Towards the need for a hands-on approach to teaching foreign cultures in the EFL classroom

Servet Çelik, Karadeniz Technical University

servet61@ktu.edu.tr

Abstract

The need for incorporating culture in EFL instruction has been widely recognized from a theoretical perspective, and a great deal of effort has been expended in terms of educational policy to address this issue. On the other hand, implementing cultural instruction on a practical level remains a considerable challenge; and in educational settings where teachers themselves lack familiarity with the target culture and where educational materials are deficient in this respect, cultural instruction may often be ignored. This study offers a sample task for teaching about culture, illustrating how teachers, as well as learners, can become students of foreign cultures while avoiding common pitfalls.

Keywords: Cultural awareness, ELT, English as a foreign language, Foreign language learning, Lesson planning

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