Teaching Materials Culture Teaching In High School

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

With the implementation of the New Curriculum Standard in Senior English, the notions of cultural awareness and culture instruction are being accepted and carried out in classrooms by English teachers. What’s more, it is commonly believed that culture teaching will improve teachers’ teaching and stimulate students’ interest in language learning. Though most English teachers have realized the importance of culture teaching, there still exist many problems in culture teaching. For example, teachers pay too much attention to language knowledge, such as vocabulary and grammar. Then, students have chances to have access to the English culture, and they are fed up with English learning in the classroom.

Based on the study of related theories, this paper analyses the status quo of culture teaching in English classes in senior high school and makes some suggestions for culture teaching, especially those for applying culture teaching in reading class to help improve teacher’s scientific teaching.

Key words: culture; culture teaching; reading class.

1. Literature Review

It is very necessary for us to review the history of culture teaching both at home and abroad. Depending on those previous studies, we can have a clear idea of our culture teaching in English classes. Meanwhile, we can find out the current problems of culture teaching existing in English classes. Then, with the help of those previous theories, teachers can make their teaching more scientifically. Furthermore, carrying out these theories in classrooms will help teachers to think more about culture teaching. In order to improve their teaching, teachers will try to improve their teaching strategies. Moreover, it is more likely to help teachers to improve their strategies of culture teaching.

Since the relation between culture and language has been focused on gradually at home and abroad, more and more educators have used the culture teaching in process of language teaching. However, it is just the beginning of the study of culture teaching. Moreover, nowadays there are still few documents of culture teaching strategies that are available. It would still be of help to look back on the previous studies on strategies of culture teaching. According to Stern, we know, "the term ‘strategy’ is used for broad intention action, and the term ‘technique’ for more specific behaviors, operations, procedures, and activities." Thus, teachers can use a variety of techniques to carry out culture teaching strategy. Culture clusters, developed by Meade and Morain, consist of three illustrated culture capsules. Culture clusters develop related topics plus one 30-minute simulation that integrates the information in the capsules and dramatizes it through a situational role-play. Selecting a central theme and working backwards to arrive at three or four components might be the best approach to develop the culture clusters. That might lead themselves to culture capsules (Seelye, 1993; also see Hadley, 1993; Stern, 1999). Many more techniques in the USA for cultural instruction are introduced by Hadley. They are mainly deriving cultural connotations, hypothesis refinement, artifact study, decreasing stereotypic perceptions, using proverbs in teaching cultural understanding, and humor as a component of culture to explore cross-cultural differences, etc (Hadley, 1993). In the following part, I will analyze how to take advantage of culture teaching strategies in the reading class to help the student to gain culture knowledge.

2. Introduction

In July, 2001, China’s Ministry of Education published an experimental version of English Curriculum Standards, which calls for fundamental changes of English teaching and learning in China. Soon afterwards, the National English Curriculum Standards for Senior High Schools was published by People’s Education Press in April, 2003. These two governmental documents carefully detailed language skills, language knowledge, affects and attitudes, learning strategies, and cultural consciousness. The five aspects above are expected to be acquired by Chinese students. For the first time, "Cultural Consciousness" was officially put forward in the history of basic foreign language education in China. Thus, the problem of "How to improve students’ cultural consciousness" has been one of our research issues in recent years.

Culture teaching is inseparable from language teaching and it is of great help in teacher’s teaching. Both language and culture are important aspects of the foreign language teaching that should be emphasized. In other words, we should teach a foreign language for the purpose of cultural acquisition, thus students will develop an interest in English learning. The cultural knowledge will help to stimulate students’ motivation in learning the language. Marion Williams& L. Burden states that if asked to identify the most powerful influences on learning, motivation would probably be on most teachers’ lists. Only when students actively cooperate with the teacher’s teaching can the teacher’s teaching be effective. Introducing the culture to the students will make them feel much easier to learn the language. Consequently, it is very necessary for teachers to think about more ways to introduce and teach culture of English-speaking countries. In other words, teachers are required to spend more time on the strategy research of culture teaching. Using culture teaching will be helpful in teachers’ organization of teachers’ teaching and will stimulate students’ interest in learning English. At the same time, the students’ abilities of listening, speaking, reading, and writing will be improved. Furthermore, teachers will find the happiness of teaching, and then they will have more passion for English teaching.

