Citation : Tristana, Ana. Strategies to Raise Cultural Awareness and Create Multicultural Materials and Activities in The Language Classroom, Revista De Lenguas Modernas, p.383-390.
This article is aimed to help language teaching professionals to explore their cultural beliefs and develop skills to evaluate and create cultural materials and activities in the language classroom, since nowadays they face the challenge to incorporate culture in their instructional practice. As we know that nowadays, meeting someone from another country is not possibility anymore, it is reality that almost happened in real life. But somehow the language educators didn’t put cultural aspects in their instruction although it is a must for educators to evaluate cultural aspects in teaching and learning process. There are many reasons why this could happen. First is the assumption that language alone is enough to communicate successfully. Second is the lack of resources that address culturally relevant and appropriate issues. Third is the lack of opportunities for language teaching professionals to receive training in the field and develop cultural awareness themselves. Fourth is in some cases the apparent feeling that there is no need to explore cultural matters.
There are some strategies to raise cultural awareness and create multicultural materials and activities in the language classroom. First is reflecting on one’s own preconceptions about cultures. Consequently, requiring teacher to carry out thorough self-analysis before embarking in the task of educating their students is imperative to increase their knowledge about themselves and the world. Second is to provide culturally meaningful instruction is by carefully selecting and creating materials and activities. There are some approaches according to Ommagio, Frankenstein Approach, a little of facts from every culture, the 4-F Approach, folk dances, festivals, fairs, and food, the Tour Guide Approach, monuments and cities, and the “By-the-Way” Approach.The third is to choose the relevant material, educators should evaluate the materials and the activities before they are implied in the classroom. Hernandez-Sheets (2005) suggests three types of examinations: availability, appropriateness, and ideological perspective examinations to be carried out at the beginning of the school year or course.
From the explanation above, I suggest the educators should apply this strategy in teaching language in order to raise cultural awareness. Because, teaching language doesn’t mean we, as an educators, only teach language but also teach cultural awareness. By doing so, we will achieve the tolerance.
This article is aimed to help language teaching professionals to explore their cultural beliefs and develop skills to evaluate and create cultural materials and activities in the language classroom, since nowadays they face the challenge to incorporate culture in their instructional practice. As we know that nowadays, meeting someone from another country is not possibility anymore, it is reality that almost happened in real life. But somehow the language educators didn’t put cultural aspects in their instruction although it is a must for educators to evaluate cultural aspects in teaching and learning process. There are many reasons why this could happen. First is the assumption that language alone is enough to communicate successfully. Second is the lack of resources that address culturally relevant and appropriate issues. Third is the lack of opportunities for language teaching professionals to receive training in the field and develop cultural awareness themselves. Fourth is in some cases the apparent feeling that there is no need to explore cultural matters.
There are some strategies to raise cultural awareness and create multicultural materials and activities in the language classroom. First is reflecting on one’s own preconceptions about cultures. Consequently, requiring teacher to carry out thorough self-analysis before embarking in the task of educating their students is imperative to increase their knowledge about themselves and the world. Second is to provide culturally meaningful instruction is by carefully selecting and creating materials and activities. There are some approaches according to Ommagio, Frankenstein Approach, a little of facts from every culture, the 4-F Approach, folk dances, festivals, fairs, and food, the Tour Guide Approach, monuments and cities, and the “By-the-Way” Approach.The third is to choose the relevant material, educators should evaluate the materials and the activities before they are implied in the classroom. Hernandez-Sheets (2005) suggests three types of examinations: availability, appropriateness, and ideological perspective examinations to be carried out at the beginning of the school year or course.
From the explanation above, I suggest the educators should apply this strategy in teaching language in order to raise cultural awareness. Because, teaching language doesn’t mean we, as an educators, only teach language but also teach cultural awareness. By doing so, we will achieve the tolerance.
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