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 C U LT U R E

A process approach
to teaching culture
Guo Yan consults her students to find out what they want.

A
lthough some researchers people’s attitudes, and learning to Provision and practice
and teachers remain tolerate different value systems in order
sceptical about the role of to achieve mutual understanding. In the teaching of English to non-
culture in language teaching, Moreover, they considered lack of English majors at universities and
the majority assume that some form of understanding of other cultures, colleges in China, culture is generally
cross-cultural training is inevitable in any unfamiliarity with the pragmatic rules implicitly embedded in two courses, an
English course. However, the literature of English use and inability to make use ‘integrated skills’ course and a ‘listening
on the subject seldom mentions the of communicative strategies as potential and speaking’ course. The content of
students’ attitudes to the teaching of hindrances to establishing deep both courses is topic-led. When covering
culture. This article looks at what friendships with foreigners. a topic, teachers often supply some
students in tertiary education in China related cultural information about the
have to say, and examines whether people, the country, the background,
current teaching practices meet their The students etc. Thanks to a series of reform
expectations and needs. policies, recent years have witnessed the
deemed competence incorporation of more cultural content
into the curriculum of college English.
Questions and answers in using English to In many universities, non-English majors
A questionnaire (adapted from the talk about their own take additional courses like British and
research of Zhang Bei and Ma Lan) was American Cultures, Appreciation of
used to survey students’ perceptions of Chinese culture as British and American Movies, British
cross-cultural communication and culture equally important and American Literature, etc. The
teaching in college English. Altogether underlying rationale is that culture is
there were five questions on cross-cultural the background and context of a
communication (see Table 1) and six on Most of the respondents expect to language and by plunging students into
culture teaching (see Table 2). For each use English for work and in cross- the sea of the target culture(s), they will
item, three to five choices were listed cultural communication within China. be better motivated and their language
and students were required to tick the As a result, they expressed the view that skills will be enhanced.
one that they felt most accurately learning English and information about However, in the courses mentioned
reflected their views. The questionnaires British and American culture was above, students are simply exposed to
were administered in regular class time definitely not enough. They deemed superficial second-hand knowledge of
to 258 students from five universities in competence in using English to talk geography, education systems, customs,
Hubei province of central China. The about their own Chinese culture as festivals, etc. Moreover, the end-of-
results are shown on pages 30 and 31. equally important. They would like course assessment concentrates mainly
Although a small number of teaching materials to focus on a variety on checking the students’ ability in
respondents had no thought of ever of cultures, including their own. As for memorising and understanding cultural
making foreign friends, the vast the cultural course British and American knowledge. The students’ own Chinese
majority (81.8%) were pretty optimistic Cultures, 37.6% (mainly those who culture is used only for providing
that they might make friends with either indicated that there was no such course reference to the target cultures. As a
native speakers of English or people on offer in their school) had very result, when it comes to talking about
who use English as a second or foreign positive attitudes toward its potential Chinese culture in English, students
language. Conversational topics were role in improving their cross-cultural often feel at a loss. Overgeneralisation
most likely to be personal interests and communicative competence. However, or oversimplification of information
cultural matters. The problems they felt more than half (53.5%), mainly those about culture also occurs, which in turn
they would face were overcoming who indicated that they had actually leads learners to form stereotypical
diverse cultural backgrounds, choosing taken the course, stated that it was only perspectives about the target cultures
the right words, understanding other moderately helpful. and their people. 

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 59 November 2008 • 29

 The teaching of culture needs to two-sided, the students’ lack in this
A process approach consist of more than mere ability is a big obstacle to developing
to teaching culture familiarisation with different social,
political and religious circumstances in
their intercultural communicative
competence. The students themselves
 the target culture. Cultural knowledge have clearly realised their shortcomings
Expectations and reality by itself cannot guarantee students’ in this respect and would like culture
By comparing students’ perceptions and smooth communication with speakers teaching materials and textbooks to
current teaching practice, we found that of English in real-life situations. Rather, incorporate their native Chinese culture.
students expect to acquire the skills that it is intercultural communicative
will enable them to identify other competence that plays this crucial role. Bridging the gap
people’s attitudes, to choose the proper The students also expressed the hope
vocabulary for expressing their own that they could improve their competence What can we do to bridge the gap
meaning, to use appropriate in English in order to talk about their between students’ expectations and our
communicative strategies, and to own Chinese culture. This, too, is largely teaching practice?
understand the pragmatic meaning of ignored in current teaching practice. Firstly, we need to realise that
what people say to them in English. In Although the students’ native culture is culture teaching is not a product, but a
reality, current teaching practice ignores introduced in comparison and contrast process. More emphasis should be
such expectations and needs and appears with the target culture, it does not appear placed on having students discover
merely to impart impractical cultural sufficiently part of the course materials as cultural data as a learning process rather
knowledge to students in a passive way. to guarantee its inclusion when any topic than having it ‘fed’ to them as static
This is, in essence, a ‘product’ approach is presented. In other words, it serves only information. In other words, as both
to the teaching of language and culture. as a near-invisible backdrop for the Claire Kramsch and Linda Quinn Allen
In this approach, the target culture is presentation of British and American point out, culture teaching and learning
regarded as a product, waiting to be put cultures and seldom comes to the front of should be a process of discovery in
into the students’ minds. This fails to the stage, leaving students no opportunity which students explore aspects of the
facilitate the students’ individual to learn systematically how to talk about target culture, reflect on the fruits of
initiatives, to instill creative learning or Chinese culture in English. As cross- their explorations and create relational
to provoke critical thinking. cultural communication is by nature meanings of their own based on