Different people may have different ideas about the definition of culture. And it has been defined by many scholars since the 20th century. There are more than 250 kinds of definitions of culture as Qi Yucun said. "Culture is often seen as mere information conveyed by the language, not as a feature of language itself" (Claire K., 1993). That is to say the students will get the culture knowledge by their language learning. "Language and culture are like twins." (Li Runxin, 1998), which means that culture and language are inseparable. What’s more, the student can acquire language by culture learning. Just as Goodenough said, "a society’s language is an aspect of its culture. The relation of language to culture, then, is that of part to whole." language is a part of culture and culture can be found through language. Thus, it is very necessary for teachers to emphasize the culture teaching to complete and better their language teaching and it is very essential for the student to learn culture knowledge to master the language in a more effective way.

The definition of culture helps us get a better understanding of the culture teaching. Culture teaching is included in the process of language teaching. However, it is far more specific than language teaching. During the teaching, the teacher should pay more attention to cultivating students’ culture awareness so as to improve their language abilities. But it is not easy to make the students gain the culture knowledge, nor to help them have a good command of the foreign language without the proper teaching strategies.

3. The Status Quo of Culture Teaching in Senior High School

Because of the implementation of the New Curriculum Standard in Senior English, the notions of cultural awareness and culture instruction are being accepted and carried out in English classes by English teachers. However, there are still many problems of culture teaching during the English class in senior high school. According to the related theories, we can find out the problems from the perspectives of teaching materials, the teachers and the students.

3.1 Teaching Materials for Culture Teaching in Senior High School

According to the survey by Du Shuguang on cultural instruction in English teaching in senior high school, he found that most teachers agree course books play a crucial role in English teaching. What’s more, they have the awareness that the textbooks’ introduction is a very important approach for guiding students to study culture. Though the textbooks used at present are satisfying to a majority of teachers, they still need to be improved, for example, adding more cultural background knowledge for students to read instead of too much knowledge of grammar.

3.2 Teachers’ Role in Culture Teaching in Senior High School

According to the survey by Du Shuguang on cultural instruction in English teaching in senior high school, we can find that some teachers agree that culture teaching may help students improve their communicative competence, language proficiency and cultural awareness. They also know it is hard for them to carry out culture teaching. Only those teachers who have strong cultural awareness will pay more attention to culture materials. Only those teachers who have abundant knowledge of culture can help their students to develop the cultural awareness. In addition, we can see it from Du Shuguang’ research that there is little time for culture teaching, because the examination-oriented education still occupies the senior high school. Besides, some teachers’ shortage of high spirits in culture makes them neglect the instruction of culture. However, without teachers’ culture introduction, there is little access for students to the cultural knowledge. Thus, teachers should be conscious of the relevant theories and strategies of culture teaching. During the English classes, more relevant activities or tasks should be arranged by teachers to make full use of the teaching materials, which will assit students comprehend related culture in a natural way.

3.3 Students’ Reaction to Culture Teaching in Senior High School

According to the survey by Du Shuguang on cultural instruction in English teaching in senior high school, it can be found that students hold positive attitude to culture instruction and enormous interests in foreign culture. They are willing to learn more culture knowledge. Moreover, they are eager to combine more culture with current course books. For example, some more vivid cultural information is required in their English classes. They have heavy learning tasks, and have very limited time after class, even the time for them to learn culture by themselves. Therefore, their need for learning knowledge of foreign culture should be mainly met by teachers’ culture instructions given in English classes. Du Shuguang stated, it is the truth that most students are not satisfied with their teachers’ culture instructions. Students will cooperate with their teachers’ teaching only when they are interested in what their teachers teach or how they teach. That is to say, more effective culture teaching strategies are extremely urgent to be found and applied the current English teaching.

