Abstract

Given the four elements involved in having a communicative competence, it could be argued that learning a L2 does not only involve overcoming linguistic differences, but also cultural ones. Following a double conceptualization of “culture”, we will show our experience as teachers of History of the English Language (HEL), and the potential usefulness of the diachronic axis in developing the critical intercultural awareness needed to master a foreign language. This wider cultural approach results in a more accurate linguistic intuition in the L2, which is a consequence of the critical intercultural spirit developed by the students.

Highlights

  • According to William Littlewood (1981), having a communicative competence in the L2 should involve the development of linguistic, communicative, contextual, and socio-cultural competences

  • We argue that historical linguistic awareness is an important help in acquiring English as a L2

  • Their knowledge of English as a L2 will be improved, and their cultural competence as specified in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and their critical awareness about the intrinsic connections that can be established between historical linguistics and knowledge of linguistic forms in

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Summary

INTRODUCTION

According to William Littlewood (1981), having a communicative competence in the L2 should involve the development of linguistic, communicative, contextual, and socio-cultural competences. Language (HEL), and the potential usefulness of the diachronic axis in developing the critical intercultural awareness needed to master a foreign language. We hypothesise that both synchronic and diachronic understandings of culture play a significant role in acquiring a L2, and we will use in-class examples and. Byram’s intercultural approach to L2 teaching, and combining it to a double understanding of culture –applied within the specific circumstances of a Spanish university– we will prove that general knowledge about the specific (historical) context of the English language, and a wider linguistic intuition and a stronger critical intercultural spirit are developed. Their knowledge of English as a L2 will be improved, and their cultural competence as specified in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and their critical awareness about the intrinsic connections that can be established between historical linguistics and knowledge of linguistic forms in English

LEARNING A L2 AND THE INTERCULTURAL SPEAKER
NOTION OF CULTURE
PAST AND PRESENT IN LANGUAGES
MOVING INTO A THIRD DIMENSION
RESULTS
CONCLUSIONS
Do you think that this is related to past historical events?
16. Do you think that the debate over vocabulary in Early Modern

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