6/12/2018 Lesson 8 "Deep Culture in the Elementary Classroom":

6/12/2018 Lesson 8 "Deep Culture in the Elementary Classroom":

As an EFL teacher when I taught young adults, I had a lot of freedom about the topics to teach. I taught my students about different Holidays in America (Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions), sadly, I cannot specifically recall any other culture-based lesson (perhaps, it was a long time ago, and I was just a fresh brand-new teacher with little experience). When I was working in Elementary school then I had a stricter agenda, so I followed the guidelines which I received in the school, and I taught what they were requiring me to teach (which also probably contained a minimal amount of culture-based lessons).

Ever since, amazing changes happened in my native country and as well as in the country where I reside now. In 2004 Hungary and Latvia joined the EU, and in the same year I received my teaching diploma which sadly meant that we new teachers were not prepared for the changes the EU would cause in our little countries.

What did joining the EU cause in the field of language teaching?

Good question! Before we joined the EU, most people needed to have language exams to receive their diplomas from college or university. A person had to have an intermediate language exam usually English or German in order to receive his/her diploma. None cared about learning the language, the knowledge was measured in language exams. All the language teaching focused on preparing for language exams and all of a sudden, the borders suddenly opened up and allowed thousands and thousands of people to move to the UK, Germany etc. The language teaching had to be changed. People were in need of usable language knowledge and not language exams.

Why did I tell all this information?

Good question! Before joining the EU, language teaching meant to prepare for exams, a few people cared to teach about culture, because those things were not included in test questions, but since people nowadays need real language skills I believe the time to teach about culture and cultural differences had arrived. Nowadays, elementary children had visited a few countries, have at least one relative living in abroad, have at least one classmate who moved abroad. Thus, it means ‘nowadays school children’ had contact with other cultures and once we get into contact with another culture surely, we also encounter cultural differences. I think, ‘nowadays school children’ are receptive to learn about deep culture and we teachers need to use this chance to teach them valuable, real-life like situations which can enrich their perspective of other cultures thus prepare them to become ‘global citizens.’

 Image source: www.freeimage.com : European Parliament

Under the term, ‘nowadays school children’ I am referring to students who live in those EU countries who joined the EU in 2004. They are the late-comer EU joiners.