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Reflecting on ACTFL 2014: Teaching and Learning about Culture(s)

By Kelly Davidson posted 11-25-2014 19:21

  
After returning from this year's ACTFL conference in San Antonio, I am amazed--as always--at the breadth and depth of knowledge shared. I am sure that many of you feel the same way!

The presentations offered by our SIG were excellent and prompted exciting discussions about the inherent connections between language and culture(s). The keynote speaker for our SIG, Prof. Alvino Fantini, captivated our audience in a wonderful discussion on intercultural competence. An incredibly complex topic, but his engaging and accessible manner allowed for a lively and thorough discussion. It will certainly serve as a foundation and an inspiration for further work in the many areas of this field.

Beyond our SIG presentations, many others addressed the importance of linking language and culture, as well as how to actually implement this in our classrooms. This is a question that transcends levels and languages--I imagine that all of us continually strive to learn about best practices in this area.

During our SIG business meeting, Prof. Paula Garrett-Rucks (Georgia State University, Culture SIG Secretary/Treasurer) introduced discussion on the revisions made for the World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, focusing on the Cultures standard. As she highlighted, the new initiative underlines the importance of language: "Learners use the language to investigate, explain, and reflect on the relationship between the practices of the culture(s) studied." The same wording also applies to the standard Relating Cultural Products to Perspectives. As she very rightly noted, this is connected to the Comparisons and Communities standards.

One can see that Martinez-Gibson's (1998) statement that language and culture cannot be separated still rings true. K. Byram (2011) confirms this, stating that we must have “an understanding of translingual and transcultural competence that does not privilege cultural over linguistic instruction but sees them as inextricably intertwined" (p. 526).

This continues to be an important discussion with the ACTFL 2014 conference theme of "Reaching Global Competence."

We recognize that many of you are doing wonderful work in these areas and we would like to support your endeavors! Please visit our Teaching and Learning of Cultures SIG Community space at ACTFL.org to find out about the many opportunities offered, including grants and webinars.

If you were not able to attend the Culture SIG business meeting, please review the information presented in our presentation posted on the ACTFL website. We look forward to learning about your work and successes over the next year!

References:

ACTFL Refreshed Standards: http://www.actfl.org/publications/all/world-readiness-standards-learning-languages

ACTFL Position Statement on Global Competence: http://www.actfl.org/news/position-statements/global-competence-position-statement

Byram, K. (2011). Using the concept of perspective to integrate cultural,
communicative, and form-focused language instruction. Foreign Language Annals, 44(3), 

Martínez-Gibson, E. A. (Spring 1998). “A Study on Cultural Awareness through Commercials and Writing.” Foreign Language Annals, 31 (1), 115-139.










#2.Cultures #All #Teachersandteaching #Standards #All
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