There is common belief that the language shapes the thoughts of people who speak it, but not only language but also culture is involved in the way people think and talk. As one organic whole, the language, the thought habits and the culture affect all together. Thus, learning another language gives insight and understanding about another culture rather than changes the way of thinking.
If we don’t know the language well, it is impossible to understand the subtle nuances and deep meanings of the target culture. Films and TV shows can be the best sources to help students have indirect experiences about the culture. For example, to teach how to greet each other in Korea, I will let students watch and listen to video clips taken from a television show or a film in Korean. After that, I can let them describe the behaviors they observe and discuss which of them are similar to their native culture and which are not including body languages like gestures, eye contact, facial expressions. And then, students can do activities like a scavenger hunt or an interview to find some cultural relevant objects or information around them in pairs or groups to deepen their understanding about the culture. Role play in the target language can be followed to practice it and internalize the culture a little bit more. Finally, I will ask them to write a brief essay about what linguistic and cultural insights they get from those activities and give chances to present in front of class. Will this helpful for teaching language and culture at the same time?
misooksin
Language plays a very important role in the life of human beings. We use language from the moment we wake up in the morning till we go to bed at night.
Misook, You must have a great idea for teaching language and culture. It sounds interesting and also effective to teach people how one’s language represents one’s culture.
I sometimes feel that the innovations in our culture are so fast and these innovations are getting similar among countires since we use same English language in a virtual world of the Internet.
But, I feel a cultural background is something that we cannot break or understand if we were not grown up in that culture. For example, it is totally impossible for me to understand an American comedy show or idoms.
It is my next task that I have to achieve. I wish I could understand at least 50% of a comedy show or idioms that native speakers use all the time.
Misook, do you have any advice for my resolution?
Hi,Mihyun!
You got me.
I’m in the same situation.
That’s why i don’t like comedy show that much.
But, if there is no alternative, what shoud we do.
To mingle in this society, we don’t have any other options except for more exposure. Nowadays, I try to watch “Friends’ and “two and a half man’. They are really great.
But, sometimes, I watch them with English subtitles. you know the site called “Addic7ed.com’?
You can download English subtitles there.
When it comes to comedy, watching with subtitle can help me understand the situation much better than without it.
I can stop the video and think about the expressions a little bit more if I don’t understand why people laugh at the scene like that. but, it’s a long way to go.
If you have a good idea for that, let me know.