“Don’t Assume” by Elana Cheshin

Note from the President

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DON’T ASSUME

by  Elana Cheshin, 1993

Don’t assume that Jill or Jack

Who sit so quietly in back

Understand what’s just been said

Or comprehend the passage read...

Don’t assume that “sloppy” Bob

Purposely did a messy job

And crossed out, scribbled, tore his page

Lost his pencil, screamed with rage.

Don’t assume that poor sweet Mable

Just because she's earned the label

“DYSLEXIC”

Can't be taught to read a word

That’s ridiculous, absurd!

Assume that every lad and lass

In a heterogeneous class

Has a learning style of their own

Now, teacher, don't you moan and groan!

Teaching is quite complicated.

Often it’s been over-rated.

To reach all the different students

Demands sensitivity and prudence.

Take into consideration

What a wonderful sensation

When you realize that those labeled

“Learning different” or “disabled”

Could be geniuses in time...

Da Vinci, Edison, Einstein.

So be patient and aware;

Try teaching any way you dare!

The object’s to reach everyone...

Only then your work is done!

DON’T make an ASS of  U and ME!

Note from the Editor: The poem is reprinted from ETAI Forum, the journal of English Teachers’ Association of Israel. Spring 2003,  58.

In a few weeks’ time, FIPLV converges on Auckland Park in Johannesburg (South Africa) for our meetings and the XXIst FIPLV World Congress - which we have come to call FIPLV 2003 - and be hosted by Professor Anna Coetzee and the South African Association for Language Teaching (SAALT).  At a time when natural and man-made disasters make one wary of travelling to some areas of the globe, South Africa becomes even more attractive.  Add to this the decline in international travel and significant reductions in some airfares and we encounter an even more impressive option.

For this “Note from the President”, I have proposed to Anna Coetzee, Convener of FIPLV 2003, that she assist as an invited co-author.  The obvious intention is to promote FIPLV 2003, motivate more to attend and foster solidarity and friendship in the beautiful climate of South Africa.  We do this unabashedly.  (However, while Anna provided input, she felt that the Note should be above my name alone.)

FIPLV 2003 takes place at the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) in Auckland Park, Johannesburg,  (South Africa) on 2-5 July 2003.  Keynote speakers include : Fred Davidson (USA), Rod Ellis (New Zealand), Kembo-Sure (Kenya), George Lakoff (USA), Pierre Martinez (France), Leslie Opp-Beckman (USA) and Svetlana Ter-Minasova (Russia).  At the time of writing, around 200 titles for papers have been submitted, reflecting the Congress theme of Identity and Creativity in Language Education and the sub-themes : Language Education and Identity, Language Policy and Planning, Applied Linguistics, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Textual Studies, Assessment, Language Research, and Other Language-Related Topics.

Up to 500 participants are expected from all continents, the registration fess being so low for an international event of this prestige, calibre and value.  The predictable blend of plenary papers, workshops, panel and poster sessions will provide a balance in content and, no doubt, high quality.  There is much to emphasise in the benefits of attending FIPLV 2003 - further information and registration can be accessed in a range of languages (ie Afrikaans, English, French and German) at the FIPLV 2003 website (http://general.rau.ac.za/fiplv) - but there is also the socio-cultural program.  South Africa is stunning, it is different and it should be on the itinerary of any language teacher wishing to travel and broaden horizons (if affordable).  The opening night will provide a snapshot of this with the local artist, Willem Boshoff, performing mimic, song and dance, as the Circle of Knowledge on the celebration of languages.  This will be followed by an “Africa” meal with “potjies” and “biltong”.

I would like to add a more personal touch.  Pleased to be invited as a keynote speaker for the SAALT Annual Conference of 2001, I found myself in Bloemfontein in the heart of the Free State.  Hosted by delightful colleagues, an excellent but friendly Conference was complemented by visits to game parks and to the local museum with its tribute to what was called by some “The Boer War”.  Australia and the Boers were on opposite sides in this conflict a century ago, but this visit opened my eyes to a very different perspective.  We, as language teachers, find that we lead many others in doing so, in viewing the world through the eyes of others, in understanding others and ourselves in the quest for the acceptance, celebration and promotion of cultural diversity and peace.

Another personal, shared reflection : a visit to the Kruger National Park with Anna and her husband, Kobie.  South Africa has always appeared exotic, attractive and a must to visit.  But this visit to the Kruger, enjoying the unbridled hospitality, generosity of Anna and Kobie highlighted the vehicle - languages! - which took me to a higher plane of intercultural understanding and friendship.  Cruising through the Kruger, where animals roam free and it is the humans who are caged in villages or cars, we encountered elephants munching on trees, rhinos looking after their young, orphaned hyena pups (their mother the previous meal of a lion!), springboks, herds of zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, a pride of lions causing a traffic jam, giant hornbills foraging through elephant dung, klipspringers (African chamois) high in the rocks, crocs basking in the sun, hippos playing in the ponds and a genet joining us for dinner at the braai . . .

Is this a travel advertisement?  In part, it is!  But it is more than that.  It is also the opportunity to experience what most only harbour in their dreams.

Come to FIPLV 2003!  Come to Auckland Park, Johannesburg, in South Africa, enjoy the exotic and join with us as language teachers in what should be an unforgettable event!

Denis Cunningham                                                           

President, FIPLV                                                             

mailto:djc@netspace.net.au                                                       

FIPLV News

4^th CER-FIPLV Conference

Prague, 6-7 February, 2003

The fourth CER-FIPLV Conference took place in Prague (Czech Republic) in 6-7 February 2003 under the main theme of The Role of the Teacher at the Beginning of the XXI Century. It was organised by Kruch Modernich Filologu and Charles University and attended by about 200 participants, mostly Czechs, but also language teachers or teacher trainers from England, France, Germany, Poland, Slovak Republic and  Slovenia.

