriate behavior in one culture is frequently inappropriat
e in another one. Misunderstandings Arise when I use my meanings to make sense o
f your reality. Becoming aware of our cultural dynamics is a difficult task beca
use culture is not conscious to us. Since we are born we have learned to see and
do things at an unconscious level. Our experiences, our values and our cultural
background leads us to see and do things in a certain way. Sometimes we have to
step outside of our cultural boundaries in order to realize the impact that our
culture has on our behavior. It is very helpful to gather feedback from foreign
colleagues on our behavior to get more clarity on our cultural traits.
Degrees of Cultural Awareness
There are several levels of cultural awareness that reflect how people grow to p
erceive cultural differences (Quappe and cantatore)
o My way is the only way - At the first level, people are aware of their
way of doing things, and their way is the only way. At this stage, they ignore t
he impact of cultural differences. (Parochial stage)
o I know their way, but my way is better - At the second level, people ar
e aware of other ways of doing things, but still consider their way as the best
one. In this stage, cultural differences are perceived as the source of problems
and people tend to ignore them or reduce their significance. (Ethnocentric stag
e)
o My Way and Their Way - At this level people are aware of their own way o
f doing things and others ways of doing things, and they chose the best way acc
ording to the situation. At this stage people realize that cultural differences
can lead both to problems and benefits and are willing to use cultural diversity
to create new solutions and alternatives. (Synergistic stage)
o Our Way - This fourth and final stage brings people from different cultu
ral background together for the creation of a culture of shared Meanings. People
dialogue repeatedly with others, create new Meanings, new rules to meet the nee
ds of a particular situation. (Participatory culture Third stage)
Increasing cultural awareness means to see both the positive and negative aspect
s of cultural differences. In becoming culturally aware, people realize that:
- We are not all the same
- Similarities and differences are both important
- There are multiple ways to reach the same goal and to live life
- The best way depends on the cultural contingency. Each situation is diff
erent and may require a different solution.
Cross-Cultural Sensitivity, it is a natural by-product of awareness and refers t
o the ability to read into Situations, contexts and Behaviors that are culturall
y rooted and be able to about them to them appropriately. An suitable response n
ecessitates that the actor no longer carries his / her own culturally determined
interpretations of the situation or behavior (ie good / bad, right / wrong) whi
ch can only be nurtured through both cross-cultural knowledge and awareness.
Cross Cultural Competence, it is and should be the aim of all those dealing with
multicultural students, learner, or teachers. Competence is the final stage o
f cross-cultural understanding and signifies the actor s ability to work effecti
vely across cultures. Cross cultural competency is beyond knowledge, awareness a
nd sensitivity in that it is the Digestion, integration and transformation of al
l the skills and information acquired through them, applied to create cultural s
ynergy within the workplace or the teaching-learning process
Although cross-cultural competency can only be truly Achieved through cross-cult
ural awareness training, language acquisition, foreign travel and cultural immer
sion there are some guidelines that can enhance your cross cultural competence s
kills.
Listening Skills: Although emphasis usually lies on being a competent speaker,
listening is a key skill that many business personnel do not exercise enough. Fo
r cross cultural communication, Attentive listening is critical to be able to un
derstand Meanings, read between the lines and enable to empathise with the speak
er.
Speaking Skills: Listening and speaking must work in tandem for effective cross-
cultural communication. Speaking well is not about accent, use of grammar and vo
cabulary or having the gift of the gab. Rather, cross-cultural communication is
enhanced through positive speech such as encouragement, Affirmation, recognition
and phrasing requests clearly or expressing opinions sensitively.
.In addition, the following ways can enhance speaking skill
Say it without words: use hands, arms, legs, gestures, facial expressions and ev
erything else your charades experience has taught you
Use emotions: even in our own language and culture we do not always use
language to express Fright, frustration, anger or joy. Emotions transcend lingui
stic barriers.
Try out words: sometimes we share common words and we do not know it. Additional
ly people from different cultures will have a passive knowledge gained through t
he media. Try saying the word slowly or with a different pronunciation.
Draw it: if you really can not explain milk to the Greek shop owner draw the c
ow, the udders and the milk. Pictures speak louder than words. Most cultures wil
l be able to spot what you are getting at straight away.
