![]() ![]() This can lead to fantastic discussions about what is true or exaggerated. Books can be both authentic and stereotypical reflections of culture. ![]() Students draw a turkey with five feathers, five things they are grateful for – a moment of reflection – and something physical to take home and discuss with their family.Īdditionally, Literature is a great way to explore culture as well. With Thanksgiving I use a similar approach, but connect it to their creativity. Not only have I managed to teach them new English vocabulary and a new text type but also they’ve developed the awareness of the holiday’s origins as well. Two lessons later my students have written a spooky story using all the vocabulary learned and are writing Haiku poems related to the topic as well. When it’s Halloween we discuss what Halloween means to them, to myself and we also read about the origins of Halloween. They have just left primary school and at their new school will be learning all of their subjects in English! It is an exciting time for everyone involved and I aspire to make that first year of contact with English as a subject memorable and insightful for them.Īs an American, I bring a lot of the culture of the United States to my lessons. I teach at a Dutch bilingual school with over 200 new students each year. Learning the grammar rules and pronunciation of a new language is just the surface – we should also be teaching our pupils the customs and values to better understand the world around them. My method is not to only connect to my pupils and for us to get to know each other more but this approach also brings a vital pillar to learning a language – learning about the language’s culture. “Learning the grammar rules and pronunciation of a new language is just the surface – we should also be teaching our pupils the customs and values to better understand the world around them as well.” The students sit on the edge of their seats to know more and soon we are all sharing experiences in the target language – in this case – English. A majority of my personal stories touch upon a cultural reference of a country I was living in or visiting. As someone who has lived in five different countries and can speak almost four languages (I promise that “ almost” will end soon for you Dutch) I love to bring all my experiences into my profession as an educator. New words, different sounds, strange grammar rules – there are so many quirks you discover when learning a language. Language learning is always a fun adventure to embark on.
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