谈述CultureStudy试述on试述Culture试述Input试述in试述EFL试述Classroom

Abstract：As it is commonly agreed that language shoule be taught in the context of culture, what kind of culture to be chosen, how to provide relevant culture input in EFL classroom deserve teachers’ attention. This essay tries to put forward some useful implications for teaching language along with culture in EFL classroom based on the review of the language-culture relationship and the nature of English as an international language.
Key words：culture input; EFL classroom; English language teaching
1672-1578（2013)03-0006-03
1 Introduction
Crystal (1997) points out that English gains a special position as either an official language or a school subject to study as a global language in over seventy countries. With the spread of English, there arises a question of teaching culture with language in English class. In this respect, English Language Teaching (ELT) materials emphasize on teaching English in a cultural context (Byram and Fleming, 1998; Byram and Risager, 1999; Lange and Paige, 2003 as cited in Nault, 2006). These textbooks usually approach native English-speaking cultures with the notion that learning English involves gaining knowledge of native English-speaking cultures. Given the fact that more and more people speak and write English in the world regardless of national borders, a learning of native English-speaking culture源于：大专毕业论文范文www.618jyw.com
has begun to be questioned. We can surmise that students may study British culture to gain better grade in the British-based Cambridge exam.
This paper deals with the teaching of English with culture, as an International language, and this topic is mainly explored by considering three aspects: the relationship between culture and language, the spread of English, and the teaching of culture alongside English in an EFL classroom.
2 Relationship between Culture and Language

2.1 Definition of Culture

To understand the relationship between culture and language, it is first necessary to define what culture is. Hofstede (1984) as cited in Nault (2006) regards culture as the total mental concepts which make it possible to tell social groups apart from each other. Culture is defined more broadly by Marsella (1994) as cited in Samovar and Porter (2004: 32) as follows:‘Culture is shared learned behior which is tranitted from one generation to another for purpose of promoting individual and social survival, adaptation, and growth and development. Culture has both external (e.g., artifacts, roles, institutions) and internal representations(e.g., values, attitudes,beliefs,cognitive/ affective/ sensory styles, consciousness patterns, and epistemologies)’ (Marsella, 1994: 166-167). Based on this definition, culture is passed on from ancestors to descendants for encouraging social subsistence through communication between people who share the common culture. At the same time, culture includes not only practical actions but also mental factors which affect the thoughts and beliefs of members of society. 学术论文下载www.618jyw.com
4 EIL with Culture
It is readily accepted that we must take the American and British culture as the target culture to learn English language (Sardi, 2003 as cited in Nault, 2006). However, English is not the first language in only Amer摘自：毕业论文范文格式www.618jyw.com
ica and Britain. There are other countries which use English as their mother tongue such as Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland. Even though they may he common values, thoughts and beliefs, humans are different depending on the individual(e.g., gender, age, religion) and social situations (e.g., customs, cultural pattern, way of living).

4.1 Teaching English with Culture

Mckay (2002) notes two assumptions for which kind of culture to be taught in an English classroom. First, if English no longer belongs to just Inner Circle countries, teaching internationally common culture may be implicated. Second, if it is possible to communicate in English between different cultures, learners should consider the influence of each cultural value in their interaction. Kramsch (1998) states that even though the same sentences are spoken, responses can be different depending on cultural context. For example, when you say to your American friend, ‘Your bag is so great!’ she can reply, ‘Thank you very much!’ because Americans get used to responding with thanks for the praise. However, when you say same sentence to your French friend, she may answer, ‘My bag is good? But I think it is too old’, because the French regard the compliment to be an intrusion of privacy.

4. 2 Teaching Culture in EFL Classroom

Learning a foreign language is a difficult process for learners. Considering that learners in EFL he few chances to experience various cultural inputs, it is harder to understand a difference between cultures. What needs to be considered in the EFL classroom is the different teaching and learning culture (Tomlinson, 2005 as cited in Hinkel, 2005). Before students enter a classroom, they are ready for learning depending on their local culture and teaching and learning culture in classroom. For example, if teachers ask a question, a group of Arab students in a classroom are shouting to answer simultaneously, while a class of Chinese students may not give any response resulting in a silence. Both language teaching curriculum and methodology should be determined after considering the local teaching and learning conditions. Schools help students to take part in actively different international cultures and develop cross-cultural competence by comparing their own viewpoints in various cultural contexts. With this activity, students may realize gradually that there are many cultural puzzles to comprise a perfect globe. 摘自：本科毕业论文结论www.618jyw.com
In closing, despite the fact that there is correlation between language and culture, there is still a lack of materials which includes the teaching of culture with English language in EFL. With the necessity of using English as an international language, it is important for each local government and
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educator to strive to develop its own English course books based on local culture as well as global culture.
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