Language is a part of culture and the carrier of the culture. Foreign language study is not only the process of learning a language but also the process of taking the language as a means of information transmission to...Language is a part of culture and the carrier of the culture. Foreign language study is not only the process of learning a language but also the process of taking the language as a means of information transmission to comprehend culture. With the implementation of the New Curriculum Standard (2017) in senior English, the notions of cultural awareness and culture instruction are being accepted and carried out in EFL (English as Foreign Language) classroom by English teachers. This paper tries to analyze the relationship between language and culture, the contents and goals in teaching foreign language and culture, the significance of teaching culture in foreign language education. This paper concludes with recommendations for improving culture teaching: Learning a foreign language is inseparable from learning its culture; The knowledge of culture differences may help students to make less pragmatic errors and become proficient in cross-cultural communication; Great efforts should also be paid to the development of the student’s cross-cultural awareness, and then the quality of English teaching could be really improved.展开更多
This action research study investigates peer teaching as a pedagogical strategy to raise pre- service second language teachers' awareness of autonomy in learning and teaching. Classroom observation, focus group inter...This action research study investigates peer teaching as a pedagogical strategy to raise pre- service second language teachers' awareness of autonomy in learning and teaching. Classroom observation, focus group interviews, and questionnaire were used to (a) explore how the student teachers engaged in the practices of peer teaching and learning and reflected on their relevance to their own future teaching careers and (b) identify the major benefits and challenges of peer teaching from the students' perspectives. Most of the students actively engaged in peer teaching during the course and considered it as a strategy that they might later use in their teaching. Issues such as awareness of teaching elements, opportunities for peer learning, cultural diversity, and English as a medium of instructions brought both benefits and challenges for students in the process of peer teaching. The study points to a research agenda for pre-service teacher education for autonomy that focuses on the long-term impact of students' experiences of a range of pedagogical strategies for autonomy on their future teaching.展开更多
文摘Language is a part of culture and the carrier of the culture. Foreign language study is not only the process of learning a language but also the process of taking the language as a means of information transmission to comprehend culture. With the implementation of the New Curriculum Standard (2017) in senior English, the notions of cultural awareness and culture instruction are being accepted and carried out in EFL (English as Foreign Language) classroom by English teachers. This paper tries to analyze the relationship between language and culture, the contents and goals in teaching foreign language and culture, the significance of teaching culture in foreign language education. This paper concludes with recommendations for improving culture teaching: Learning a foreign language is inseparable from learning its culture; The knowledge of culture differences may help students to make less pragmatic errors and become proficient in cross-cultural communication; Great efforts should also be paid to the development of the student’s cross-cultural awareness, and then the quality of English teaching could be really improved.
文摘This action research study investigates peer teaching as a pedagogical strategy to raise pre- service second language teachers' awareness of autonomy in learning and teaching. Classroom observation, focus group interviews, and questionnaire were used to (a) explore how the student teachers engaged in the practices of peer teaching and learning and reflected on their relevance to their own future teaching careers and (b) identify the major benefits and challenges of peer teaching from the students' perspectives. Most of the students actively engaged in peer teaching during the course and considered it as a strategy that they might later use in their teaching. Issues such as awareness of teaching elements, opportunities for peer learning, cultural diversity, and English as a medium of instructions brought both benefits and challenges for students in the process of peer teaching. The study points to a research agenda for pre-service teacher education for autonomy that focuses on the long-term impact of students' experiences of a range of pedagogical strategies for autonomy on their future teaching.