The treatment of culture in the foreign language curriculum. An analysis of national curriculum documents.

Autor/inn/en	Lavrenteva, Evgenia; Orland-Barak, Lily
Titel	The treatment of culture in the foreign language curriculum. An analysis of national curriculum documents.
Quelle	In: Journal of curriculum studies, 47 (2015) 5, S. 653-684Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; gedruckt; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-0272; 1366-5839
DOI	10.1080/00220272.2015.1056233
Schlagwörter	Kultur; Sprache; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Neusprachlicher Unterricht
Abstract	Teaching culture in the foreign language classroom has been widely debated ever since its importance was recognized. Current research suggests that centralized 'top down' curricular policies can become potential constraints to teaching culture and points to the need for adapting curricula for culture-integrated language learning. This study analysed official curriculum documents published in 14 different countries to identify how the sociocultural component to Teaching English as a Foreign Language is reflected in the document. To date, there is scarce research on the place of culture in English as a Foreign Language curricula; hence, the present study aims at filling in a gap in this area. The study points to the following findings: curricula state the importance of culture in language learning and promote an integrative view of teaching language and culture; cultural objectives focus on appreciating cultural diversity, raising cultural awareness and reinforcing students' positive cultural identity; teachers are portrayed as facilitators (rather than transmitters) of cultural knowledge yet, learners are described as acquiring (rather than discovering) cultural knowledge; curriculum documents focus on cultural knowledge and attitudes towards foreign cultures, rather than on the skills needed for successful interaction. These findings are elaborated and discussed, with potential implications for practice.
Erfasst von	IPN - Leibniz-Institut für die Pädagogik der Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik an der Universität Kiel
Update	2016/1