ERIC Number: EJ1256522
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Jan
Pages: 37
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2164-5965
EISSN: N/A
Twenty Years of Culture Learning and Teaching Research: A Survey with Highlights and Directions
Lessard-Clouston, Michael
NECTFL Review, n77 p53-89 Jan 2016
While the role of culture in second and/or foreign language (L2/FL) learning and teaching has often been unquestioned, empirical research on culture learning and teaching in L2/FL education has been less common than opinion-oriented writings in relevant journals. This article offers a summary and synthesis of 52 empirical studies on L2/FL culture learning and teaching published during the 20-year period 1996-2015. In doing so, it first provides some background, then discusses the methods used for choosing, summarizing, and briefly analyzing these studies, and finally outlines a range of quantitative and qualitative findings. Culture learning and teaching research in L2/FL education during this period involved five main languages (English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish) in 19 different countries; adopted mainly qualitative research approaches; and addressed a diverse range of age and educational levels, although postsecondary research studies were most common. The survey here highlights a shift from a focus on 'culture' to the 'intercultural,' and reveals that culture learning and teaching research has moved beyond reporting teachers' and students' attitudes to a range of topics impacting L2/FL learning and teaching, including instructional approaches, teaching materials, assessment, and technology. It also points to connections between the studies outlined and offers possibilities and directions for future research in this important area.
Descriptors: Cultural Awareness, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Intercultural Communication, Teaching Methods, Learning Processes, Role, Research Reports, Periodicals, English (Second Language), French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Teacher Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Instructional Materials, Student Evaluation, Educational Technology, Trend Analysis, Educational Trends
Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. 2400 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214. e-mail: info@nectfl.org; Web site: https://www.nectfl.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A