1. English opens windows Should we use more “cultural” contents to motivate our students?

2. Motivation in SLA (Gardner et al.) “Integrative” orientation: Positive feelings towards the target language community Learn the language in order to interact, socialize, become friends with members of the other community “Instrumental” orientation: Practical / utilitarian reasons for learning the target language Learn the language to get a good job or a higher salary

3. Process model of motivation (from: Dörnyei 2001) Initial motivation: L2-related values and attitudes Relevant teaching materials: meaningful contents Motivational retrospection: Motivational feedback Increase learner satisfaction Executive motivation: Learning experience is enjoyable Sense of autonomy

4. Culture in EFL „ Essentialist“ practices to present foreign culture  alienation Cultural Studies Culture and culture – heterogeneous, not homogeneous Transcultural experiences Intercultural competence Affective domain: Empathy, emotions, concern Bottom-up, not top-down approach: from personal experiences to facts and figures

5. English as an international language Are Anglo-Saxon cultures still relevant? Focus on presentation of own culture? Danger of increasingly superficial treatment of „inter“cultural contents Post-colonial perspective Discourse communities: English to communicate within international interest groups

6. Discourse communities and the students’ personal involvement gael-garcia-bernal.htm http://www.wspa-international.org/www.wspa-international.org

7. Topic: migration “La loca de la raza cósmica”“La loca de la raza cósmica”

8. La loca de la raza cósmica (la Chrisx - adapted) For as different as we all may seem, When intricacies are compared, We are all one, And the same. Soy la Mujer Chicana, una maravilla Soy tan simple como la capirotada And at the same time I am as complicated to understand as the Aztec Pyramids. Soy la Reina de la Raza Cósmica … Soy mujer Soy señorita Soy madre Soy Ms. Soy love-maker to my main man Soy dreamer Soy streetwalker Soy la good woman Soy staying at home until I´m married or dead Soy dumping my old man, even though I’m pregnant with his child Soy mother of 12, married at 14 Soy la battered wife, Soy la drop-out Soy the first in my family to graduate from high school Soy la directora Soy la poverty pimp Soy “tank you” en vez de “thank you” Soy “chooz” en vez de “shoes” Soy la canería soy “silicon valley” soy los fields soy el unemployment soy el welfare soy la Avon Lady Soy spray painting on the wall soy writing books Soy ojos negros y piel canela soy dying my hair a flaming red or yellow Soy Mexicana soy Mexican-American soy American of Spanish Surname (A.S.S.) soy Latina soy Puerto Riqueña soy Cocoanut soy Chicana (Source: Rebolledo/Rivero, eds: Infinite Divisions. An Anthology of Chicana Literature. Tucson: 1993)

9. Be brave! Teaching culture is not an easy task: –Avoid stereotypes –Deal with differences as enriching, not alienating aspects –Remember: Motivation is the key

10. Thanks for your comments! Katharina.Glas@gmail.com