Cross-cultural Choices Number of Percentage

communication students (Total)

1 In my opinion, any foreign A British or American people who use English as their mother tongue. 124 48.1%
people I will have contact
B people who use English as their second language. 55 21.3%
with or make friends with
now or in the future will C people who use English as a foreign language. 32 12.4%
be ... D There is only a remote possibility that I will have contact with foreigners. 47 18.2%
2 Topics of conversation A daily greetings. 30 11.6%
with my foreign friends B hobbies and interests. 132 51.2%
are usually ...
C learning a new language. 19 7.4%
D cultural exchange. 71 27.5%
E current affairs. 6 2.3%
3 Any misunderstandings A different habits of conversing. 33 12.8%
between me and foreign
B different personal experiences. 9 3.5%
friends are usually caused
by ... C different communicative competence. 17 6.6%
D different language speaking habits. 48 18.6%
E diverse cultural backgrounds. 151 58.5%
4 My biggest problem when A I am not able to use appropriate words to express ideas. 116 45%
communicating with B there is no interesting topic to talk about. 25 9.7%
foreign friends is that ...
C I don’t know how to use appropriate body language. 29 11.2%
D I am not sure about the foreign friend’s attitudes. 41 15.9%
E we have diverse value systems. 47 18.2%
5 The difficulty of setting up A I lack adequate understanding of the other person’s culture. 82 31.8%
deep friendships with
B I lack adequate understanding of the pragmatic rules of their language use. 56 21.7%
foreigners lies in the fact
that ... C I lack communicative strategies. 59 22.9%
D I am not tolerant of other cultures. 25 9.7%
E Other reasons. 36 13.9%
Table 1

30 • Issue 59 November 2008 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 Culture teaching Choices Number of Percentage
and language use students (Total)

1 I think if I learn a foreign A this will be enough for cross-cultural communication. 25 9.7%
language and about its
B it will not be enough. I still need to master competence in using English to talk
culture, ... 229 88.8%
about my own native Chinese culture.
C native Chinese culture is irrelevant. 4 1.5%
2 I like English culture A embody the culture of the USA. 65 15.2%
teaching textbooks that ... B embody British culture. 22 8.5%
C embody Chinese culture. 15 15.8%
D embody a variety of cultures. 156 60.5%
3 I think that English culture A the target culture(s). 38 14.7%
teaching materials should B Chinese culture. 27 10.5%
focus on ...
C a combination of the target culture(s) and Chinese culture. 97 37.6%
D multicultural integration. 96 37.2%
4 I think the cultural course A helps learners get knowledge of British and American cultures so as to enhance
97 37.6%
British and American cross-cultural communication.
Cultures ... B gives learners little help in English language learning and cross-cultural
23 8.9%
communication by imparting knowledge of British and American cultures.
C to a certain extent motivates learners and helps them in English language
138 53.5%
learning and cross-cultural communication.
5 I hope my English A my need for cross-cultural communication. 73 28.3%
proficiency will match ...
B my needs for my future job. 111 43%
C my need for my personal development and dreams. 63 24.4%
D my need to pass examinations. 11 4.3%
6 I think I will use English in A professional translation or interpretation. 5 1.9%
the future for ... B cross-cultural communication in China. 60 23.3%
C making a living in an English-speaking country. 8 3.1%
D further study or an academic exchange or visit abroad. 48 18.6%
E needs within the work field. 137 53.1%
Table 2

reflections on both the target culture Lixian Jin recommend developing Allen, L Q ‘Implementing a culture portfolio
and their native culture. Conducting multicultural content teaching materials project within a constructivist paradigm’
portfolio projects is a good approach as by making use of both international Foreign Language Annals 37(2) 2004
it can involve students in more active target culture language materials and Cortazzi, M and Jin, L ‘Cultural mirrors:
learning experiences and more source culture language materials which material and methods in the EFL
student–student and student–teacher draw on the students’ own culture. classroom’ In Hinkel, E (Ed) Culture in
interactions. In addition, the process of Second Language Teaching CUP 1999
each student’s learning can be evaluated.  Kramsch, C Context and Culture in
Language Teaching OUP 1993
Secondly, we should integrate the By investigating students’ perceptions
target culture(s) and the students’ own and examining current practice for the Zhang, B and Ma, L ‘An investigation of
the cultural content in college English
culture. We must help our students teaching of culture, we found that to coursebooks’ Foreign Language World 4
attain sufficient knowledge and expertise some extent the students’ expectations 2004
in English to talk about their native and needs are not being met. A product
culture. If possible, the concept of the approach to culture teaching cannot Guo Yan is a lecturer in
target culture should be broadened, so satisfy students’ needs in regard to their the School of Foreign
that it is not simply confined to British future use of English because it merely Languages of Huazhong
University of Science and
and American culture. Nowadays, transmits a limited range of cultural Technology in China. Her
English is an international language and information. The students’ native culture, current research interests
are applied linguistics and
is essentially the first choice in which is an indispensable component of translation studies. Her
communication between people from cross-cultural communication, is largely most recent publication is
Autonomous English
different speech communities and ignored. In response to these problems, a Learning among
cultural backgrounds. If these diverse process approach is suggested and it is Postgraduate EFL
Learners in China: A
cultures can also be touched upon, it proposed that multicultural materials, Study of Attitudes and
will be easier for both parties to particularly involving content on the Behaviors, published by
Asia TEFL.
establish mutual comprehensibility in native culture, need to be developed and
[email protected]
communication. Martin Cortazzi and included in courses on culture. ETp

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 59 November 2008 • 31