CULTURE: WHAT TO TEACH AND HOW TO TEACH IT IN AN EFL CLASS

• 作者: Yan Jinglan
• 来源期刊: 中国应用语言学：英文版
• 学科: 文学
• 年，卷（期）: 2001,（4）
• 页码范围: 21-24
• 页数: 4页
• 分类号: H319

摘要

This paper discusses the question of the teaching of culturein a EFL class. With the open door policy, more and morepeople in China are learning English or some other language forvarious purposes. However, they often experience the frustrationof failure in communication with foreigners which can sourrelationships or business due to their ignorance of the targetculture associated with the language they are learning or havelearned. Therefore, Teach culture in foreign language classesand Learn a second culture while learning a second languagehave become new slogans, or to be exact, new tasks in the fieldof English language teaching in China. But how to teach andwhat to teach remain problematic. I hold that "central code" ofa culture i. e. people’s way of life should be the focus in EFLteaching. Then choosing appropriate and authentic materialcontaining aspects of culture is of great importance. We shouldtake full advantage of mass media and multimedia materials andapproaches. At the same time we should also pay attention tothe cultural behaviour or belief of EFL teachers so as to makemore effective teaching.