During the two days there were seven plenary sessions. The presentations were in English, French, Russian, German and were translated into Czech or given in Czech and translated into English. On the first day some general foreign language education themes were discussed with an emphasis on a new concept of language  teacher and teacher education. The topics discussed during the first plenary were: Social constructivism in foreign language education (T. Siek- Piskozub - Poland); Didactica cizich jazyku jako vedni disciplina  (R. Chodera – Czech Republic), Didactique des langues, plurilinguisme et formation des enseignants (V. Castelotti - France); Didaktika cizich jaziku v prechodu studenta do role ucitele (S. Jelinek – Czech Republic). The topic of the second plenary, which took place in the early morning of the second day of the conference, was teachers’ discourse competence: O diskrsivnoj kompetencii prepodavatelja inostrannogo jazyka (W. Woźniewicz - Poland) and was continued in the afternoon: Merkmale des guten Fremdsprachenlehrers (R. Feundenstein – Germany), Conversation: a redundant art form or an essential skill? (E. Batley - England)

During the sessions many specific issues were discussed such as problems  of cross-cultural communication and its place in teacher education, cross-curriculum foreign language education, language education in special education programs, new technologies in language learning and teacher education, the role of language teachers in multicultural and multilingual Europe, etc. There were also some Czech related issues, such as teaching languages at different levels of the educational system,  teaching Polish near  the Czech and Polish border, new maturation (state-wide) exams, etc.

After the conference, the Regional Executive Committee of CER-FIPLV (President Marie Fenclova, the Treasurer Mary Hawker from FMF, and the Secretary Aleksandra Jankowska from PTN) met for their annual meeting. The meeting was also attended by Teresa Siek-Piskozub (the Editor of Publications – FIPLV) and Katarzyna Karpińska-Szaj (the Secretary General of PTN). The guests expressed their high opinion of the conference, its organisation, as well as the scholarly program and expressed their gratitude to the organisers for taking on this responsibility. The organisers explained the financial difficulties they were facing while organising the conference, and appreciated the support of the FIPLV and the Ministry of Education of Czech Republic which helped them invite guests from Poland and Slovak Republic. During the conference Marie Fenclova held a meeting with the Slovak participants, and the possibility of forming a Slovakian multilingual teachers association was discussed. There was an interest in this proposal on the part of the Slovak team and a tentative promise was made to organise the next CER-FIPLV conference in Slovak Republic. The organisers also informed, with regret, that they were unable to get Hungarian representation for the Prague conference.

At the meeting it was decided that a Czech-Polish conference dictionary will be worked out to make participation of representatives of the two nations easier. The next meeting of the Regional Executive will take place in Zielona Góra in Poland at the annual conference of PTN, to which Marie Fenclova and Mary Hawker have been invited by the conference organisers.

During this meeting Teresa Siek-Piskozub was nominated to represent CER-FIPLV at the World Council and World Assembly in Johannesburg in July  2003.

                                              Teresa Siek-Piskozub

Congress Calendar

7-8 June                             JALT CALL Computer Conference. Venue: Nagoya, Japan. Theme: CALL for All. Information: David Kluge, Kinki Gakuin University, Nagoya. Web: www.jaltcall.org/conferences/call2003

15-18 June                         UNESCO Peace Conference. Theme: Teaching and Learning for Intercultural Understanding. Human Rights and a Culture of Peace.Venue: Jyvaskyla, Finland. Information: UNESCO 2003, Jyvaskala Congress, PO Box 212, FIN-40101, Jyvaskala, Finland, E-mail: pirjo-leena.pitkanen@jyvaskylaan.com ; www.jyu.fi/ktl/unesco2003/conference.htm

19-26 June                         FMF-Kongress. Sprachenschwerpunkt: Niderländisch. Venue: Bremen. Information: FMF-Büro, U.BLIE@t-online.de ; www.fmfdeutschland.de

2-6 July                              21^st FIPLV World Congress (with SAALT). Venue:  RAU, Auckland, South Africa. Information: http://general.rau.ac.za/fiplv

11-14 July                          ETAI International Conference. Venue: jerusalem. Theme: Reaching for Greater Heights in Language Teaching. Information: etai99@hotmail.com; www.etni.org.il/etai

21-25 July                          Langues étrangères aux enfantes et média. Venue: Limoges, France. Information: Atalante innovations – 86-88 avenue Baudin, F-.87036 Limoges cedex, Tél.: +33(0)555 11 93 90; agence@atalante-innov.fr

24-29  July                         XVII International Congres of Linguists (CIL). Venue: Congress Palace, Prague: Czech Republic. Information: Anna Kotĕšovcová, Centre for Computational Linguistics MFF UK, Malostranské nám. 25, 118 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic. Email: cil17@cil17.org

4-7 September                   36^th SLE. Venue: the Ecole Normale Supérieure Lettres & Sciences Humaines, Lyon, France. Theme: Linguistics and data : types of data and language comparison. Information in French, English, German and Spanish : http://www.ens-lsh.fr/sle2003/

25-29 September               Die 34. Jahrestagung der GAL. Venue: Tübingen. Thema: Sprache(n) in der Wissensgesellschaft. Information: prof. Dr. Kurt Kohn, Universität Tübingen, Angewandte Linguistik des Englischen, Wilhelmstr. 50, 72074 , Tübingen Tel.: 0707/297-2377 kurt.kohn@uni-tuebingen.de ; www.gal-ev.de

26 September                    LALT’s European Day of Languages. Venue: Riga, Latvia. Theme: Languages and Oureselves. Information: Diana Rumpite, dianar@rsf.rtu.lv

27-28 September               2^nd Peace as a Global Language. Venue: Seisen University, Tokyo, Japan. Information: www.eltcalendar.com/PGL2003

10-12 October                   A Joint Regional INGED, BETA, ETAI & TESOL Conference. Venue: Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey. Theme: Multiculturalism in ELT practices: Unity and Diversity. Information: www.inged-elea.org.tr

