Cross-Cultural Awareness for Second/Foreign Language Learners

This article proposes a reconsideration of curricular objectives with respect to the teaching of culture, in the interest of broadening the humanistic scope of the second/foreign language curriculum while at the same time alleviating the pressure of a typically over-extended instructional agenda. Recent research and theory support a relational approach to culture learning, emphasizing understanding of the target and home culture(s) as they relate to one another, with explicit reference to the learner's culturally subjective position. The article explores the notions of cultural identity and attitudes toward the other, arguing for increased emphasis on an understanding of self as cultural subject and openness of mind toward cultural difference. Topics and activities for a curricular module on cross-cultural awareness are suggested.