Ask for help: if there are others around you do not be shy to ask for their ass
istance. It is often possible to find a willing translator.
Confirm Meanings: if you are unsure whether the message has been understood conf
irm Meanings. When doing so do not ask, Do you understand? " as the answer will
often be yes even if it is no . Try re-phrasing what you have agreed or disc
ussed.
Be patient: the key to Overcoming the language barrier is to exercise patience.
It is not your fault or the other person s that you can not speak each others la
nguages
Observation: Large amounts of cross-cultural information can be read in people s
dress, body language, interaction and behavior. Be aware of differences with yo
ur own culture and try to understand The Roots of Behaviors. Asking questions cr
oss-cultural expands your knowledge.
Patience: Man has been created differently and we need to recognize and understa
nd that sometimes cross-cultural differences are annoying and frustrating. In th
ese Situations patience is definitely a virtue. Through patience respect is won
and cross cultural understanding is enhanced.
Flexibility: Flexibility, adaptability and open-mindedness are the route to succ
essful cross-cultural communication. Understanding, embracing and addressing cro
ss cultural differences leads to the breaking of cultural barriers which results
in better lines of communication, mutual trust and creative thinking.
Diversity of different cultures has automatic systems for different values, so i
t determines different purpose, it also determines the way we communicate which
is greatly influenced by the language, rules and norms in each culture. It is tr
ue that in every activity of our communication with others, it always contains t
he potential for cross-cultural communication or inter-cultural, because we will
always be on the "different culture" from other people.
In the daily life, the differences and negative perception of culture can cause
a fatal risk, at least, it will not lead to smooth communication, the feeling un
comfortable or misunderstandings occurs even though it is not an absolute truth,
but. the result of the misunderstandings cause many of the various phenomena of
life as events in the form of ethnocentrism
Although it still deserves a paradoxical solution, to minimize the cultural shoc
k, feelings of confusion and anxiety caused by interaction with different cultur
es, is as follows:
• An introduction to the country and its history and culture.
• An understanding of the target culture s values, customs and etiquette and their
possible impact on social life.
• Tips on Preparing to work with new colleagues from different nationalities.
• An accurate portrayal of the possible lifestyle in the target destination.
• Guidelines and tools on how to deal with indigenous and cultural differences.
• Language training prior to relocation.
By understanding or at least knowing the language and cultural behavior of other
s, we can know and understand the principles of cross-cultural communication and
practice in communicating with others. The need to study cross-cultural communi
cation is increasingly obvious, for the closer our interactions with people from
different cultures, in addition to the Indonesia that is very diverse with vari
ous racial, ethnic, religious, regional background (village / town), background
education, and so on.
It is fundamental and cannot be denied that every culture gives identity to a pa
rticular group of people, so if we want to more easily understand the difference
s found in each of these cultures, at least we should be able to identify the id
entity of each cultures. These sections are necessity; otherwise, it can concern
stereotypes and cultural prejudices, which often hinder cross-cultural communic
ation and can bring more severe consequences, namely the cultural offense becaus
e people are not necessarily or simply accept as a culture or life style of thei
rs is considered to be polite or inappropriate. We, frequently, give the wrong j
udgments about the culture of others and in giving our assessment, we often invo
lves only an impression, feeling, and intuition subjectivity alone. In other wor
ds, to measure and value the culture or the behavior of others, the appraisal is
often only by the side of our own culture or behavior, so the judgment that we
give them is surely not objective, because the parameter of truth that we use is
our own culture. Therefore, when we talk about values of civility, norms, inapp
ropriate, improper, it becomes very relative in the cultural discourse.
