Cultural Learning in Foreign Language Courses: An investigation into how college students make meaning of cultural information in the classroom

Abstract

For years researchers have shown the positive role that foreign language courses play in increasing the cultural knowledge and understanding of university students. However, at a time where internationalization is now at the forefront of nearly every major US university, foreign language courses are being cut and defunded at unprecedented levels. Clearly, the cultural benefits that foreign language courses provide are not meeting the standards necessary to be seen as key contributors to the goals of internationalization. Thus, the research presented in this paper is an initial student-centered investigation into the process of cultural learning within foreign language courses. By focusing on how students perceive of and understand the cultural information they are exposed to in the classroom. As a result, the research suggests important areas in which foreign language courses can improve the role they play in facilitating cultural learning, and hopefully, begin to receive the recognition they deserve in improving cultural understanding and awareness.