DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14483/udistrital.jour.calj.2014.1.a07Published:
2014-01-01Issue:
Vol 16, No 1 (2014) January-JuneSection:
Reflections on PraxisTeaching culture in Colombia bilingüe: from theory to practice
La enseñanza de la cultura en Colombia Bilingüe: de la teoría a la práctica
Keywords:
cultura, Colombia Bilingüe, posmétodo, ingleses mundiales, multiculturalismo crítico, estrategias (es).Keywords:
culture, Colombia Bilingüe, postmethod, world Englishes, critical multiculturalism, teaching strategies (en).Abstract (en)
The main topic of this paper is concerned with the incorporation of culture into the teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL) within the context of Colombia Bilingüe. More specifically, some consideration will be given to what culture is, how it can be taught, and what Colombian authors have pointed out in terms of the difficulties and complexities of working with culture in the EFL classroom. It will be suggested that teaching culture is not synonymous with promoting English sociocultural domination or adapting ethnocentric practices, but mainly approaching and reflecting upon one’s and others’ beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors which are intertwined with language itself. The main premise of the paper is that effective teaching of culture can be achieved if the Colombian EFL community strives to construct a coherent discourse that allows developing teaching models and learning experiences within the theoretical framework of the postmethod condition, world Englishes, and critical multiculturalism. Ultimately, such discourse can encourage Colombian EFL teachers to explore and implement five teaching strategies to engage learners in experiences designed to help them interact successfully with people with different cultural backgrounds.
Abstract (es)
El tema principal de este artículo se relaciona con la incorporación de la cultura en clases de inglés como lengua extranjera (ILE) dentro del contexto de Colombia Bilingüe. Más concretamente, se hace una aproximación al concepto de cultura, las formas en las que se puede enseñar y las posiciones que algunos autores colombianos han planteado en términos de las dificultades y complejidades de trabajarla en los salones de inglés como lengua extranjera. Se sugiere que la enseñanza de la cultura no es equivalente a la promoción de una dominación sociocultural inglesa o la adaptación de prácticas etnocéntricas, sino sobre todo consiste en el acercamiento y la reflexión sobre creencias, actitudes, y comportamientos propios y de otros, que se entrelazan con el lenguaje mismo. La premisa principal de este trabajo es que la enseñanza efectiva de la cultura se puede lograr si la comunidad colombiana de enseñanza de inglés se esfuerza por construir un discurso coherente que permita el desarrollo de modelos de enseñanza y experiencias de aprendizaje en el marco teórico de la condición posmétodo, ingleses mundiales, y multiculturalismo crítico. En última instancia, este discurso puede hacer que los profesores de inglés colombianos exploren y pongan en práctica cinco estrategias de enseñanza para involucrar a los estudiantes en experiencias diseñadas para ayudarles a interactuar con éxito con personas con diferente bagaje cultural.
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