| Is It Necessary to Categorize Culture in an L2 Learning Context?: With Reference to the American TV Sitcom, The Big Bang Theory |
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YunJoon Jason Lee |
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| Abstract |
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The purpose of this paper is to suggest a way culture and language can be learned together. Tang (2006) says that a categorical approach to culture is not ideal to teach culture and language simultaneously and that other ways are superior. However, considering the development of digital technology in the 21st century, and students’ consequent exposure to different cultures, it is not necessary to categorize culture although cultural categorization can enhance language proficiency. This paper suggests an approach utilizing The Big Bang Theory (= BBT, Cendrowski, 2015) as a way to assist EFL teachers. Four college level students read the script of BBT, and were asked five questions: 1) what was difficult to understand? 2) what was surprising? 3) why do you think it is rated as number one? 4) what do you recognize in US lifestyles? and 5) how can you teach culture and language together? The participants agreed that second language learning could not be possible without knowledge of culture. Also the participants were surprised to see the cultural aspects of BBT and that they could understand Americans’ preference. From these findings, we can conclude that culture functions as a context for language learning and that cultural categorization is not necessary. |
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