In view of this, it is reasonable to assert that cultural awareness should be vi
ewed as an important component informing, so to speak, and enriching communicati
ve competence. By communicative competence, we mean verbal as well as non-verbal
communication, such as gestures, the ability (or lack thereof) to integrate wit
h a specific group or avoid committing any faux pas, and so forth. In other word
s, the kind of communicative competence posited here is one which can account fo
r the appropriateness of language as well as behaviour. On the one hand, it can
help us understand why the sentence A cigarette is what I want is unlikely to be
elevated to the status of a possible utterance in English; on the other, it can
suggest why being careless about chinking glasses in Crete may cause trouble. I
t is what Desberg (1961, cited in Fotitch, 1961: 56) dubs ‘linguistico-cultural me
aning’ that has been extirpated from the foreign language milieu, and led to the f
alse assumption that culture is a compartmentalised subject amenable to ‘education
al interventions’, to quote Candy (1991), rather than an educational goal in itsel
f.
The question arises, however, that if language and culture are so intricately in
tertwined, why should we overtly focus on culture when there are other aspects o
f the curriculum that need more attention? To begin with, we should concern ours
elves with culture because, even though it is inherent in what we teach, to beli
eve that whoever is learning the foreign language is also learning the cultural
knowledge and skills required to be a competent L2/FL speaker ‘denies the complexi
ty of culture, language learning, and communication’ (Lessard-Clouston, 1997). Sec
ond, it is deemed important to include culture in the foreign language curriculu
m because it helps avoid the stereotypes that Nemni (1992) has discussed and the
present study has intimated. The third reason for expressly teaching culture in
the foreign language classroom is to enable students to take control of their o
wn learning as well as to achieve autonomy by evaluating and questioning the wid
er context within which the learning of the target language is embedded. Tomalin
& Stempleski (1993: 7-8), modifying Seelye’s (1988) ‘seven goals of cultural instru
ction’, may provide an answer pertinent to the question posed. According to them,
the teaching of culture has the following goals and is of and in itself a means
of accomplishing them:
To help students to develop an understanding of the fact that all people exhibit
culturally-conditioned behaviours.
To help students to develop an understanding that social variables such as age,
sex, social class, and place of residence influence the ways in which people spe
ak and behave.
To help students to become more aware of conventional behaviour in common situat
ions in the target culture.
To help students to increase their awareness of the cultural connotations of wor
ds and phrases in the target language.
To help students to develop the ability to evaluate and refine generalizations a
bout the target culture, in terms of supporting evidence.
To help students to develop the necessary skills to locate and organize informat
ion about the target culture.
To stimulate students’ intellectual curiosity about the target culture, and to enc
ourage empathy towards its people.
This list of goals is definitely an improvement on Huebener’s (1959: 182-183) list
of ‘desirable outcomes’. At any rate, the aim of teaching culture is ‘to increase stu
dents’ awareness and to develop their curiosity towards the target culture and the
ir own, helping them to make comparisons among cultures’ (Tavares & Cavalcanti, 19
96: 19). These comparisons, of course, are not meant to underestimate foreign cu
ltures but to enrich students’ experience and to sensitise them to cultural divers
ity. ‘This diversity should then be understood and respected, and never…over (sic) o
r underestimated’ (ibid.: 20). In the next chapter, we will consider different way
s of teaching (about) culture. As Kramsch (1993: 245) succinctly puts it, teache
rs’ and learners’ task is ‘to understand in ever more sensitive ways why they talk the
way they do, and why they remain silent: this type of knowledge Clifford Geertz
[1983] calls local knowledge’.
Foreign language learning is comprised of several components, including grammati
cal competence, communicative competence, language proficiency, as well as a cha
nge in attitudes towards one’s own or another culture. For scholars and laymen ali
ke, cultural competence, i.e., the knowledge of the conventions, customs, belief
s, and systems of meaning of another country, is indisputably an integral part o
f foreign language learning, and many teachers have seen it as their goal to inc
orporate the teaching of culture into the foreign language curriculum. It could
be maintained that the notion of communicative competence, which, in the past de
cade or so, has blazed a trail, so to speak, in foreign language teaching, empha
sising the role of context and the circumstances under which language can be use
d accurately and appropriately, ‘fall[s] short of the mark when it comes to actual
ly equipping students with the cognitive skills they need in a second-culture en
vironment’ (Straub, 1999: 2). In other words, since the wider context of language,
that is, society and culture, has been reduced to a variable elusive of any def
inition—as many teachers and students incessantly talk about it without knowing wh
at its exact meaning is—it stands to reason that the term communicative competence
should become nothing more than an empty and meretricious word, resorted to if
for no other reason than to make an “educational point.” In reality, what most teach
ers and students seem to lose sight of is the fact that ‘knowledge of the grammati
cal system of a language [grammatical competence] has to be complemented by unde
rstanding (sic) of culture-specific meanings [communicative or rather cultural c
ompetence]’ (Byram, Morgan et al., 1994: 4).

