ERIC Number: EJ1036481
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 35
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1542-7587
EISSN: N/A
"Lo Cotidiano": The Effectiveness of Critical Task-Based Instruction in Teaching the Culture of Everyday Life
García-Villada, Eduardo
Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, v11 n3 p151-185 2014
Teaching cultural competency in the language classroom can be a challenge. This study explores the effectiveness of task-based instruction (Lee, 2000) on the learning of culture by students in college-level Spanish language courses. Students were required to record oral presentations, write essays, and make comparisons between the culture and language they studied with their own. A critical pedagogy framework (Leonardo, 2004) was used to analyze the content of student reflections. The analysis indicated that task-based learning in language studies is beneficial in helping students achieve linguistic and cultural learning objectives. Advanced students outperformed elementary students in most task categories. Using electronic portfolios, elementary students reflected more on the limitations of their language skills while advanced students demonstrated a higher level of critical thinking skills in grasping fundamental connections between language and culture learning, suggesting that students progressed through critical thinking as they were exposed to Freire's (2000) principles of critical pedagogy.
Descriptors: Instructional Effectiveness, Critical Thinking, Language Skills, Task Analysis, Cultural Awareness, Critical Theory, Portfolios (Background Materials), Spanish, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Comparative Analysis, Essays, Oral Language, Teaching Methods, Student Attitudes, Management Systems, Teacher Student Relationship, College Faculty, Content Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A