On-line presentation (research report on practice and activities) (30 minutes) Pondering the Relation between Language and Culture more

Sun, Nov 28, 12:30-13:00 Asia/Tokyo

Intercultural Communication is difficult to define. One reason is the intertwined relation between language and culture. In the context of teaching foreign languages it is not only about the forms but what we can do with language and what we intend to do or express. Linguists will say that is pragmatics, but an interculturalist may claim it too. This presentation will approach and discuss the relation between language and culture from various angles and areas of research. To bring together these diverse and heterogenous fields, the key terms are contextualizing and meaningful. The data and examples are taken from teaching a second foreign language (here German) from the beginner level. The teaching material tries to include culture and pragmatics, with exercises for raising awareness and highlighting meta-structures. This aims to help learners to know more about their own language and culture. The theoretical background is related to various approaches to neuroscience of learning (Tokuhama-Espinosa), Larsen-Freeman, Developmental Model of Linguacultural Learning (Shaules), Galtung, and the action-oriented approach and the concept of mediation of the CEFR Companion Volume. This presentation aims to develop an integrative contextualized approach of language and culture with the term meaning and meaningful at the center.