Culture in the EIL paradigm
Over the past years, linguists have put a lot of emphasis on the learning of not only English itself but also the culture of English-speaking societies. Cortazzi and Jin (1999) propose three categories of culture in English textbooks to be investigated. The first is the source culture referring to the learners’ native culture. The second is the target culture where the target language is used as a first language, for example American or British culture. The third category is the international target culture, which denotes different varieties of the target culture from both English and non-English speaking countries like France, Spain, etc. They are not alone in their view. McKay (2000) also points out three types of cultural materials including the target culture, the learners’ own culture and the international target culture. It is obvious that the cultural context of British and American English can differ greatly from the context of non-native speakers, and it is irrelevant for learners of English to depend on the culture of native speakers of English to communicate with other users of English (McKay, 2003b).
To this point, it is agreed that the culture of the target language does not necessarily limited to countries of native speakers such as the UK or the USA anymore but has already shifted to international culture. English now is not the only property of the inner circle but an international language by non-native speakers all over the world. Applying the paradigm into this research means that not only the British or American cultural perspectives but also all the international ones are going to be examined in the English textbooks in Vietnam.
Culture representation in ELT textbooks
A number of...
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...internationally oriented textbooks. He is not alone in this view; other linguists have shown criticism in the cultural unbalance or cultural deficiencies among three circles in Kachru’s model (Garcia 2010; J.Shin et al 2011; Yuen 2011).
Previous studies have questioned the depth of cultural content in textbooks in other countries other than Vietnam. The present study examines the content as well as the breadth of the cultural presentation in ELT textbooks in Vietnam, one of the countries in the expanding circle with regard to Ka-Ming’s four components of culture and Cortazzi and Jin’s three categories of culture to be investigated in ELT textbooks.
More specifically, the study aims to answer the following research question:
To what extend are perspectives of foreign culture represented in ELT textbooks for 1st year non-major students in Vietnam?
Just like the durian, my Vietnamese culture repulsed me as a young child. I always felt that there was something shameful in being Vietnamese. Consequently, I did not allow myself to accept the beauty of my culture. I instead looked up to Americans. I wanted to be American. My feelings, however, changed when I entered high school. There, I met Vietnamese students who had extraordinary pride in their heritage. Observing them at a distance, I re-evaluated my opinions. I opened my life to Vietnamese culture and happily discovered myself embracing it. `
The term “culture” elicits strong feelings within the Vietnamese community. The adults and elders would tell young people culture is a way of being that involves talking, acting, and following traditions. For second-generation Vietnamese adolescents, culture becomes an everyday battleground. A battleground that takes no prisoners leaving the field desolated. As a result, adolescents are left psychologically, emotionally, and mentally torn to pieces. They must navigate two cultural systems that contradict on another. The dominating American culture stresses individualistic idealism whereas Vietnamese culture stresses collectivistic idealism.
Su, Ya Chen. "The Effects of the Cultural Portfolio Project on Cultural and EFL Learning in Taiwan's EFL College Classes." Language Teaching Research 15.2 (2011): 230. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 5 Apr. 20
"Languageand Communication within the Culture." Languageand Communication within the Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
Language has been said to effect culture and a person’s way of thinking; in addition to culture effecting language. Throughout the last 100 years there have been apparent and subtle changes in the English language. The changes an English speaking person may see throughout their life time are different catchphrases, the way language is written, the type of formality used, and how deeply English is affected by cultures; as well as how it effects other cultures around the world.
Harris, Karen, and Barbara Baskin. “Toward a Culturally Literate Society.” School Library Journal 35.12 (1989): 29-32.
I was born and raised in Vietnam, so I naturally observed my culture from my family and my previous schools. I learned most of my culture by watching and coping the ways my family do things. My family and my friends all spoke Vietnamese, so I eventually knew how to speak and understand deeply about my language as I grew up. At home, my mom cooked many Vietnamese foods, and she also taught me to cook Vietnamese food. So I became accustom Vietnamese food. I also learned that grandparents and parents in my culture are taken care of until they die. At school, I learned to address people formally and greet higher-ranking people first. In Vietnamese culture, ranking and status are not related to wealth, so they are concerned with age and education.
The word 'culture' is often described in terms of concrete ideas or social artifacts. Gary R. Weaver describes some common conceptions such as "good taste," "art or music," or "something that people in exotic foreign lands had."1 However, culture in the context of international assignments relates to how people perceive the world and the influence this perception has on their actions. It is culture on the interpersonal level. Different cultures can perceive the same thing differently, which leads to miscommunication and misunderstanding when one crosses into another culture not their own.
I am a born Vietnamese, and Chinese American. For more than a decade I have made many friends coming from diverse cultures. I recall one friend back in high school that demonstrated the importance of one’s own private culture, and language. From this experience with my friend, Hong, I realized that families who had a strong cultural, and language practice at home had a very stable and functional family. Individuals who embrace their culture, and language broadly tend to pass on the wisdom of a rich culture on to the next generation. Hong’s family demonstrated how out of sync, I was with my own language and culture. My family was losing its Vietnamese roots.
"Culture of Vietnam - History, People, Clothing, Traditions, Women, Beliefs, Food, Customs, Family." Countries and Their Cultures. Web. 11 Nov. 2011
Kachru, B. B. (1992). Teaching world Englishes. The other tongue: English across cultures, 2, 355-366.
Sharma, B., 2008. “World Englishes, English as a Lingua Franca, and English Pedagogy”, Journal of NELTA 13 (2), pp. 121-130. Available from
This essay will discuss how the English language contributes to globalization. It also shows some problems that arise from this. Furthermore, we will give or suggest some solutions for these problems.
It can be seen that English has become a global language, which is determined by lots of factors like history, culture and daily usefulness. Because of these factors, the number of people who speak English is still increasing now. English, as a significant part of social life gradually exerted profound impacts on education, job hunting and international communication. Also, it provides the whole world with a chance to share ideas and communicate freely. We are quite curious to see the further development of English as a lingua franca in the
People live in the world of communication. According to the Oxford Dictionary of Current English (Moore, 1997), communication is defined as, “The activity or process of expressing ideas and feelings or of giving people information”. The significance of communication can be found within the context of a human existing as a social being. As a human being manages his or her life in the course of the interaction between other members of the entire society, communication is inevitable. Communication occurs through the medium of a language and it is presented in two different forms which are written and spoken (Brown & Yule, 1983: 1-10). The importance of spoken performance of a language is becoming more prominent over the written performance capability. It is because the ability to speak a language reflects a person’s personality, self image, knowledge of the world, ability to reason, skill to express thoughts in real-time (Luoma, 2004: ix). These days, due to the global trend of internationalisation, the ability to communicate in English is needed as an essential skill. Whenever the international exchange happens, the use of spoken English entails. However, it is not always an easy task for people who use English as a second language to be able to speak to the level of a native speaker. They have to perfectly understand the sound system of English, have almost instant access to proper vocabulary and be able to place words together intelligibly without hesitation. Moreover, they also have to perceive what is being said to them and need to be able to respond appropriately to acquire amiable relations or to accomplish their communicative goals (Luoma, 2004: ix). Therefore, non-native English speakers encounter these barriers and they are subject to make mistakes often. In relation to this matter, this essay argues that there are socio-cultural factors as well as linguistic factors that affect non-native speakers’ communication in English. It provides analysis of several different situations when the use of spoken English has generated miscommunication problems in regards to author’s personal experience.