Going back as far back as the eighteenth century, German scholars Johan Herder (
1744-1803) and Wilhelm Von Humboldt (1762-1835) as cited by Kramsch, (1998) put
forth the idea that “different people speak differently because they think differe
ntly, and that they think differently because their language offers them differe
nt usage of expressing the world around them.” This led Kramsch to say that “languag
e expresses cultural reality. Speakers identify themselves and others through th
eir use of language.They view their language as a symbol of their social identit
y. The prohibition of its use is often perceived by its speakers as a rejection
of their social group and their culture” (Ibid.). So how about prohibiting Indones
ian students to speak their language in international schools? I believe that it
should not be the aim of the international schools to crowd out the students’ nat
ive language in favor of English.. We require our students to practice using Eng
lish inside and, as much as possible, outside the classrooms because we want the
m to get optimum experience in practicing and learning the English language in o
rder for them to be “globally communicative competent” (Thanasoulas, 2001).
Another important issue about language-culture connection is the Sapir-Whorf hyp
othesis. In 1929, Edward Sapir argued that “the ‘real world’ is to a large extent unco
nsciously built upon the language habits of the group.” A few years later, his stu
dent, Benjamin Whorf, also articulated that “the world is presented in a kaleidosc
opic flux of impression which has to be organized by our mind—and this means large
ly by the linguistic system in our minds” (Chandler, 1994). In other words, our la
nguage influences how we see the world around us (Wikipedia).
Considering these divergent cultures about the same topic, how can two people of
different cultures bridge the gap? How can an English language learner decide w
hich culture should he or she adopt? Essentially, the culture inherent to the ta
rget language has to be taught in order for the learner to harmonize both langua
ge and culture. In other words, since English is the target language in ESL/EFL
classes, students and teachers should observe the cultures linked to it.
Citing from the above situations, O’Neil (2005) explained that the “complexity of a
language is highly influenced by the culture.” He also argued that “language is the
most important component of culture because it is normally transmitted orally.
It is impossible to understand the subtle nuances and deep meanings of another c
ulture without knowing its language well.”
The beauty of a language is that it could be learned by anyone from different cu
ltural backgrounds. However, the art and creativity of a person using his native
language may not always be adopted by those who have acquired the language as a
second or adopted language.
Thus, Higgs (cited in Lessard-Clouston, 1997) commanded that Thou shalt not tea
ch language without also teaching culture as an ‘implicit commandment for languag
e educators.
There is however one universal language that is generally understood in various
cultures. Surprisingly, this language does not have any alphabet or words. This
is known as “body language.
By way of conclusion, we should reiterate the main premise of the present study:
the teaching of culture should become an integral part of foreign language inst
ruction. ‘Culture should be our message to students and language our medium’ (Peck,
1998). Frontiers have opened and never before have nations come closer to one an
other—in theory, at least. As a result, people from different cultures weave their
lives into an international fabric that is beginning to fray at the edges by vi
rtue of miscommunication and propaganda. In order to avoid this ignominious cult
ural and political disintegration, and foster empathy and understanding, teacher
s should ‘present students with a true picture or representation of another cultur
e and language’ (Singhal, 1998). And this will be achieved only if cultural awaren
ess is viewed as something more than merely a compartmentalised subject within t
he foreign language curriculum; that is, when culture “inhabits” the classroom and u
ndergirds every language activity. According to Singhal (1998), language teacher
s ought to receive both experiential and academic training, with the aim of beco
ming ‘mediators in culture teaching’ (ibid.). At any rate, culture teaching should a
im to foster ‘empathy with the cultural norms of the target language community’ and ‘a
n increased awareness of one’s own ‘cultural logic’ in relation to others’ (Willems, 199
2, cited in Byram, Morgan et al., 1994: 67). This cultural logic, though, is ach
ieved through ‘a recognition of ‘otherness’, and of the limitations of one’s own cultura
l identity’ (Killick & Poveda, 1997).
