Teaching Ways of Self-Expression to Create Awareness of the Sociocultural Aspects of Interactions

Abstract

The article explores the challenges of teaching cultural diversity in foreign language classrooms, underscoring the need to develop intercultural communication skills. Given the extensive range of cultural differences, the authors argue that it is impractical to address every aspect in a classroom setting. Instead, the focus should be on equipping learners with the skills to understand, adapt to, and navigate various cultural contexts effectively. The paper emphasizes incorporating sociocultural norms, such as politeness and appropriateness, into language instruction. It highlights the significance of teaching pragmatic functions of language - like making requests, offering apologies, and giving compliments - alongside their linguistic structures. By examining real-life conversational routines, learners can better understand the underlying pragmatic intentions of expressions. The article also proposes a comparative analysis approach, encouraging individuals to investigate similar interactions in their native language to deepen their awareness of sociocultural influences on communication. Ultimately, the authors advocate for a teaching strategy that prepares language learners to interact effectively in diverse sociocultural environments.