To Be or Not to Be, That Is The Question: Should Culture Be Taught Simultaneously during L2 Teaching Classes or Not?

Abstract

As the old saying goes, 'A new language is a new culture'. That is, learning a new language is like discovering a new culture and a new world. So, Culture is willy-nilly an integral and inseparable elements of language courses and undoubtedly vital for communication, interpersonal interaction, and a crucial factor in the development of universal awareness, personal and international understanding. "The study of language cannot be divorced from the study of culture, and vice-versa (Seelye 1993)." However, owing to many impediments, culture is relatively ignored in L2 classes. Since we cannot simply assume that cognitive factors alone will account for the ensuing success of EFL learners, the process of effective and meaningful teaching an L2 embraces also cultural studies. Identically, culture plays an active role in inducing and rewarding EFL learners and will promote discovery learning, learner-centeredness and active learning through role playing, culture capsules, culture clusters, proverbs and so forth in L2 classes. This study attempts to illuminate the basic issues related to culture that obstruct EFL learners from the successful performing of culture aims by highlighting Objectives, Attitudes, Problems and Dangers.