Crossing Cultural Borders in the Teaching of American Civilization

Abstract

Cultural education is a paramount step in alleviating the potential cultural conflicts that may arise in an English language classroom. Through the teaching of ‘American civilization’ a universe of possibilities is opened for the study of English as a foreign language where students can weave their own experience and life accomplishing a close empathy between language and their way of life. The discussion of this PhD thesis points to a matter of method. Teaching civilization offers English language teaching a vast landscape of perspectives that can be employed to enhance the dynamics of a class. Yet, in the Algerian universities this teaching has long been a problematic task because of the various approaches to this subject, and it has been noticed that a lot of learners have considerable problems in this area of knowledge and seem to find no interest in it. This work attempts to propose a new intercultural approach which may enable teachers help their learners develop their communicative skills, acquire the art of crossing cultures and being more sympathetic human beings and citizens of the world. It proposes a teaching based on intercultural activities rather than the traditional method because teaching about the diversity in the civilization classroom increases issues in teaching and learning but a teaching that involves learners suitably in learning through tasks decreases these problems. This research work will be in a form of an action research using data based on observed classroom procedures, interviews ( undertaken with teachers and learners) and questionnaires (administered to teachers as well as learners), and the use of checklists. Concerning the teaching of ‘American civilization’, through this research it was revealed that within the current syllabus, the proposed historical facts are found wanting to some extent because it is seen as an initiation to fill students’ minds with the knowledge of why United States is like it is today. America would not be as we know it today without these events and movements in its history.