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Using the Concept of Perspective to Integrate Cultural, Communicative, and Form‐Focused Language Instruction
Author(s) -
Byram Katra A.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
foreign language annals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1944-9720
pISSN - 0015-718X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1944-9720.2011.01145.x
Subject(s) - communicative competence , german , centrality , perspective (graphical) , linguistic competence , linguistics , foreign language , psychology , cultural competence , pedagogy , communicative language teaching , language education , sociology , computer science , philosophy , mathematics , combinatorics , artificial intelligence
In 2007, the M odern L anguage A ssociation A d H oc C ommittee on F oreign L anguages advocated for revising postsecondary second language programs to cultivate students’ “translingual and transcultural competence.” Since then, the meaning, merits, and difficulties of these goals have been much discussed. This article presents the concept of linguistic and cultural perspective as a strategy for helping students to develop the interrelated linguistic and cultural competencies at the heart of these goals. Because of its centrality to both language and culture, this concept can link communicative, form‐focused, and cultural instruction and promote the critical awareness that underlies the target competencies. Instructional examples from beginning, intermediate, and advanced G erman‐language classrooms illustrate how the concept of perspective can be used to pursue these goals.