Teaching Students a Foreign Language through Authentic Culture Lessons in Connection to the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

摘要

Due to theStandards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century created by the Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL),culture in the classroom has become an increasing concern to foreign language educators. Culture is defined as the physical manifestations, behaviors, actions, and thoughts of a certain group of people. To completely understand a foreign language culture needs to be incorporated in the curriculum because it provides context and meaning for the students. In order to achieve communicative learning, which is the bases of ACTFL'smission, authentic materials and a solid framework must be provided to students. By understanding the difficulties some educators have teaching culture, these problems and obstacles can be avoided in the future. Following all research I give my thoughts and suggestions as a future foreign language educator on teaching realistic and appropriate ways to teach culture in the classroom based on ACTFL. Provided at the end of the written work are rnultipls lesson plans on Spanish culture I would use in my future classroom. Along with each lesson plan the materials, such as PowerPoints, worksheets, audiovisual and internet recourses are attached as well.