27-29 October                   SPECOM. Venue; Moscow, Russia. Information: Rodmonga Potapova, 2003 International Workshop SPEECH and COMPUTER (SPECOM-2003), Moscow State Linguistic University, Ostozenca, 38, 119992, Moscow, Russia . tel. (095)201-56-97, (095)246-28-07;  fax (095)246-28-07; e-mail: specom2003@linguanet.ru, potapova@linguanet.ru

6-8 November                   ANILS & WER-FIPLV International Conference. Venue: Rome, Italy. Theme: New Ways of Language Teaching and Learning. Information: luigia.capasso@int.it

21-23 November               JALT 2003 National Conference. Venue: Shizuoka, Japan. Information: www.jalt.org  or www.eltcalendar.com/events/details/1066

Forum on Controversial Issues

Towards an intercultural literacy in a FL classroom in Poland

by Maria Walat

1. Introduction

Recognising the importance of an intercultural approach to foreign language education, this paper considers why knowledge of tradition and cultural heritage can be beneficial to language learners. The starting point for the discussion is an assumption that the cultural identity of the language learners encompasses a common heritage of a group and is anchored in the group's essential values through its language, ancestors, religion or territory. When learning a foreign language and its culture a learner has to come to terms not only with his/her cultural identity but also with the fact that the latter becomes infused with new elements when in a dialogue with the traditions, ideas, experience and values of that target language culture. In order to enable a learner to engage in the cultural dialogue a "common platform of reference" is needed. The culture of the past or rather C1"C2 cultural heritage can be looked upon as this "tertium comparationis".

Furthermore, it may be expected that the native culture (C1) and the target language culture (C2) when combined will lead to an intercultural literacy in the foreign language learners. (This in turn can be conceived as soft power in the integrating Europe). Furthermore, concepts like identity, otherness, exclusion clarify why intercultural literacy might be required in Polish learners of a foreign language. These notions themselves entail that a change in perceiving the role of the teaching of culture in a foreign language classroom may be required. At the same time it has to be stressed that ELT literature puts emphasis on the culture of everyday and aspects of the cultural past seem to be out of vogue. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to demonstrate why it is of importance to introduce elements of cultural heritage of C1 and C2 into ELT.

2. Nation's cultural identity1

There is evidence to suggest that the concepts of identity and cultural heritage are interrelated. Most of all, "(c)ulture provides a people with identity" (Arildsen et al. 1991:17). Human beings identify with the culture they live in, and the language of that particular culture supplies them with an identity (de Wout 1996:15). A country's cultural identity plays an important role in fixing public memory on the past and makes them understandable and memorable for future generations. Furthermore, cultural identity incorporates not only the consciousness of the past, that is memory, but also collective experiencing of the present and a willingness of founding on it a common future (Zygulski 1986, in Gajda 1999:190).

What is more, a human being in order to build his/her identity needs not only self-respect and personal recognition but also acknowledgement of his/her nationality and tradition. However, in order to achieve that he/she needs "significant others". An individual, then, aspiring for self-identification needs others to form the 'self' as "'(i)dentity' implies a relationship to what is different ... " (Pieterse 1993:229). Hence the concept of cultural others. Thus in the teaching of the culture of a foreign language the identity issue has to be taken into account as it is suggested that self-acceptance and the recognition of cultural others are of crucial importance when in contact with a target culture.

The significance of cultural heritage

It is important to acknowledge that the cultural identity of nations is put at risk mainly by the process of cultural globalisation. This concern was expressed by UNESCO as early as 1982, and resulted in an international conference the outcome of which was the so-called Mexican Declaration. The document emphasised those matters which enhance cultural identity in connection with contacts with other cultures. Among those of importance was a nation's rich cultural heritage. This forms the basis upon which assimilation of elements from the outside is possible. Cultural identity however, is infused with new elements when it engages in a dialogue with the traditions, ideas, experience and values of other cultures. The above process can take place in a language classroom. Again, this is of significance in FL culture teaching as this means that when learning a foreign language and its culture a learner's cultural identity is given a chance of being infused with elements of C2, and allows him/her to open to otherness. In other words, it implies readiness towards a wider perception of reality and makes one realise that there are different interpretations of that reality. Consequently, dialogue with another culture becomes an enlightening experience.

3. Poland and the European context

Two obstacles can be identified that can impede the teaching of culture in Poland. These are the peripheral position of Poland in the uniting Europe and the state of contemporary Polish society.

Peripheral position of Poland

When a model of central and peripheral position is employed and the problem of the European identity of Poles is considered, it can be identified that Poland has always occupied a peripheral position in Europe. Milosz (Gazeta Wyborcza 24-26 Dec., 1999:11) considers the image of Europe spreading up to the Urals as an abstraction. Poland belongs to the worse part and has always looked to the West (or centre) to draw on cultural patterns, styles and trends, which it then transforms and seals them with its own stamp. Therefore, the problem of identity is not only an educational issue but becomes a political one in the context of Poland facing European integration. Such considerations may justify the controversy connected with the notion of exclusion that will be dealt with later.

The state of Polish contemporary society

Grad (1999:99-101) when analysing contemporary Polish society documents the dominance of a new mass lifestyle. He notices that among other things there is a disappearance of cultural needs and there is a noticeable drive towards cultural consumption which results in a reluctance to participate in the high culture. Grad also refers to Darendorf (1990) who comments on these developments in the following way:

When totalitarian pressure gets weaker people rush to grab at the tabloids, hamburgers, dish-washing machines, shiny motorcycles, and holidays at the Costa Brava. If some of the solid values could be saved it would be a good idea, but it is difficult to say how it could be done. (my translation)

What is more, Polish consciousness is characterised by being present-orientated, meaning that Poles live in the 'culture of the present' (Tarkowska 1993 in Grad 1999). Galas (2000:34) claims that as a result of postmodernism, tradition has lost its intellectual authority. Distancing from one's own cultural heritage2 could also imply a lack of interest in C2 heritage in a language classroom.

