Kossinov K.I, Iskakova A.O.

L.N.Gumilyov Eurasian National University, the Republic of Kazakhstan

Linguo-cross-cultural approach in English language learning

(Adapted from http://900igr.net)

Abstract: This article provides information about the basic principles of the linguo-cross-cultural approach in English language learning. Initially, the concept to be revealed is “approach in teaching” and authors of the article examine the concept’s main features and peculiarities. The second part is dedicated to the essence of the linguo-cross-cultural approach and the place of linguo-country studies in the approach. The third part of the article describes the importance of the interaction of language and culture during EFL class. At the end the authors of the article accentuate on the necessary use of the approach during EFL classes, for not only is the approach pivotal to enhance students’ English language level and English culture knowledge, but also it is an overriding mode of raising students’ own cultural awareness.

Key words: approach in teaching, culture, linguo-cross-cultural approach, interaction of language and culture, cultural awareness.

Introduction

In recent years there has been growing awareness of the importance of learning English language. It has become lingua franca and predominantly been used in manifold fields of human being’s life. Therefore, undoubtedly, teachers of English language and language scholars are always thinking of the most effective approaches, methods and techniques. Nowadays we are bewildered what the most appropriate approach for teaching English as a foreign language is. There is no right answer to this question, as it will depend on many factors: the age of the children, class size, and the competency of the teacher, availability of resources, the school context and the framework constructed by bodies that create the educational landscape for the locality [3].

In our modern-day and diverse community we can be confused with various cultures and their social norms. Therefore, in order to begin learning a foreign language we, assuredly, need to delve into cultural idiosyncrasies of the country which language we aim to acquire. Nowadays the approach based on language learning through country studies plays pivotal role. It is due to the fact that cultural misapprehension can trigger unalterable negative consequences, such as collisions between cultures. Not only is it necessary to utilize materials pertaining to country studies and culturology during academic process to investigate the very country, but it also makes sense when the enhancement of English language level is the centrepiece of discussion.

The proliferation of approaches and methods is a prominent characteristic of contemporary second and foreign language teaching. To some, this reflects the strength of teacher’s profession. Invention of new classroom practices and approaches to designing language programmes and materials reflects a commitment to finding more efficient and more effective ways of teaching languages [1].We are inclined to think that one of the feasible effective approaches is considered to be linguo-cross-cultural approach. Why? It is due to the fact that motivation is one of the vital instruments of teachers. Owing to the approach which will be described in the article teachers can raise students’ motivation. Simple lesson procedures can be substituted by enthralling imitation of real-life travelling, edutainment via country and culture studies. Perhaps, lessons based on linguo-cross-cultural approach are necessarily held to capture students’ attention, raise their self-esteem and boost self-confidence while communicating with native speakers.

The nature of approach in teaching

To begin with, we need to figure out what the approach denotes within teaching. Undoubtedly, the perspectives of the approach in language teaching are diverse; nevertheless, from our personal perspective it is viable to take into consideration one of the well-known viewpoints on the issue. According to Edward Anthony, an American applied linguist, “an approach is a set of correlative assumptions dealing with the nature of language teaching and learning”. He claims that an approach is axiomatic. Thus, it describes the nature of the subject matter to be taught. Edward Anthony asserts that an approach is the combination of the specified beliefs about language learning and language itself. Following Anthony, approach refers to theories about the nature of language and language learning that serves as the source of practices and principles in language teaching [1].

We can infer from Anthony’s attitude to an approach that it denotes teacher’s personal ideas and philosophy of how to present the materials to students properly. An approach can vary a lot and depends on the competences we would like to evolve in students (for instance, communicative, task-based, linguo-cross-cultural competence and etc.). When we cook a meal, whether vegetarianism or meat-eating can be our approaches. This is true in terms of language education, because we inform our students in different ways and, therefore, various approaches are utilised.

One of the needs of hodiernal generation is to acquire and develop communicative skills which are crucial in so-called cross-cultural communication. The linguo-cross-cultural approach is aimed at coping with the abovementioned preference. Not only does it promote the knowledge of the history, country’s social norms of the target language, but also there is one of the modes to delve into the language itself and enhance its level.

