Working with cultural products.

Шендерук О.Б. , Пермінова В.А.

Чернігівський державний інститут економіки і управління.

Every teacher is familiar with the concept of realia – physical objects such as postcards, photographs, images and symbols associated with the target culture. Images and symbols may be found in song lyrics, idioms, and certain words and expressions. These items are not just useful as language-teaching material. Familiarity with them offers learners a cultural currency which helps them to feel more confident and to sound more fluent in the target culture.

The activities in this section are largely based on realia: souvenirs, cartoons, travelogues, money, photographs, newspapers, news on radio and TV, and stamps. These are obtainable relatively easily by overseas teachers, and they have the all-important function of bringing the world of the target culture into the classroom. Furthermore, it is extremely useful for classroom communication for the students to have actual physical objects in their hands to work with.

The aim of working with cultural products is to help students to build up language fluency by using authentic material from the target culture and to allow them, by observing and describing the realia, to compare these objects with others in their own cultures. An important aspect of these activities is their focus on a language skill, for example oral composition in “Culture composition” and “Currency deals”.

Culture composition.

Aim: To improve composition skills; to stimulate recognition of cultural artifacts.

Materials: Realia and pictures.

Level: Intermediate and above.

Time: 30-60 minutes.

Preparation: From your travel abroad, from friends, or from magazines, collect realia such as bus or air tickets, bills, currency, exchange receipts, money, and photographs.

In class:

1. Mix up the items so that they are in random order.

2. Divide the class into groups of two or three.

3. Tell the students you are going to hand round some items for them to identify.

4. Pass the items around. Each group identifies the ones they have. Students may ask another group if they are unsure.

5. Make sure that everybody knows what each item is.

6. Explain that each group is to make up a story about their set of items.

7. Each group then makes up a story and practices it for presentation to the rest of the class.

8. The groups tell their stories. Within a group, students can take turns to tell part of their story. As each item occurs in the story, it is shown to the class and then placed on a table.

9. When all the groups have finished, the students write their own individual versions of the story.

10. They can look at and share one another’s versions if they wish.

Remarks: If the students wish to work through Step 10, reassure them that there is no “right” story. Details may vary, but what matters is that the writing should flow.

Сurrency deals.

Aim: To familiarize the students with the currency of the target culture.

Materials: Coins and banknotes from the target country, tracing paper, glue, and card.

Level: Elementary.

Time: 60 minutes.

Preparation:

1. Bring to class target-country coins and banknotes(or pictures of them). Also bring tracing paper, pencil, paste, and white card.

2. The students will need plain white paper.

In class:

1. Explain the currency system and how it works, and show the money to the students.

2. Tell the class that they are going to “forge” their own currency by copying the coins and notes you have brought.

3. Give out the coins, notes, and tracing paper. Each student either the design of the notes or makes a rubbing of the coin on the tracing paper.

4. They cut out and paste their designs on to card.

5. Call out the values of all the coins and banknotes at random, and ask the class to show you the appropriate coin or note.

6. The class can then “buy” and “sell” personal objects from each other, using the money they have made.

Remarks: Keep the home-made currency for future use. It can be used to make a textbook activity more lively.

Teachers who have no opportunity to visit Britain or America need not feel discouraged about using this section. Cultural products are available everywhere – on T-shirts, in newspapers, in travel posters, and in materials available from cultural missions and expatriate workers.