Teaching Culture from the First Chinese Class

(K-16)

Xizhen Qin,

xizhenqin@usf.edu

Ph. D in Chinese Pedagogy

Assistant professor of World Languages Education, USF

Teaching Chinese Culture from the First Chinese Class

Outline:

• What kind of culture to teach?

• Why should culture be taught so early?

• What is the consequence if not?

• Whether it is doable?

• How to do it?

The Concept of Culture

Big Culture (Big C) should not be the focus of culture teaching at this stage.

The Concept of Culture

Small Culture (Small C) should be the focus of teaching in language program.

What type of culture is most relevant to students’ language learning

A. do not know where the great wall is;

B. do not know how many dynasties in Chinese history,

C. can not recite the poem <静夜思>;

D. Chinese: 回头见！有空来我家吃饭啊。

American: 好的，这个周末怎么样？

E. Paying his own bill after the meal with his Chinese friends.

Most Successful Chinese Learners

Linguistic Competence

Cultural Competence

Implication

Teach culture

at the earliest time!

Status qua of Small C instruction

It is largely ignored in most of the Chinese classes, because it is believed that

1) it is not worth teaching;

2) It is impossible to teach;

3) It is unnecessary to teach;

4) It is unimportant to teach compared to language.

How to teach Small C?

1. Integrate culture into the language teaching. “Nobody is learning a foreign language, rather, one is learning how to do things in that language” (Walker & Noda, 2000)

2. Teach authentic Chinese language. “A: 你好吗？B: 我很好，你呢? ”(X)

3. Teach language in the context.

4. Let students perform it in class.

Welcome to

2013 USF STARTALK

Teacher Training Program

(07/27-08/09/2013)

Thanks!

Questions?