Theme-based Instruction focused on Teen Culture

Abstract

According to many research, culture education is important to help EFL students to feel motivated in learning a foreign language and expanding their views of the world by understanding the target language culture. In order to help students to develop cultural understanding, ESL/EFL textbooks that address cultural issues relevant to North American and British cultures are widely available. However, it is important to note that it is not necessary to only focus on cultures from English-speaking countries because English has now become a lingua franca and there are many ‘outer circle’ and ‘expanding circle’ countries using World Englishes. (Murray, 2012. P.2). Today, EFL teachers need to not only address American or British cultures but help their students to understand diverse cultures throughout the world, encouraging the students to gain an awareness and appreciation of how various cultures work (Frendo, 2005. p.112). Although there are many aspects to learning about culture, high school students of EFL may be more interested in teen culture because it is relevant to their own lives. As such, this textbook will focus on multicultural understanding that students can compare and contrast foreign cultures and their own native cultures. Through this engagement, students will also have an opportunity to acquire English naturally as they learn about other cultures. The target students are Korean high school students whose ages range from 15 to 17. They are students in a Korean public high school; and they consist of mixed gender learners who take English classes four times a week. The target students are mostly familiar with the Grammar Translation Method and rote learning which have been the main methods used in the classroom for developing the receptive skills necessary for exam purposes. Although the students are not accustomed to learning about multicultural topics in English, they are interested in learning about culture from different countries. Based on the ACTFL standards, the students’ proficiency level range between Intermediate-low to Intermediate-mid. The goal of this portfolio is to motivate learners to study English by using multicultural themes and to develop both language and cultural competence in hopes of learning to become responsible global citizens.