Culture as the Core in the Second Language Classroom
Kaishan Kong
Transformative learning often happens when people experience cultural and linguistic contact with people different from themselves. This institute will explore how to make these experiences happen in and through classrooms. We will explore a wide range of tools for understanding self and 'others' without falling into stereotypes or reductive simplifications. While cultivating a deeper understanding of how language-culture-identity informs our teaching, we will envision ways to integrate culture and language learning that include authentic materials and inter- and transcultural habits of mind. Throughout the course, participants will be engaged in constructive conversation, hands-on practice, and reflection. In the end, participants will be able to conceptualize cultural teaching in ways that suit their teaching and learning context.
Target Audience:
This institute is suited for elementary school to postsecondary foreign language, ESL/EFL, indigenous teachers. It is also suited to immersion teachers and teacher educators.
Program Schedule
Week 1
Culturally-Oriented Language Teaching
- Exploring Teacher Cultural Selves in the Teaching Process
- (Re)framing Culture and Culture Learning
What Cultural Understanding Looks Like: Focus on the Learner
- Envisioning Objectives for Culture Learning
- Moving from Language Proficiency to Intercultural Competence
- Raising Essential Questions
- Assessing Culture Learning
Week 2
How to Integrate Culture and Language: Topics, Texts, Tasks
- Complicating Culture Through Intersectionalities
- Integrating Culture through Content-Based Instruction
- Using Insider Authentic Texts
- Deciding What Culture(s) to Teach
Week 3
How to Explore Culture
- Enhancing Intercultural Communicative Competence
- Evaluating and Adapting the Culture Content of Textbooks
Culture Learning in Action
- Sharing Lessons and Lessons Learned
- Devising an Action Plan for Curriculum Revision
Instructor
Kaishan Kong is an Associate Professor of Chinese at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Second Language Education. She has taught language and cultural courses in both China and the United States. Her research interests include second language acquisition, mediated learning in study abroad, intercultural communication, and teacher training. Kaishan has taught a version of this institute through STARTALK and CARLA for more than 15 years. She co-edited a book titled Intercultural Citizenship in Language Education: Teaching and Learning Through Social Action, published by Multilingual Matters in 2023.
I learned a very systematic framework for culture teaching in the language classroom during this summer institute. This course has provided me with practical strategies to integrate cultural understanding with language learning, which I am excited to implement in my teaching.—Zhuo Li, 2024 institute participant
*IMPORTANT NOTES FOR THIS ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE INSTITUTE:
- This institute is primarily asynchronous (not real time). For the most part, you will work on activities according to your own schedule during the week but there are preset deadlines for activities.
- You must keep up with assignments each week as they build on each other. Many assignments involve facilitation from the instructor and/or collaboration with other participants.
- This institute includes three required synchronous sessions (Central Time):
- First day synchronous meet-and-greet: Monday, July 14, 8–9 a.m.
- Group discussion: Friday, July 25, 8–9 a.m.
- Last day synchronous goodbye meeting: Friday, August 1, 8–9 a.m.
- This institute includes two optional Q&A synchronous sessions per week:
- Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8–9 a.m.
- Make sure you can meet the tech requirements for this institute.