Presentation by: Liza Navarro, Nicholas Bartlett
Session: Session B | Time: 10:00AM-10:20AM | Location: Room 201
Language learning is now becoming more accessible thanks to technology. As a result, researchers call for a shift in pedagogical approaches to language learning that expose learners to the target language and its culture(s) by means of technology (Godwin-Jones, 2013; Kramsch, 2013; Liddicoat & Scarino, 2013). In addition, the ministry of education of British Columbia is now asking language teachers to adapt their pedagogical approaches to allow for the integration of technology and culture.
Despite B.C.’s mission to prepare students for living in a multilingual and multicultural society, there is a lack of research on culture teaching in language teacher education. As a result, there is a need for research into future language teachers’ perspectives on culture in the language classroom and their experiences with it in teacher education programs (Larzén-Östermark, 2009). Drawing on this argument alongside increasing recognition of the value of online resources and technological integration to foster cultural development (Godwin-Jones, 2013; Liddicoat & Scarino, 2013), this presentation will discuss a cultural approach to education associated with online resources and technology. From the preliminary findings on a study conducted with students enrolled in a French teacher education program in British Columbia, Canada, this presentation will demonstrate how they integrate digital literacies and cultural awareness in the language classroom. In addition to outlining research findings, this presentation will suggest activities and resources to foster understandings of culture through technology for the language classroom.
References
Godwin-Jones, R. (2013). Integrating intercultural competence into language learning through technology. Language Learning & Technology, 12(2), 1-11.
Kramsch, C. (2013). Culture in foreign language teaching. Iranian journal of language teaching research, 1(1), 57-78.
Larzén-Östermark, E. (2009). Language teacher education in Finland and the cultural dimension of foreign language teaching – A student teacher perspective. European Journal of Teacher Education, 32(4), 401-421. doi:10.1080/02619760903012688
Liddicoat, A., & Scarino, A. (2013). Intercultural language teaching and learning. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.