4. Strategies for Improving Culture Teaching in English Reading Class in Senior High School

After we know the problems of culture teaching in English classes in senior high school, the most important thing that we need to do is to find out the solutions. Being English teachers, we will face many problems in English classes, which mean the teaching strategies should be improved. Usually, the English class can be divided into reading class, listening class, speaking class, writing class and others. Reading class is a very significant part of the English class, because it is a good way for teachers to teach students. What’s more, the strategies of English teaching can be mostly reflected in reading classes. A good reading class should integrate the culture teaching with strategies of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Thus, it requires teachers to make a good preparation for culture teaching before having the reading class, which means, according to the reading materials, more relevant activities or tasks are needed to stir students’ interest. Furthermore, the teaching materials should be fully used. In this way, the teacher can carry out his teaching smoothly and the students can learn English completely.

4.1 Preparation for Applying Culture Teaching in English Reading Class

It is very important to make a good preparation before having the reading class. On the one hand, the teacher should have a clear idea of what to teach exactly and how to teach efficiently. On the other hand, students should be made ready to accept the different culture.

The teacher is the guide of students, which means the teacher shows the students what to learn and how to learn. Before the reading class, the teacher should have a careful study on the teaching materials, thus he can recognize the culture knowledge in the textbook and he may think of more related culture knowledge. Then, with the understanding of his students, he should decide what to teach. Meanwhile, for having known students’ interest, the teacher should know how to convey the culture knowledge to his student in a proper way. In order to teach the students the related culture knowledge in proper ways at the right time, the teacher should make a careful arrangement of the reading class and he should focus on how to make his teaching plan of culture logical and efficient. However, no matter what to teach and how to teach, the basic thing is that the teacher should have sufficient culture knowledge and culture teaching strategies, thus he can make adequate provisions to interest his students.

Though the teacher exerts great influences on students’ study, the students still play the leading role in his learning. No matter how good a preparation the teacher has made, the students are the most important part during the class. The teacher helps his students have a clear idea of the differences across cultures. Meanwhile, they should know that there is no distinction between the so called "good" culture and "bad" culture. Being foreign language learners, we must stick to the idea that we should respect all kinds of cultures and we need to tolerate cultures that are different from ours. Only in this way can we reduce the misunderstanding caused by cultural differences. Having had the cultural awareness and culture respect, students can follow their teacher’s teaching and they can learn to think in the right way, based on which they will gain the essence of culture knowledge gradually.

4.2 Introduction of Cultural Background in Pre-reading

After teachers have made the preparation of the reading class, the next step is to deliver the culture knowledge to students in the English class. Based on the understanding of reading as an interactive process, the procedure of reading-teaching can be basically divided into three stages: pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading. In the pre-reading, the teacher uses the culture teaching methods mainly to guide the student to grow interested in the new class, which helps the students to read the text smoothly without any negative emotions.

At the beginning of the period, using the video will arouse the students’ interest in learning. The students’ cooperation will contribute to their teacher’s teaching. Both teachers and students like the audio-video way in English classes. It is a very important way to deal with the language knowledge and the cultural information. What’s more, pictures, posters, videos, tapes, etc. are usually used during the teaching. Thus students will have an all-around version on the culture and the culture knowledge. Take the reading from the textbook3 published by foreign language teaching and research press, the Module4 "Sandstorms in Asia" as an example, the teacher shows the students a short video about the carbon dioxide and the greenhouse effect. This short video chosen by the teacher helps the students to predict the topic of the reading material. What’ more, the teacher can also play the song "Heal the World" which is not only tightly related with the topic but also familiar to us. The students may have a discussion on their observation and findings. However, the basic thing is that the teacher should be sensitive to the students’ preferences when they choose the audio and video files. The teacher should give students the proper guide during their appreciation of audio and vidio. Because only the audio-video files with positive culture connotation are of help to attract students and cultivate students’ cultural awareness.