On a practical note, culture teaching should allow learners to increase their kn
owledge of the target culture in terms of people’s way of life, values, attitudes,
and beliefs, and how these manifest themselves or are couched in linguistic cat
egories and forms. More specifically, the teaching of culture should make learne
rs aware of speech acts, connotations, etiquette, that is, appropriate or inappr
opriate behaviour, as well as provide them with the opportunity to act out being
a member of the target culture. Equipped with the knowledge that such notions a
s “superior” or “inferior” cultures are nothing but sweeping generalisations emanating f
rom lack of knowledge and disrespect to other human beings with different worldv
iews, learners can delve into the target language and use it as a tool not only
to communicate in the country where it is spoken but also to give a second (or t
hird) voice to their thoughts, thus flying in the face of cultural conventions a
nd stereotypes. To this end, language educators should ‘not only work to dispel st
ereotypes [and] pockets of ignorance…but…contribute to learners’ understanding that be
gins with awareness of self and leads to awareness of others’ (Singhal, 1998). The
re is certainly room for improvement, and things bode well for the future. Beyon
d current practice, there are still some areas, such as the ones identified by L
essard-Clouston (1997), that need further investigation. For example, is there s
uch a thing as a ‘natural order’ in L2/FL culture acquisition? What cultural pattern
s do foreign language students need to learn first and at what levels? Furthermo
re, are these patterns best learnt by means of immersion in the target culture,
or are there any techniques obviating this need? Most importantly, are these acq
uired patterns maintained over the long haul, or is there some kind of regressio
n at work? Once these besetting issues are investigated, the next step is to do
some research on content and materials design for cultural syllabuses (see Nostr
and, 1967).
It goes without saying that foreign language teachers should be foreign culture
teachers, having the ability to experience and analyse both the home and target
cultures (Byram, Morgan et al., 1994: 73). The onus is on them to convey cultura
l meaning and introduce students to a kind of learning ‘which challenges and modif
ies their perspective on the world and their cultural identity as members of a g
iven social and national group’ (ibid.). Unfortunately, by teaching about other cu
ltures, foreign language educators do not necessarily nip prejudice in the bud,
so to speak; cultural bias can still plague the very aspects of the target cultu
re which teachers ‘choose to indict or advocate’, as Cormeraie (1997) insightfully r
emarks. It is hoped that the present paper has contrived to clarify most of the
issues it set out to investigate, and has helped contribute to a better understa
nding of culture and its importance in the foreign language classroom.
Before venturing into unknown territories (Grove, 1982), learners must first bec
ome conversant with what it means to be part of a culture, their own culture. By
exploring their own culture, i.e., by discussing the very values, expectations,
traditions, customs, and rituals they unconsciously take part in, they are read
y to reflect upon the values, expectations, and traditions of others ‘with a highe
r degree of intellectual objectivity’ (Straub, 1999). Depending on the age and lev
el of the learners, this task can take many forms. For example, young beginners
or intermediate students should be given the opportunity to enjoy certain activi
ties that are part of their own tradition, such as national sports, social festi
vities, or songs, before setting about exploring those of the culture of target
language. Here, we will only be concerned with the latter. ‘Beginning foreign lang
uage students want to feel, touch, smell, and see the foreign peoples and not ju
st hear their language’ (Peck, 1998). At any rate, the foreign language classroom
should become a ‘cultural island’ (Kramsch, 1993; Singhal, 1998; Peck, 1998), where
the accent will be on ‘cultural experience’ rather than ‘cultural awareness’ (see Byram,
Morgan et al., 1994: 55-60). From the first day, teachers are expected to bring
in the class posters, pictures, maps, and other realia in order to help student
s develop ‘a mental image’ of the target culture (Peck, 1998). According to Peck (19
98), an effective and stimulating activity is to send students on “cultural errand
s” (my term)—to supermarkets and department stores—and have them write down the names
of imported goods. Moreover, teachers can also invite guest speakers, who will t
alk about their experiences of the foreign country.
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