ERIC Number: EJ865145
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Nov
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0261-9768
EISSN: N/A
Language Teacher Education in Finland and the Cultural Dimension of Foreign Language Teaching--A Student Teacher Perspective
Larzen-Ostermark, Eva
European Journal of Teacher Education, v32 n4 p401-421 Nov 2009
The increasing importance attributed to the cultural dimension of foreign language (FL) education has entailed new demands for teachers and teacher educators. This paper explores the cultural agenda in Finnish language teacher education from a student teacher perspective. The focus is on the students' perceptions regarding how effectively cultural aspects are dealt with in their training, and how these perceptions may be affected by the length of time they have spent abroad. The empirical evidence suggests that both the language studies and the pedagogical studies tend to address cultural aspects to a small or very small extent. The main emphasis is placed on traditional aspects of culture, such as literature and Realia knowledge, and strategies for teaching language seem to overshadow strategies for teaching language and culture in an integrated way. Interestingly, the students' perceptions seem to vary depending on the extent to which they have experienced first-hand contacts with other cultures. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Language Teachers, Second Language Instruction, Student Teacher Attitudes, Culturally Relevant Education, Finno Ugric Languages, Cultural Awareness, Intercultural Communication, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Questionnaires, Likert Scales, Teacher Education Programs, Instructional Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A