Within this general perspective, it is appropriate in the teaching of culture to give a special attention to the considerations stated above. What follows from them is that the treatment of culture would require special recognition in Polish education. It has to be noted that at the same European conceptualisation of language teaching with references to culture is fairly advanced.

4. Openness (vs. exclusion)

Education can be seen as "fostering openness to others" (Zarate 1997:20) and the concept of openness to others is often used as a justification for learning foreign languages (standing in opposition to closure to others). The points on which the European ideology governing the formulation of an educational strategy is based are as follows:

· Genuine democracy is affirmed in identity-based terms according to the model or equality between the national cultures present in the European political area;

· European citizenship, an affirmation of political unity, is expressed in educational terms as the tolerant assertion of national differences3;

· For the European Union countries, the principle of subsidiarity entails "bringing the common cultural heritage to the fore" (Article 128 of the Maastricht Treaty); (Zarate 1997:20).

5. "Tertium comparationis"

It might be argued at this point that if Polish learners of a foreign language want to interact on equal terms with other people from Europe then they should be aware of not only their own heritage but also of the heritage of a target language community as well. With respect to the above, the concept of "tertium comparationis" i.e. "a common platform of reference" (Krzeszowski 1989, in Jakubowska 1999:37) may be introduced without the establishment of which it is not possible to conduct any comparisons. A common platform of reference can be tradition and cultural heritage4 as they are at the core of a country's national identity (cf. Zarate 1997:21) and a source of strength for an individual. Therefore, if Polish learners of English are to be able to mediate, reflect on and interpret attitudes, value systems and viewpoints of their own culture and those of the foreign culture then the cultural heritage of both C1 and C2 should be dealt with in a FL classroom. This entails however, adopting wider educational aims within the area of foreign language teaching.

There are several concepts that might be of importance when we want to tackle the above issues. These are the concepts of 'imagined community'5, collective identity, the cult of the past vs. the cult of the present, and the notion of exclusion.

Bauman (1990:177) uses the concept of 'imagined community'6 which refers to a nation as a mental reality. This very concept makes it easier to understand why history, tradition, heritage, and memory become an effective means of uniting millions of people. In fact, the past can offer a 'collective identification' to the members of a nation (Wright 1985 in Clarke 2000:75). This collective identity leads to recognising and celebrating a shared heritage7.

Why the past?

It might be useful to explore some of the issues concerning the manner in which the past can be approached.

Brodski (Gazeta Wyborcza No 22, 26 Jan. 2001) states that it is one of the vices of the contemporary world is that it focuses too much on the present and the future as if they were of great significance; whereas what really matters is the past with references to eternity. The true picture of the world is not prejudged by the visible present but by the invisible eternity and the past.

Maier (Gazeta Wyborcza No 128 2-3 June 2001) presents another perspective saying that it is important to acknowledge that for more or less thirty years there has been a growing interest in the past that he calls a 'memory boom'. Rather than being concerned with the future, as Western civilisation has been since the Enlightenment, societies spend their energy on understanding their history and their neglected memory. There has been a growing tendency for the "cult of the past", and heritage has become a part of modern consciousness (McCrone 1995:1-2). He maintains that "(h)eritage is a thoroughly modern concept. ... . (It) is a condition of the late twentieth century. ..." (ibid.).

What follows from this, concretely, is that emphasis needs to be placed on our own interpretation of the past and this implication should be aimed at in a language classroom. Students are supposed to see the developments presented above with regards to the past, i.e. either the cultivation of the present or the past, as they are essential to understanding post-modern societies.

Why might this knowledge be of importance? It should not be overlooked that in the context of a changing Europe Poles can be perceived as 'cultural others' (Konopacki 1999:121). Moreover, Geremek argues that there is a danger of a new European consensus of exclusion regarding future European states8. He stresses the fact that it is a role of education to fight with the exclusion of those who have been marginalised, either economically or culturally. In addition, education as such then stands in opposition to the most painful of exclusions, which is that of ignorance (1998:227-232). Hence, the concept of intercultural literacy will be introduced where C1"C2 cultural knowledge can be perceived as 'soft power'. Bredow (2001) defines this concept in the following way: "... power resources as culture, ideology, and institutions (...) can be called soft power".

6. Towards a pedagogy of intercultural literacy

The literature indicates that literacy means much more than just an ability to read and write9. Meek's explanation, referring to literacy, is very illuminating. She states that :

Being literate includes the degree to which we are, or want to be, 'in the know' about what is regarded as important. In the common sphere of our cultural and social life, certain kinds of knowing make a great deal of difference to people's lives. So, literacy becomes a means of access, a way of getting to know what counts. (my emphasis) (1991:52).

One of the problems that language educators have to face with reference to the above is to decide what in the complex technological world counts as important and consequently leads to literacy. Hirsch (1987:xvii) is very enlightening in this respect. Drawing on anthropology, he explains that effective communication requires a shared culture10, and that shared culture is a result of transmission of specific information to learners. In the context of secondary education in the US, he argues for the need for native speaker cultural competency, or as he terms it 'cultural literacy'. In order to arrive at it, he proposes condensing the body of US cultural knowledge into an index of cultural literacy. In EFL terms, within an intercultural approach, this would imply not only a lexicon of Welsh, Scottish, English, Irish (or in more general terms British) on the one hand and Polish culture on the other hand designed to enhance the intercultural competency of Polish students but also the knowledge of the C1"C2 cultural heritage. An important consequence of the matter drawn here is that intercultural literacy, as the phrase may be coined, becomes one of the key issues in language education.

