LING 425: Culture and the Language Learner
Course Aims and Objectives
This course provides an introduction to research and teaching approaches that involve the impact of cultural issues on the language learner.
Course Content
This module will provide an introduction to concepts and research methodologies that focus on the impact of cultural issues on the language learner. The course explores work in four main areas: communicative competence and cultural differences (e.g. intercultural communicative competence, language learners' identities), cultural issues and psychological aspects of second language learning (e.g. culture shock, willingness to communicate), cross-cultural and interlanguage pragmatics, and second language and culture teaching (e.g. language learners as ethnographers, dialogic approaches to language and culture teaching).
Assessment
A 5,000-word essay in the form of a mini research project.
Readings
Byram, M. (1997) Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters
Hall, Joan Kelly (2002) Teaching and Researching Language and Culture. Harlow: Longman.
Gudykunst, W. B., & Young, Y. K. (2003). Communicating with strangers: An approach to intercultural communication. Boston: McGraw Hill.
Kasper, G., & Rose, K. R. (2002). Pragmatic development in a second language. Oxford: Blackwell.
Morgan, C., & Cain, A. (2000). Foreign language and culture learning from a dialogic perspective. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Roberts, C., Byram, M., Barro, A., Jordan, S., & Street, B. (2001). Language learners as ethnographers. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Additional Information
Term taught: Term 2