Day 4 - Thursday, 26th March

Chelyabinsk Spring School with Hugh Dellar

The traditional concept of culture in English language teaching far too frequently involved facts and figures about Britain - though in reality this usually meant England, and a rarified upper-middle class slice of English cultural life at that! Students were sold visions of Windsor Castle and Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon and Stonehenge and perhaps given the occasional extract from Dickens or Shakespeare. However, the world has moved on! The notion of culture being fixed and easy to define is dated, and the belief that language is linked to one particular kind of culture has also started being called into question. At the same time, English has become a global language used increasingly by non-natives talking to other non-natives. In the midst of all this change and confusion, what then is the role of culture in the classroom today? What does intercultural competence really mean? How can we bring culture into the classroom? And how can we help unlock and exploit students' cultural identities in monolingual contexts? During this lively and challenging week, we will explore all of these questions – and more

PROGRAMME

Day 1 - Monday, 23rd March

Morning session - Bri tish culture and the classroom:

• Introductions and discussion on expectations and course overview;

• Diversity: does British culture exist?

Afternoon session - Language and Culture:

• How far do vocabulary and expressions in English reflect British culture?

• British cities and regions and cultural stereotypes;

• Varieties of English and usefulness.

What should we teach?

Day 2 - Tuesday, 24th March

Morning session - Education and Class:

• Public school and state education system;

• Issues in university education: grade inflation /

dumbing down / vocational education;

• Language of social types: chavs and neets.

Afternoon session - Popular music and British culture:

• Using music in the classroom;

• Reflections of British culture in pop music;

• Drugs, alcohol and language.

Day 3 - Wednesday, 25th March

Morning session - Literature and culture:

• Using literature in the class;

• What literature?

• Contemporary writers and trends.

Afternoon session - Britain and family values:

• Using teacher stories to reflect on cultural issues in the classroom;

• Current family issues in contemporary British Culture;

• Language and connotation (e.g., stay-at-home mum /helicopter parenting / white trash).

Day 4 - Thursday, 26th March

Morning session - Contemporary history:

• 7/7, The Leveson enquiry, Stephen Lawrence etc.;

• Ways in which these common events are referred to and their meaning;

• Translating your own cultural events for English

speakers.

Afternoon session:

• British institutions: BBC / NHS etc. and cultural

meanings;

• Political correctness and language.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14