Why intercultural literacy

In foreign language and culture acquisition the notion of intercultural literacy would mean that only by accumulating shared symbols in L2 and C2 and in L1 and C1 learners will be able to communicate effectively with members of a foreign language community. It is a basic premise of this paper that "to be culturally literate is to possess the basic information needed to thrive in the modern world" (Hirsch 1987:xiii) as 'being in the know' leads to empowerment. Consequently, cultural knowledge becomes 'soft power'.

If this argument is transformed into language classroom where an intercultural approach prevails it means that the concept of shared tradition within the teaching of culture has to be considered and, what is more, it entails that specific content of C2 has to be passed on students. It is expected that the content of C1 students are to acquire at the secondary level of education in other subjects like Polish, History, Geography and Culture classes.

Little is currently available in the way of teaching material in this area. References can be made to a set of materials entitled "British Studies Materials for English Teachers in Poland. A Cross-Cultural Approach". They are the result of a British Studies materials writing project co-ordinated by the British Council and were produced by a team of Polish teachers. There are four units that are devoted to cultural heritage.

To conclude, it has to be stressed that 'being in the know' with respect to C2 and C1 is not enough. It is worth noting here that a model for intercultural literacy is not that of domination but dialectic, i.e. of debate and argumentation, when students discover and test truths by discussion (Hirsch 1987:11). Consequently, it is a heuristic process of participation and contribution, of transformation and of being transformed. It leads to the discovery of 'self' (Meek 1991:234) and all the different mixtures and modes of meaning that surround people. As a result, intercultural literacy and dialogue help one to cope with the world.

Notes

1 Nation's cultural identity has several components, three of them of great significance, i.e. a historical, linguistic, and psychological. They are specified below:

1. History as such holds a nation together, and by doing so, assures its unity, making the nation resistant to attacks from the outside.

2. Language performs the same state-building function. It is also instrumental in perpetuation of culture.

3. Psychological constituent, the most debatable one, refers to the mental faculties of a nation and is connected with its worldview (Gajda 1999:190).

2 References can be made to Northern Ireland where the Department of Education required that all subjects of the New Common Curriculum should incorporate elements of a theme entitled 'cultural heritage' (Farren: 1991).

3 A didactic model to be produced for introducing the cultural component in language learning should avoid promotion of a given country's prominent national values and dissociate the cultural component from approaches which may result in nationalist excess.

4 Heritage seems to be a wider term than tradition as its definition incorporates the latter: "Something other than property passed down from preceding generations; legacy; tradition" whereas tradition has been defined as "The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation, especially by oral communication; or a mode of thought or behaviour followed by a people continuously from generation to generation; a cultural custom or usage; or a set of such customs and usages viewed as a coherent body of precedents influencing the present". (Heritage Illustrated Dictionary of the English Language 1973:617, 1360).

5 The conceptualisation of imagined communities makes it easier to understand that discourse communities are characterised not only by facts and figures, and artifacts but also by cultural imagination that is mediated through the language and reflects its cultural reality of history, tradition, heritage, and memory (cf. Kramsch 1998:8). Therefore, it seems that there should be little doubt whether heritage and tradition of C2 and respectively C1 are to be explored in a language classroom.

6 This notion also signals that the nation has to be imagined, and that refers both to its history and to its present. Various social and literary narratives, symbols and visual representations function "in the name of the people" and serve as sources of cultural identity (Knauer 2000:21).

7 Heritage is understood as something valuable and important which belongs to members of a community and becomes for them "a vital source of legitimacy" (McCrone 1995:7). Moreover, a conscious participation in cultural heritage gives a sense of belonging not only to national culture but European and Mediterranean ones (Kopalinski 1985:5).

8 Within this perspective Konopacki argues that from the very beginning European integration has been carried out in the spirit of 'great closure'. It has been directed against non-Europeans who as the Others found themselves on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Today, the concept of exclusion has its continuity in European citizenship that aims indirectly not towards exclusion but inclusion of the Other. Therefore, European enlargement, apart from overcoming economic and legal problems, should aspire towards a new vision of citizenship, the one that would work not against the Other but towards the Other in a form of a dialogue and responsibility towards the Other (1999:121-2).

9 The most significant aspect of literacy to consider is the one offered by Laib (1988:286) who suggests that literacy is the ability to shape and reshape language, and what is more it is a 'heightened form of a dialogue' and the means of transcending barriers. It embodies and transmits culture and is perceived as the end result of education. So it is a goal rather than a skill. His elucidation in particular lends further weight to the concept of cultural literacy.

10 It has already been suggested that one of the concepts of cultures defines it as the 'activities and ideas of people with shared traditions' (Collins Dictionary of the English Language). This notion of 'shared tradition' implies that there are common links within a group of people. Psychologists explain these associations by means of schema theory. "A schema is a mental model which our brain uses to codify actions, beliefs, memories and experiences in Long Term Memory" (Catterick 1999:21). Consequently, an absence of culturally relevant schemata may lead to feelings of social or cultural dissonance.

References

Arildsen, B., Faaborg, O., Flensted, R. 1991. Across Cultures. Cultural Management. Denmark: Systime.

Bauman, Z. 1990. Socjologia. Poznan: Zysk i S-ka Wydawnictwo s.c..

Bredow von, W. 2001. "Canada and Soft Power in International Relations", paper presented at 1st Canadian Studies Conference, Torun: Nicolas Copernicus University.

Catterick, D. 1999. "Towards a pedagogy of cultural literacy", IATEFL 1999 Edinburgh Conference Selections, pp. 21-22.

Clarke, A. 2000. "Past Tense: History, Heritage and Ideology". In: K. Knauer and S. Murry (eds.) Britishness and Cultural Studies. Continuity and Change in Narrating the Nation, pp. 70-82, Katowice: "Slask" Wydawnictwo Naukowe.

Farren, S. 1991. "Culture, Curriculum and Educational Policy in Northern Ireland", Language, Culture and Curriculum Vol. 4, No 1:43-57.

