2. ON TEACHING CULTURE CULTURE IS LIKE AN ICEBERG… Most of the what truly matters is hidden underneath… Communications style Beliefs Attitudes Values Perceptions Language Food Clothing

3. “Observable and non-observable behaviors, underlying rules, attitudes and values suggested by these rules and any interpretations and symbol systems (language) used by individuals in understanding their society or another society.”

4. RELATIONSHIP OF LANGUAGE TO CULTURE Language is a major component of culture People’s conception of the world largely expressed through culture( including nonverbal forms—cuisine, art, religion, dance, music ) English (a subset of culture, a vehicle for expressing culture ) demands that culture (Big C) must be taught/highlighted in ELL classrooms

5. PHASES OF CULTURAL AWARENESS (Hanvey 1987) Level 1 knowledge of facts, stereotypes, deficiencies (e.g. American women sexually “free”) Level 2 shallow comprehension of target culture Level 3 in-depth understanding of target culture (proxemics—space) Level 4 Empathy with culture (adopting it as “their” country/culture)

6. PRINCIPLES IN TEACHING CULTURE Must be integral to language learning Must advance students to at least Level 2 (will vary for individuals) Must have proportional concern for Big C and Little C Must be used as content, not just “diversion” Must expose learners to nuances of language

7. Cultural Instruction Activities ()maggio, Krmasch, Jorstad, Lange) Native informantsTeacher presentations MusicPictures/Real Objects Simulations/RoleplayProject-based activities Style inventories (Reid & Oxford for ESL Learners) Discussions

8. Checklist for Culturally Appropriate Techniques (Brown) Does technique recognize values that are part of students’ native cultures? Does it refrain from any demeaning stereotypes of students’ native cultures? Does it refrain from devaluing students’ native languages? Does it recognize varying degrees of participation?

9. Checklist (cont’d) Does it use empathy & tact when taking students beyond the comfort zone? Is it sensitive to gender differences in students’ native cultures? Does it connect specific language features to cultural ways of thinking, feeling, acting? Does it draw on background experiences of students in first and target cultures?