THE CULTURE OF LEARNING: REFLECTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Language and culture are closely entwined. In the foreign language class, they particularly interlock in various and complex ways. Indeed, talking about culture in this context entails reference to more than one culture: the culture as content and skill, which is depicted in instructional materials like language coursebooks, the culture of communication, which has to do with background assumptions and expectations at work in communicative interactions, and the culture of learning, which directly relates to learning and teaching and is deeply rooted in the native culture. The present paper focuses on the culture of learning, also known as the 'cultural medium' or 'culture as medium', and the way it impacts on learners' and teachers' attitudes and behaviours. The study draws on findings in current cross-cultural research and suggests pedagogical implications to effectively cater for the cultural demands of foreign language teaching / learning.