Mod 7 Discussion: Language and Learning

Culture plays a central role in how students learn and make sense of language. As highlighted in Integrating Culture into Language Learning, knowledge of culture allows learners to go beyond vocabulary and grammar and instead connect meaning to real-life practices, values, and traditions. Without this cultural lens, students risk developing only a surface-level understanding of the language. With it, they become more engaged and able to interpret not just words, but intent, tone, and context. This supports deeper comprehension and reduces miscommunication, especially for learners navigating multiple cultural worlds in and outside of school.

A topic that could inspire interest in another culture while fostering cultural understanding is food traditions and shared meals. Food is often the entry point to discussing values, celebrations, and community. For example, exploring the role of tamales in Latin American cultures or the symbolism of the Lunar New Year feast in Chinese culture can open doors to conversations about family, respect for elders, holidays, and storytelling traditions. Students can share their own cultural food practices, compare them, and even create cross-cultural recipe books to highlight diversity.

For a useful resource, I would recommend Gloria Ladson-Billings’ work on Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, particularly her article But That’s Just Good Teaching! (1995). It provides a strong framework for educators on how to validate students’ cultural identities while building academic skills. Another more practical classroom resource is Teaching Tolerance (now Learning for Justice), which offers lesson plans, texts, and strategies for embedding multicultural education across content areas.