Gajda, J. 1999. "Zadania samorzadow w promowaniu i upowszechnianiu kultury spolecznosci lokalnej". In: J. Nikitorowicz and M. Sobecki (eds.), Edukacja miedzykulturowa w wymiarze instytucjonalnym, pp.187:203, Bialystok: Trans Humana.

Galas, M. 2000. Wartosci kultury w epoce wspolczesnej. Torun: Wydawnictwo Edukacyjne 'Akapit".

Geremek, B. 1998. "Spojnosc, solidarnosc i wykluczenie". In: Edukacja jest w niej ukryty skarb. Raport dla UNESCO Miedzynarodowej Komisji do spraw Edukacji dla XXI wieku, pp. 227-232, Warszawa: Stowarzyszenie Oswiatowcow Polskich Wydawnictwa UNESCO.

Grad, J., Kaczmarek, U. 1999. Organizacja i upowszechnianie kultury w Polsce. Zmiany modely. Poznan: Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM.

Hirsch, E. D. 1987. Cultural Literacy. What Every American Needs to Know. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Jakubowska, E. 1999. Cross-Cultural Dimensions of Politeness in the Case of Polish and English. Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Slaskiego.

Knauer, K. 2000. "Introduction: Culture and Nationality". In: K. Knauer and S. Murry (eds.) Britishness and Cultural Studies. Continuity and Change in Narrating the Nation, pp. 15-35, Katowice: "Slask" Wydawnictwo Naukowe.

Konopacki, S. 1999. "Obywatel w ponowoczesnej Europie", Kultura wspolczesna No 2 (20):114-122.

Kopalinski, W. 1985. Slownik mitow i tradycji kultury. Warszawa: Panstwowy Instytut Wydawniczy.

Laib, N. K. 1988. "Review of Language , Literacy, and Culture by Langner J. A.", Language Learning Vol. 38, No 2:279-287.

McCrone, D. 1995. Scotland the Brand: The Making of Scottish Heritage. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Meek, M. 1991. On Being Literate. London: The Bodley Head.

Pieterse, J. N. 1993. "Fictions of Europe". In: A. Gray and J. McGuigan (eds.) Studying Culture. An Introductory Reader, pp. 225-231. London: Arnold.

Wout de J. 1996. Open Frontiers. Teaching English in an intercultural context. Oxford: Heinemann.

Zarate, G. 1997. "Cultural issues in a changing Europe", Extracts from five compendia, Council of Europe, Strasbourg: 19-24.

by Andrew Kelsey

In the heart of Europe changes are afoot that will have profound effects on the way the world communicates in the 21^st century. For years the Scandinavians have been aware that so few people spoke their languages that it was useless to resist the onslaught of English, indeed it was far more sensible to embrace the language and bring up generations of children who were all but bilingual. With the new reality of the European Union, the single currency, and globalisation on a scale never seen before, the major countries of Europe are also waking up to the fact that it is far easier to have everybody speaking one language as well. English is being taught and studied at an earlier and earlier age and at unprecedented levels throughout the population. Where once only expensive private schools in fiercely nationalistic, multilingual, multicultural Switzerland, taught English, there are now plans to teach English as the first foreign language in the public schools there, despite the presence of three other national languages. There is strong opposition to this tendency, and not without good reason. Even the strongest proponents of the changes envisioned cannot deny that there are serious consequences for the existing culture and, above all, for the existing languages in the other European nations. One has only to examine the results of immigration to the States or, for example of the Japanese to Brazil, to find the potential risks. The first generation immigrants speak Japanese perfectly and Portuguese very badly. The second generation speak Portuguese well and Japanese badly. The third generation speak Portuguese perfectly and Japanese hardly at all. By the time the fourth generation has emerged they have little interest in the language of their forebears and only an academic interest in their culture. This is true of almost any immigrant community, wherever we look around the world. Notable exceptions to the rule might be the Amish community in America and other small religious sects of little global importance.

But can this transfer effect be seen in non-immigrant communities such as the Swedish English speakers who have remained in Sweden? Perhaps not yet, but the potential certainly exists. Once all the children can speak English almost as well as Swedish and, as adults, have to use the language on a daily basis for work, where virtually all international communication now takes place in English, how long can it be before they will see the Swedish language, and even the culture, as an irrelevance to their lives. Far more important that young Sven can get a good job in a multinational than that he can quote Kirkergaard or regale his grandchildren with tales of Viking victories, as his grandfather might have done.

The French have long been famous for their implacable resistance to any changes whatsoever to their beloved language. The Academie Française protects and nourishes the language in a way that is unequalled elsewhere around the globe. Despite this fierce, government sponsored protection, or perhaps because of it, the language has ceased to be a valid international option. Even the French themselves, not well known for their love of English, resist attempts to force them to use words such as ‘ordinateur’ for computer. French multinationals, such as Alcatel have adopted English as their internal language, as have German giants like DaimlerChrysler.

Of course Europe is ahead of the rest of the world in making these sweeping changes. The relative wealth of the countries involved, along with high levels of general education and the pressing requirements of European Union have seen to that. Brazil, in the heart of Spanish speaking South America, is under some pressure to give priority to Spanish, while Chileans, Argentineans, Paraguayans, Venezuelans and Uruguayans are all busily studying English. Brazil would be well advised to concentrate on the same, as indeed it has, for many years. Why give an unfair advantage to an Argentinean in negotiations when both executives can already speak English and converse on equal terms in their second language. There is little sign of enthusiasm among the Spanish speaking South Americans to learn Portuguese, although Brazil is, by far, the most important nation in this part of the world. The story is much the same whichever part of the globe you might choose to examine. Although it may take some time for all two billion Chinese to speak English well, those who are connected to the rest of the world by business ties and through the Internet, already do so. How else could they expect to move from a communist system to a democratic capitalist system within just a few generations?

