The Importance Of Cultural Awareness In Foreign Language Teaching

Cultural awareness can be defined as the understanding of the differences between themselves and people from other countries or other backgrounds . (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary, 2020) Therefore, it is considered a fundamental aspect of foreign language teaching. Teachers of foreign languages must be able to deliver language classes enriched with a cultural understanding of the country from which the language comes.

Languages consist of words or symbols, sounds and phrases. However, these elements have no or very little meaning without cultural awareness. This aspect brings life to the language we are teaching as learners are able to visualise and comprehend the culture behind that language. For example, educating learners of Spanish about traditional festivals across Spain including bullfighting and how they are celebrated is a vital aspect of Spanish culture. This aspect allows learners to fully comprehend the phrases and specific vocabulary related to bullfighting that exist within the Spanish language such as torero meaning bullfighter. Therefore, it should be included in language teaching in order to broaden learners minds to new concepts and traditions that could differ from their own. It also makes them curious as learners and want to ask questions to find out more about the cultural similarities or differences between theirs and the language they are learning.

It is widely believed that in order to fully understand the native speakers of a language, you must first understand their culture. Therefore, as teachers we need to ensure that this aspect is embedded within all language lessons. For example, Italians use a lot of gestures and body language to support or sometimes replace what they are saying. One instance is the gesture by placing one finger on your cheek and twisting it to mean delicious regarding food you have recently eaten. In other languages such as English, this gesture does not exist and therefore learners must be taught it in order to recognise or use it appropriately when they go to Italy. If gestures or body language are not taught within foreign languages, it could cause misinterpretations or confusion when learners come into contact with native speakers of the language.

It is also extremely important that teachers embed cultural awareness within foreign language teaching in order to avoid situations such as culture shock when a learner visits the country of which they are learning the language. For instance, some university language students will embark on Erasmus placements in different countries for periods of up to one year. This experience will enrich both their language and cultural skills, however if they are not fully prepared and culturally aware of the traditions or customs within the country, it could result in confusion or distressing moments for the students. On the other hand, if foreign language teachers prepare students well before departing for Erasmus placements, they will become better travellers and better communicators as a result. This will not only increase their language and cultural skills, but also their employability skills once they leave university and look to begin their careers.

Finally, cultural awareness is crucial in foreign language teaching in order to challenge what people consider normal within their own languages and cultures. For example, punctuality is considered very important and a sign of respect here in the UK, whereas in other countries such as Spain, France or Italy it is sometimes not so highly regarded and it could be more acceptable to arrive late to meetings or other occasions. Therefore, teachers must acknowledge the different attitudes and customs of different countries when giving foreign language lessons.

As you can see, cultural awareness is crucial in foreign language teaching as it provides learners with a sense of life that exists beyond the language itself. It gives them the opportunity to be curious and challenges them to accept new traditions and customs as normal as well as their own. By including this aspect within language lessons, we as teachers are also avoiding issues such as culture shock when learners visit new countries or speak to native speakers of a language, therefore greatly benefitting learners.