Abstract:

The ELT professionals around the world, especially in Asian countries, have realized the importance of incorporating local culture in teaching English as an International Language. As English is becoming increasingly the property of the country in which it is taught, the traditional approach to teaching the language with its culture is no more acceptable. There is no denial, however, of the fact that language and culture are inseparable. But when a language acquires an international status it stands de-nationalized and the culture it carries with it has no relevance to the context in which it is used beyond the borders of its origin. “If not all communication is taking place with Native Speakers then it may not be relevant to teach English culture”(Baker, 2003). A number of writers including McKay, Penny Cook, Alptekin, Stapleton advocate the inclusion of native cultures in teaching the English Language. To say that the world is becoming smaller and that the world is heading towards a mono-cultural, mono-lingual society in which the culture is Anglo-American and the language is English is to perpetuate the imperialism of both the language and its culture. In fact, in a globalized world, what needs is not the English culture but the culture of the countries in which English is taught and learnt. The world is, in fact, heading towards a multicultural setting, bound of course by English language, necessitating the awareness of world cultures and not just Anglo-American culture alone. The paper will throw light on the student-teacher perceptions of teaching culture in Omani context. 

BIODATA

Khadernawaz Khan has been actively engaged in ELT for several years. He holds a Ph.D, in English Literature. He has presented several papers in international conferences including the 7th AsiaTEFL Conference held in Bangkok. He is interested in learner autonomy, cooperative learning, teacher development and culture in language teaching. His other interests are Action Research and Teaching Methodologies.