Culture asides are important because they help create a cultural context for language items and help the learner to create a network of mental associations similar to those that the items evoke in the native speaker (Stern, 1999). Culture asides are items of cultural information offered by the teacher as he present himself in the course of language work. It is easy for teachers to prepare the cultural knowledge. What’s more, it can be flexibly used by teachers. Usually in the process of an English class, the teacher stops to interpret certain linguistic forms that are heavily loaded with cultural information. Then students can acquire some culture knowledge from teachers’ introduction of culture asides and be interested in English learning. Take the reading from the textbook3 published by foreign language teaching and research press, the Module4 "Sandstorms in Asia" as an example. The teacher introduces the World Environment Day on 5 June to the students. More information about that day can be introduced by the teacher, such as the reasons and the necessity of having that day or anything else. All these culture information will enlighten students’ mind. After students get enough background information about their reading materials from the teacher’ introduction, their interest will be aroused and they are more likely to finish their reading tasks delightfully. Having desire to learn culture is a very important part of language learning. Moreover, good culture acquisition will help the students to understand English completely.

4.3 Approaches of Presenting Cultural Knowledge in the Text in While-reading

After the teacher introduces the culture to students, the teacher will help students to do some practices according to the cultural information. Thus they can have a better understanding of the culture. Then in the while-reading, the teacher will guide the students to understand the reading materials and gain the culture knowledge in the text.

There is a comparison between English culture and Chinese culture. It is very common that we usually ignore the Chinese culture when we have our English classes. It is true in the English class, but it does not mean we should teach students only the English culture during the English classes. Actually, during the English classes, we should have a clear idea of our own civilization. What’s more, as Arends said, it is the teacher’s duty to help the student to build up the sense of loving our own culture. When we pay our attention to the English culture, the teacher should remind the students of our own culture. Here is a reading from the textbook3 published by foreign language teaching and research press, the Module5 "Great People and Great Invention of Ancient China". From this module, we can see that the textbook focuses on our Chinese culture. It requires the English teacher to be aware of the importance of our own culture. On the one hand, the teacher should centre on the reading itself. On the other hand, for being language, learners the students need to know more great people and great invention in the world, especially in English countries. After that, the teacher guides the students to find the difference between the Chinese culture and the English culture by comparison. At this time, a chart or a gap-filling may be helpful. What’ more, this teaching strategy will practice the students to think comprehensively. During the comparison, the students learn to distinguish between the English culture and the Chinese culture, thus they will have a better understanding of these cultures. During the reading classes, the teacher should guide the students to understand the reading material by comparing between differences.

Among English-teaching used in senior high school materials, there are many talking topics involved. Teachers should require students to act out a dialogue about these topics by role play. By this means, the full uses of these topics can be made to cultivate students’ cultural awareness. Learners acquire the knowledge of how to get meaning across as they become socialized through experiencing a variety of roles in interactions in the classroom under the teacher’s guidance. In English class, as the Chinese participants suggested, it is important for English teachers to create a relaxing, engaging environment and provide some opportunities for learners to use the target language rather than one-way learning from the teachers. The teacher should create some situations close to reality, such as how to negotiate with a landlord about renting a room. Role-play engages students in different social roles and speech events and provides opportunities to practice the wide range of pragmatic and sociolinguistic abilities. Besides, an effective role play usually offers students chances to learn relevant culture knowledge. For example, in order to present students with the general picture of eating out in a restaurant in western countries, the teacher should provide students with English introduction about how to get a table reserved, how to order and so on, and then let the students act out. In textbook3, the Module4, the topic is body language. It tells us different body languages in different countries. For example, when greeting to others, a Chinese will give you a hand-shaking, while Americans would like to hug each other. To let the students understand the cultural differences better, after finishing reading the text, teacher should ask some students to act out the proper body languages in different situations. In textbooks many situations described in texts can be also acted alike, such as First Aid, Christmas Carol and so on. The role-play not only shows how well the students understand them, but also gives them a vivid impression. It not only helps the students understand cultural differences, experience foreign culture, but also provides opportunities for oral communication. As the saying goes "learning by doing, doing for learning", practice will stimulate students to learn by himself and guide him to be a good language learner, as well as a good culture traveler.

