Exploring the Feasibility of Integrating Culture Learning into Taiwan's Foreign Language Education

探究文化學習融入台灣外語教育之可行性

蔡瑤(Yau Tsai)

《國際文化研究》 5卷1期 (2009/06) Pp. 135-157

https://doi.org/10.29960/SIC.200906.0004

摘要

雖然文化學習與語文學習息息相關，且絕對有助於培養學生在全球化社會從事跨文化溝通之外語溝通能力，但台灣教育當局及英語文教師卻往往忽視文化學習對於外語學習的重要性。有鑑於此，本文藉由國內外相關研究文獻，探討學生無法在外語教室學習文化之因素以及文化學習融入台灣外語教育可行之道。研究者發現台灣社會大眾對文化抱有刻板印象，以及教育者與英語文教師普遍對英語文相關文化認知與教學理念不足是導致學生在外語教室學習語文卻無法學習文化的主要原因的同時，在結論中指出隨著全球化與國際化趨勢，台灣英語文教師應多了解文化學習的本質，以及打破語言學知識為跨文化溝通最重要因素之迷思。為了將文化學習融入台灣外語教育，研究者也在結論中表示英語文學習教材與教學方法，以及台灣外語教育目標皆需適度調整。

關鍵字

全球化 ； 文化學習 ； 跨文化溝通

並列摘要

Although culture learning is closely connected to language learning and definitely essential to developing students' communicative competence for cross-cultural communication in the global society, the importance of culture learning to EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learning is often ignored by MOE (Ministry of Education) and English teachers in Taiwan. Thus this paper draws upon domestic and international literature to explore the factors that hamper culture learning in a foreign language classroom and the ways that can integrate culture learning into Taiwan's foreign language education. While finding that the stereotypes about culture among the public as well as the limited knowledge of both the target culture and the approaches to culture teaching among educators and English teachers in Taiwan are the main factors that make culture learning separate from language learning in a foreign language classroom, the researcher concludes that with the trend toward globalization and internationalization English teachers in Taiwan need to understand more about the nature of culture learning and shatter the illusion that linguistic knowledge is the most important element in cross-cultural communication. In order to integrate culture learning into Taiwan’s foreign language education, the researcher also concludes that English learning materials and teaching approaches as well as the goals of Taiwan's foreign language education should be adjusted appropriately. 136-Abstract Although culture learning is closely connected to language learning and definitely essential to developing students' communicative competence for cross-cultural communication in the global society, the importance of culture learning to EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learning is often ignored by MOE (Ministry of Education) and English teachers in Taiwan. Thus this paper draws upon domestic and international literature to explore the factors that hamper culture learning in a foreign language classroom and the ways that can integrate culture learning into Taiwan's foreign language education. While finding that the stereotypes about culture among the public as well as the limited knowledge of both the target culture and the approaches to culture teaching among educators and English teachers in Taiwan are the main factors that make culture learning separate from language learning in a foreign language classroom, the researcher concludes that with the trend toward globalization and internationalization English teachers in Taiwan need to understand more about the nature of culture learning and shatter the illusion that linguistic knowledge is the most important element in cross-cultural communication. In order to integrate culture learning into Taiwan's foreign language education, the researcher also concludes that English learning materials and teaching approaches as well as the goals of Taiwan's foreign language education should be adjusted appropriately.

並列關鍵字

globalization ； culture learning ； cross-cultural communication

參考文獻

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Albrow, M.,F. J. Lechner (Eds.),J. Boli (Eds.)(2000).The Globalization Reader.Oxford:Blackwell.

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Bennett, M. J.,A. E. Fantini (Ed.)(1997).New Ways in Teaching Culture.Alexandria:Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Bower, R.(1986).English in the world: Aims and achievements in English language teaching.TESOL Quarterly.14,393-409.