As a native English speaker, with nothing to lose, it is easy for me to say that this exchange will be beneficial overall. Whether those nations with thousands of years of tradition and history recorded in their national languages will think the same is a matter for them. Certainly the trend is so strong that it is possible to imagine, for example, a Brazil where only a few scholars in the future will be able to understand the songs of Chico Buarque or the literature of Jorge Amado. Every now and then a watershed is reached in history, where irresistible forces lead to irrevocable change. I believe we are reaching one such watershed now, and the best efforts of the Academie Française, and the like, will later be seen as about as significant as the best efforts of King Canute. I, for one, am all in favour of this and firmly believe it will greatly benefit the world as a whole to have clear communication between all of its nations on an equal basis. The hard reality is, should Switzerland, or any other nation, choose to resist this trend, it will become a little Disney World of the future: perhaps quite cute, with its cuckoo clocks and all, but of little relevance to the outside world.

Note from the Editor: Andrew Kelsey is a Londoner who married a ‘Paulistana’ in 1981. He has been living in São Paulo, Brazil since 1995 and currently works for the Gazeta Mercantil newspaper, as a translator, as well as teaching English and translating on a freelance basis. Email: andrewkelsey@hotmail.com The article is reprinted from ‘New Routes’, DISAL,  #19, 2003,40-1.

News and Views

Die 34. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Angewandte Linguistik (GAL) e.V. findet vom 25.-29. September 2003 an der Universität Tübingen statt. Die Tagung steht unter dem Rahmenthema „Sprache(n) in der Wissensgesellschaft”. Das Thema wird in sechs Themenbereichen bearbeitet:

I.      Mediendiskurse als Bausteine gessellschaftlicher Wissenskonstitution

II.    Mehrsprachigkeit  in der Wissensgesellschaft

III.   Qualität der fachsprachhhhlichen Kommunikation

IV.   Übersetzen und Dolmetschen: Multikultureller Wissenstransfer in Texten

V.    Wissensmanagement als kommunikativer Prozess

VI.   Zwesprachigkeit (DaZ) als Schlüsselqualifikation für die globale Wissensgesellschaft

Weiterhin werden zu folgenden Bereichen Sektionen angeboten: Phonetik, Lexik und Grammatik, Textlinguistik und Stilistik, Gesprächslinguistik,  Medienkommunikation, Fachsprachliche Kommunikation, Soziolinguistik, Kontaktlinguistik, Kontrastive Lingustik und Interkulturelle Kommunikation, Übersetzungs- und Dolmetschwissenschaft, Psycholinguistik, Klinische Linguistik, Sprachdidaktik, Lernen und Lehren mit neuen Medien, Computer-linguistik.

      Daneben werden noch Arbeitskreise, Hauptvorträge und Fachausstellungen durchgeführt.

Informationen: Prof. Dr  Kurt Kohn, Universität Tübingen, Angewandte Linguistik des Englischen, Wilhelmstr. 50, 72074 , Tübingen Tel.: 0707/297-2377

kurt.kohn@uni-tuebingen.de ; www.gal-ev.de

ECML

The European Centre for Modern Languages seeks proposals from language experts, trainers, teachers and researchers who wish to engage in projects or sets of activities within the framework of its next medium-term programme.

http://www.ecml.at/interactive/2MTP_forum.asp

Experts planning to submit proposals for activities are asked to take some time to familiarise themselves with the content of the documentation and the procedure for submitting proposals outlined in the Call for Proposals.

Experts are also encouraged to use the forum to exchange information and ideas, to look for project partners and team members.

The deadline for submission of proposals will be the 30 June 2003. The Call for Proposals contains information on the:

-          Mission of the ECML and its framework of activities

-          Orientation of projects and activities for the period 2004 to 2007

-          Framework of project work offered by the ECML

-          Submission of proposals (timeline, selection procedure, selection criteria)

***

CELV

Les experts qui ont l'intention de soumettre une proposition sont invités à prendre le temps de se familiariser avec le contenu de la documentation et la procédure de soumission dans l’appel à propositions.

Les experts sont également encouragés à se servir du forum pour échanger des informations et des idées, chercher des partenaires ou membres d'équipe pour leurs projets. La date limite de soumission de propositions et le 30 juin 2003. L’appel à propositions contient des informations relatives à :

-          La mission du CELV et son cadre d’activités

-          L’orientation des projets et activités pour la période 2004 à 2007

-          Le cadre de travail par projets offert par le CELV

-          La soumission de propositions (calendrier, procédure de sélection, critères de sélection)

Les Dossiers d'aide du CELV ont pour but d'offrir des informations complètes sur tous les aspects clés du fonctionnement du Centre européen pour les langues vivantes. Ils sont principalement dédieés aux personnes souhaitant soumettre des propositions pour le 2e programme à moyen terme.

SLE 2003

Madame,  Monsieur

Nous avons le plaisir de vous annoncer que la 36ième rencontre de la Societas Linguistica Europaea dont le thème est Linguistique et corpus : types de données et comparaison des langues aura lieu à l'Ecole Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines Lyon, France, du 4 au 7 septembre 2003.

Vous trouverez sur le site web du colloque l' appel à communication en français, anglais, allemand et espagnol: http://www.ens-lsh.fr/sle2003/ .Nous restons à votre écoute pour toute information complémentaire que vous pourriez souhaiter.

Cordiales salutations
Afifa Zenati                  

***

Dear Madam , Dear Sir

We are pleased to announce the 36th International Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea on "Linguistics and data : types of data and language comparison" to be held at the Ecole Normale Supérieure Lettres & Sciences Humaines, Lyon, France on September 4-7 2003.

Please find on our website the call for papers in French, English, German and Spanish : http://www.ens-lsh.fr/sle2003/

Yours Sincerely

Afifa Zenati

Ecole Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines
Colloques et manifestations scientifiques
15, parvis René-Descartes
BP 7000 - 69342 Lyon cedex 07
Tél : 33 4 37 37 60 86, Fax: 33 4 37 37 60 28; http://www.ens-lsh.fr/

SPECOM

27-29 October 2003, Moscow, Russia

The International workshop “Speech and Computer” – SPECOM-2003 is aimed to discuss the most important topics and more perspective applied areas of man-computer interaction by speech and language.

