A Transatlantic Transfer of Cultural Values: Constructing A Canada-Related Cultural Reader Series for the Secondary English Classroom in Central Europe
Abstract
Mátyás Bánhegyi and Judit Nagy
Department of English Linguistics
Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary Faculty of Humanities
The ‘Canada in the English Classroom’ joint research team of the University of Colongne and Károli Gáspár University of the Hungarian Reformed Church has been producing a cultural reader series to enhance the dissemination of up-to-date and engaging cultural information on Canada through general English language classes for the secondary school age group in Central Europe. The cultural reader series is seen as a means of facilitating cultural discourse and cross-cultural learning, also advocated in Canadian contexts by Berrell and Gloet (1999). Using Kramsch’s (1991) and Damen’s (2003) theories, the readers have been devised so that more abstract and/or lesser-known Canadian cultural aspects can be brought closer to the target group through English as a foreign language. To realize this objective in an effective way in the English classroom, Gochenour and Janeway’s (1993) model of culture learning has been observed, which advocates the gradual involvement of students in culture-related issues: starting from observation of culture moving towards genuine communication about culture. After introducing the cultural reader series project briefly, the paper will discuss the theoretical background behind the series and the project activities leading up to the preparation and compilation of its completed volumes. As a next step, an overview of the content of these volumes and the accompanying teacher’s notes will be presented. This will be followed by a sample unit demonstration of how the series achieves the goals the research has targeted.
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Department of English Linguistics, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Faculty of Humanities Hungary
Mátyás Bánhegyi (PhD) is a full time adjunct professor at the Institute of English Studies of Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, where he has been teaching general language practice seminars, and offers courses in Translation Studies, applied linguistics and methodology. He defended his PhD dissertation in Translation Studies in 2009. He is also an active member of the ‘Canada in the English Classroom’ German-Hungarian research team designing Canada-related teaching materials for secondary education.
Károli Gáspár University, Budapest, Hungary Hungary
Judit Nagy is a full time adjunct professor at the Department of English Linguistics of the Budapest-based Károli Gáspár University of the Hungarian Reformed Church, where she has been teaching courses in Canadian Studies and applied linguistics. She defended her PhD dissertation entitled ‘But a few Acres of Snow?—Weather Images in Canadian Short Prose (1945–2000)’ at Eötvös Loránd University in early 2009. Her current fields of research include metaphors in an interdisciplinary approach as well as curriculum and teaching material development in Canadian Studies and applied linguistics.
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