Methodology

But we are puzzled with the question what the linguo-cross-cultural approach means. First of all, one should point out that one of the overriding features of the linguo-cross-cultural approach is the linguo-cross-cultural competence. Linguo-cross-cultural competence is the knowledge of sociocultural peculiarities of the target language’s country and ability to maintain the communication with native speakers on the ground of the language grammar and semantics knowledge. This competence is comprised of proper language and cultural knowledge, as well as communicative and non-communicative skills and abilities.

Along with basic knowledge of socio-cultural development of the target language’s country, linguo-cross-cultural approach also includes ability to perform the written communication according to it.

The linguo-cross-cultural component can be illustrated in the following figure:

Linguo-cross-cultural component

Skills and abilities

Knowledge

			Language and non-verbal behaviour

Thus, we can say that the linguo-cross-cultural component implies the correct students’ speech in English language in terms of content and formulation of thoughts.

One of the linguistic peculiarities of the linguo-cross-cultural competence lies in the selecting of the proper language materials which reflect the culture of English culture. Ethnically cultural materials are contributed to linguo-cross-cultural approach. Therefore, to acquire the linguo-cross-cultural competence students can refer to cultural phraseology of the English language, its proverbs, verse and fiction. The linguo-cross-cultural competence is a prominent feature of the approach and deemed to be the result of effectiveness of the linguo-cross-cultural approach whether the competence is acquired by students.

As a feature of the linguo-cross-cultural component, non-equivalent vocabulary should be taken into consideration while choosing the materials for classes. At this point, we need to define the abovementioned feature. According to Vereshagin and Kostomarov, non-equivalent vocabulary implies lexis which cannot be explained by translation and does not have counterparts in other languages [10]. In other words, non-equivalent vocabulary is presented with words which content cannot be observed in foreign languages and interpreted by foreign lexical concepts. Thus, we can firmly assert that non-equivalent vocabulary is not limited by the loss of equivalents in foreign languages, but also means that the words reflect the culture of the country.

Second overriding feature is presented by the culture-specific concepts. Non-equivalent vocabulary reflects national culture-specific concepts. The importance of these concepts in culture and language learning is disputable. Words, peculiar to the only culture and without analogies in other ones, are vitally essential to linguo-cross-cultural approach. What does the culture-specific concept denote? The culture-specific concept means a name which is germane to cultural and historical heritage of a nation even including heroes and mythological creatures [11].

The relationship between the language and the culture can be clearly shown via culture-specific concepts. The main discrepancy which can be found between culture-specific concepts and other words of the language is the link of national and historical course of time with culture-specific concepts.

According to Edward Sapir's profound insights, “language [is] a symbolic guide to culture” and that “vocabulary is a very sensitive index of the culture of a people”. On the ground of this perspective, AnnaWierzbicka in her book named “Understanding cultures through their key words” states that there is a very close link between the life of a society and the lexicon of the language spoken by it. This applies in equal measure to the outer and inner aspects of life. And, as one of various English culture-specific concepts, a special word for orange (or orange-like) jam (marmalade) is exemplified [9].

Having examined the abovementioned component it is imperative to mention the linguo-country studies. Inevitably, students studying English language need to closely scrutinise the linguo-country studies discipline in order to acquire the linguo-cross-cultural competence properly. At this point we need to reveal the subject matter of the linguo-country studies.

In his work entitled “Linguo-country studies, what does it mean?” Tomakhin states that studying target language country’s culture has been one of the main objectives of language learning since classical times. He also asserts that classical languages’ teaching does not make sense without investigation of culture [11].

The term “linguo-country studies” was first used by Vereshagin and Kostomarov in their collaborative work called “The linguistic issue of Russian language teaching to foreign students via country studies” in 1971. The appearance of the abovementioned term is connected to the release of the book entitled “Language and culture” written by Vereshagin and Kostomarov. The gist of the book relies on the use of materials related to linguo-country studies during the academic process, where the object of the discipline is the techniques with the help of which students delve into new culture. According to the authors, this discipline should be implied as a subject due to which students familiarise with the past and present of target language’s country, national culture via the very communication in the target language [10].