4.4 Methods of Enhancing Students’ Understanding of Cultural Knowledge in Post-reading

In the pre-reading, the teacher should use culture strategies to arouse students’ interest. In the while-reading, using culture strategies to draw students’ attention to learning English delightfully is the point. Last but not least, in the post-reading the teacher helps students to consolidate what they have learned by making full use of the reading material in the aspect of culture and the teacher helps students to develop the awareness of learning English culture.

Teaching culture by using newspapers, magazines and literatures is a considerable technique. They are the very authentic materials that can not only expand students’ culture view of English-speaking countries but also improve students’ reading ability. Zhang Hongling studied that the advantage of using the newspaper and magazines in foreign language classes lies in its function of reflecting foreign people’s life in their own cultural setting and of providing insights into various contemporary interest of foreign people. Therefore, adding more reading materials in post-reading is very beneficial. It will help the students to rethink about the culture knowledge they’ve learned and build up a relation between them with the culture knowledge introduced in these extra reading materials. In this way, students will enrich their knowledge of one certain aspect of culture, which makes their culture knowledge more systematic and them strengthens their understanding of foreign culture knowledge learned in texts. For example, when the teacher has a class about Christmas Day, the most important festival in English countries, the teacher can give the students more reading materials to appreciate, like other festivals in English countries or festivals which are very important as well in China like the Spring Festival.

Culture teaching is not only to teach students the culture knowledge, but also to teach students how to learn culture by themselves. With the learning of the textbook, the students know some culture knowledge, which is the window of their further study on culture. However，it is too little for language learners. Being a language learner, he should get the essence of language, since it is very necessary for him to broaden his view of culture. There are two common ways can be used by students, one is to read more authentic materials with colorful cultural information; the other one is to listen to the radio program which is a great source of culture teaching, such as the BBC and VOA. Beyond these, for the computer widely used, the teacher can guide the students to use the computer in a proper way. On the internet, there are both good and bad information, so it is very necessary for the teacher to direct the students on how to surf the internet and how to take advantage of the internet. After finding their own suitable ways, the students may be good language learners.

5. Conclusion

Culture is the source of language. The foreign learning plays a vital role in language learning, which requires teachers to think what to teach and how to teach culture knowledge in the classes. Culture teaching can enrich teachers’ teaching and it will arouse students’ enthusiasm of learning English. The effective application of culture teaching in English classes will promote English-teaching.

The reading class is a major channel to convey the culture knowledge in English classes in senior high school. How to make the students take part in a variety of tasks actively, how to enhance their overall ability, how to make the limited time well organize…… all these factors need to be taken into consideration when a teacher designs his teaching plan of the reading class. During the process of the reading class, only when the teacher integrates the strategy of culture teaching with other strategies can he maintain the students’ motivation and participation. All these strategies are used in the reading classes to stimulate students’ interest in learning English and to help the teacher to teach efficiently.

In my thesis, I try my best to express my thoughts of strategies of culture teaching in the reading class. There is no doubt that there are still some shortcomings. For example, all these strategies of culture teaching are applied to the reading class only to motivate the students’ desire of learning English. In the future, I need to think more about how to carry out strategies of culture teaching in the reading class to promote the students’ reading skills. Thus, it’s a long journey for me to find out more efficient strategies of culture teaching. For writing this thesis, I’ve learned a lot about English teaching and culture teaching. Then, I will regard this study as a stepping stone and further the research on English teaching in the future.