Anti-Essentialist Culture Conception for Better Intercultural Language Teaching in EFL Contexts

Autor/in	Ghaffour, Mohamed Toufik
Titel	Anti-Essentialist Culture Conception for Better Intercultural Language Teaching in EFL Contexts
Quelle	In: Arab World English Journal, 13 (2022) 1, S.273-284 (12 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Ghaffour, Mohamed Toufik)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2229-9327
Schlagwörter	English (Second Language); Second Language Instruction; Cultural Influences; Higher Education; Educational Policy; Language Teachers; Cultural Awareness; Global Approach; Communicative Competence (Languages); Citizenship Education + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Cultural influence; Kultureinfluss; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Language teacher; Sprachunterricht; Cultural identity; Kulturelle Identität; Globales Denken; Communicative competence; Languages; Kommunikative Kompetenz; Sprache; Citizenship; Education; Politische Bildung; Politische Erziehung; Staatsbürgerliche Erziehung
Abstract	Culture is a crucial facet in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. (TEFL) Hence, we shall in this paper discuss the theories underpinning this concept and how we can utilize these epistemological and ontological understandings to promote the TEFL field and the higher education task. Henceforward, we have answered the following question: How to move from the essentialist view of culture to the non-essentialist view of culture, and why it is essential to do so in 21st century English as a Foreign Language context? To answer the proposed question, we have discussed the essentialist and non-essentialist dichotomy of the culture concept and how both frameworks affect TEFL and intercultural language teaching (ILT) differently. In this regard, we aim to help EFL policymakers, EFL teachers, and students alike shift their attention towards the merits of adopting a non-essentialist understanding of the culture concept in the ILT. First, this article covers the theories of culture to understand this concept from different anthropological perspectives. Second, we relied on Byram's Model (1997) critiques to demonstrate how a misunderstanding of culture as a concept can be damaging. Third, after critically discussing the relevant literature, we recommended an anti-culturalist perspective in the EFL context to improve the ILT experience. This article concludes with recommendations for EFL and ELT policymakers and EFL teachers and students alike. The proposals mainly focus on shifting the attention towards a non-culturalist approach towards culture. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01