Following Tomakhin, the very term “linguo-country studies” points out that not only does this discipline include proper materials about target language’s country, but also language learning itself. The adherents of the idea, Shukin and Azimov, deem that the term includes practice of target language’s learning and theoretical methods of its teaching [11].

The relationship between culture and language

The interaction of language and culture is a prominent feature of contemporary English language lesson. Teachers are aware of the importance of such relationship between premises, for these concepts are interrelated to each other. Culture cannot be perceived without its appreciable component in the nature of language. Language performs the function of a transmitter when the cultural heritage is transmitted from one generation to another.

It is viable to present the definition of culture by E.B.Tylor who is in favour of the idea that the culture is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” [7]. It is said by the scholar that language is a component of culture because it is impossible to comprehend the nuances of the very culture without knowing its language properly.

In his collaborative work with Benjamin Lee Whorf, Edward Sapir, takes into account the close interaction between language and culture, concluding that “it was not possible to understand or appreciate one without knowledge of the other” [5]. Nevertheless, Wardhaugh identified three claims to the interaction between language and culture:

1. The structure of a language determines the way in which speakers of that language view the world or, as a weaker view, the structure does not determine the world-view but is still extremely influential in predisposing speakers of a language toward adopting their world-view;

2. The culture of a people finds reflection in the language they employ: because they value certain things and do them in a certain way, they come to use their language in ways that reflect what they value and what they do

3. A ‘neutral claim’ which claims that there is little or no relationship between the two [8].

Thus, for culture and language are deeply connected with each other, we, teachers of English language, should respect the cultural values of English language and teach our students to act as we do. Following Englebert, “…to teach a foreign language is also to teach a foreign culture, and it is important to be sensitive to the fact that our students, our colleges, our administrators, and, if we live abroad, our neighbours, do not share all of our cultural paradigms.” [2].

It is suggested that owing to the linguo-cross-cultural approach teachers could attain the desirable goal of apprehension of English language culture.

Conclusion

Having examined the peculiarities of the linguo-cross-cultural approach it is viable to single out the reasons of its utilising:

1. Enhancement of English language knowing (especially, the enrichment of students’ vocabulary) through studying cultural specific concepts and non-equivalent vocabulary;

2. Development of students; own cultural awareness via compare and contrast of culture of mother tongue language and foreign language’s one;

3. Creating technique which can help students be involved in the academic process via enthralling modes of lessons

We are inclined to think that the usage of linguo-cross-cultural component facilitates the initiation of interest towards the English language, motivation in learning English language, development of thinking in foreign language and more conscious acquisition of English language as a means of communication.

Based on the quotation of the outstanding German writer and philosopher Wolfgang von Goethe “Those who know no foreign language know nothing of their mother tongue” (Wer fremde Sprachen nicht kennt, weiß nichts von seiner eigenen), we can say that not only is the linguo-cross-cultural approach attributed to help students learn English language and discover its culture, but also it can be used to fortify students’ native language knowledge, tolerant attitude to other cultures and reinforce their own cultural awareness.

References

1. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, Jack c. Richards and Theodore s. Rodgers, Cambridge university press;

2. Englebert, Character or Culture? An EFL Journal,24(2), 2004;

3. Innovations in learning technologies for English language teaching Edited by Gary Motteram, British Council 2013 Brand and Design/C607;

4. Porter E (Foreign involvement in China’s colleges and universities: a historical perspective. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, vol. 11, 1997, 369;

5. Sapir, Edward, Language: An introduction to the study of speech. New York: Harcourt, Brace and company, 1997

6. Savignon S. J. Communicative Competence Theory and Classroom Practice. Graw-Hill: 2001;

7. Tylor, E.B, Primitive culture: researches into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, art, and custom, 2000;

8. Wardhaugh. R, An introduction to sociolinguistics (Fourth Ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2002;

9. Wierzbicka Anna, Understanding Cultures through Their Key Words, New York Oxford University Press 1997;

10. Верещагин Е.М., Костомаров В.Г. Язык и культура: лингвострановедение в преподавании русского как иностранного. 3-е изд. М:, 1993 (in Russian);

11. Томахин Г.Д. Лингвострановедение: что это такое? // ИЯШ, М.,57 9 (in Russian);