A lesson activity that I appreciated
in Morgan’s text was his activity “Analyzing the Cultural Phenomenon” (28). The
purpose in this activity is to examine the interconnectedness of the five
dimensions of culture. Some of the topics are a restaurant, a musical
instrument, a food market, or a concert. By identifying students answers to
these questions the instructor and the student can better identify some
different aspects of culture.
I am also very interested in
language and culture. Language not only is used as a vessel to communicate
ideas, though can also be seen as a projection of a person’s identity. An
example of this can be seen in the standardization of American English.
Americans had a want to separate themselves from the English to create their own
identity. The standardization of American English that came with the publication
of Noah Websters dictionary in 1828 developed different ways to spell certain
words. For this reason, diction, syntax, dialect can develop communities
identity and culture. However, how does language, seen as part of identity,
used in a classroom of students that is being taught the English language?
Prescriptive language is the
standard language and grammar. This use of language have a “correct” and an
“incorrect” usage. This is what is typically taught in an academic setting.
Descriptive language and grammar is how people actually speak, which can be
translated into writing. In a classroom a teacher has the challenge of
supporting the cultural aspects of language, but also enforcing the learning of
prescriptive language.
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