Critical Understanding on Culture Teaching and Learning in English as a Second/Foreign Language Curriculum

Abstract

Most Chinese students who graduate with a college diploma or Bachelor degree have studied English as a foreign language for at least twelve years. However, many of them are still struggling with their performance, especially in the authentic English speaking context. As one of the Chinese students who study abroad, I realize there is a significant gap between the knowledge of English language that I have learned from textbooks and the practice in real life. This gap exists largely because I do not understand authentic English language cultures. The relation between languages and cultures is like that between body and spirit. Languages cannot exist alone without cultures just as body cannot move without spirit. Similarly, English language curriculum is a complex interplay between the language and the cultures. My aim is to investigate the understanding of culture instruction in English language textbooks and curriculum. In this study, I explore my stories of learning and teaching English as a foreign language in China by using autoethnographic approach. Furthermore, I also examine two textbook cases under critical and international comparative perspectives. One is the English textbooks for Grade 10 to Grade 12 in the Chinese public high schools, and the other is for ESL program Level 5 and Level 6 at the University of Calgary.