TOPICS to be covered include, but are not limited to:

-          modern speech communication technologies;

-          multilingual, multimodal and multimedial dialogue systems;

-          automatic speech recognition and understanding;

-          automatic speech translation systems;

-          computer-mediated language learning;

-          speech discourse analysis and modelling;

-          forensic phonetics, identification and verification systems;

-          TTS-systems;

-          signal processing;

-          speech and paralinguistics;

-          speech signal databasis;

-          text corpora, computational lexicography;

-          speech intercultural virtual communication;

-          media linguistics.

SPECOM’2003 will be held in the Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU): Moscow, Ostozhenka, 38.

LANGUAGE: English is the official language of the workshop.

SUBMISSION OF PAPERS: SPECOM’2003 will welcome all contributions related to the areas mentioned above. An abstract not exceeding 300 words should be submitted to the Organizing Committee (potapova@linguanet.ru).

INFORMATION: Rodmonga Potapova, 2003 International Workshop SPEECH and COMPUTER (SPECOM-2003), Moscow State Linguistic University, Ostozenca, 38, 119992, Moscow, Russia . tel. (095)201-56-97, (095)246-28-07;  fax (095)246-28-07; e-mail: mailto:specom2001@linguanet.ru , potapova@linguanet.ru

Multilingual Matters

Multilingual Matters is delighted to announce the launch of: the International Journal of Multilingualism (IJM), edited by Jasone Cenoz (University of the Basque Country) and Ulrike Jessner (University of Innsbruck)
http://www.multilingual-matters.com/; email: info@multilingual-matters.com

The Journal provides a forum wherein academics, researchers and practitioners may read and publish high-quality, original and state-of-the-art papers describing theoretical and empirical aspects that can contribute to advance our understanding of multilingualism.

The aim of the journal is to foster, present and spread research focused on psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic and educational aspects of multilingual acquisition and multilingualism. The journal is interdisciplinary and seeks to go beyond bilingualism and second language acquisition by developing the understanding of the specific characteristics of acquiring, processing and using more than two languages.

Topics of interest to IJM include, but are not limited to the following: early trilingualism, multilingual competence, foreign language learning within bilingual education, multilingual literacy, multilingual identity, metalinguistic awareness in multilinguals, multilingual representations in the mind or language use in multilingual communities.

The editors encourage the submission of high quality papers on these areas and other relevant topics. Reviews of important, up-to-date, relevant publications and proposals for special issues on relevant topics are also welcome. IJM is a peer-reviewed journal published twice a year.

For further information on submitting a paper or how to subscribe contact the publisher: info@multilingual-matters.com or visit our website http://www.multilingual-matters.com/. Alternatively, why not join our free email alert which will give full details of the contents of forthcoming issues and links to their abstracts. Simply send an email to news@multilingual-matters.com stating "subscribe language". If you also include your mailing address you will be added to our database to be kept up-to-date with our latest titles.

ANILS

CALL FOR PAPERS

 ANILS in conjunction with WER-FIPLV are organising an international conference in Rome in  6-8 November 2003 on the theme New Ways of Language Teaching and Learning in Europe.  If you are interested in participating, please contact  mailto:luigia.capasso@tin.it

LangTech 2003,

The European Forum for Language Technology (LangTech) is a dedicated international forum for people and organisations involved in the development, deployment and exploitation of spoken and written language technologies. After its first edition held in Berlin, Germany, in September 2002, which has proved to be a successful and fruitful event, next LangTech will be organised in Paris, France, in  Méridien Montparnasse Hotel, Paris, France in 24-25 November 2003.

Information: http://www.lang-tech.org/ or mailto:langtech2003@elda.fr

EUROCALL

EUROCALL has now been registered with a new domain name which, it is hoped,  will not be too confusable with other organisations! So, please DELETE any links  to www.eurocall.org and replace them with http://www.eurocall-languages.org/.  

Elearning Conference

Elearning Conference welcomes people from the commercial and educational  sector involved in E-Learning, Distance Learning, Training, HR, IT Training, Localisation, ICT or Knowledge Management, to this world first international event. China represents the biggest target market for these sectors ever and is still largely untapped.

Entering the Chinese market place is a complex move. This conference provides a forum on exchange of market information not only on product and service requirements, but on specialist market entrance requirements. If you are working in any of these sectors you should seriously consider entering this event in your diary. The conference will be patronised by professionals from, China, the USA, Europe and Australia and represents the largest collective gathering of these specialists centred around the Chinese market ever!

Go to the website for more information: www.elearning-conference.com

Books and Journals

Acta Universitatis Nicolai Copernici. English Studies. XII. 2003

ETAI Forum. Newsletter of English Teachers’ Association of Israel. Vol. XIV No. 2 Spring 2003

Forum. English Teaching. Vol. 40/1, October 2002.

Global Issues in Language Education.  Newsletter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching. Issue 48, November  2002 & 49 February 2003.

Innovación Educativa. Servicio de Publicacións da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 13, 2003.

Les langues modernes. Bulletin de l’Association des professeurs de langues vivantes (a.p.l.v.), nu. 4, octobre – novembre – decembre, 2002.

Le polyglotte. Les langues modernes supplément. (a.p.l.v.), nu. 51, janvier, 2003.

LMS Lingua. Riksföreningen fór Lärarna i Moderna Språk. Nr 1, 2003.

Neofilolog. Czasopismo Polskigo Towarzystwa neofilologicznego. Nr 22, 2003.

Neusprachliche Mitteilungen aus Wissenschaft und Praxis, Herausgegeben vom Fachverband Moderne Fremdsprachen im Pädagogischen Zeitschriftenverlag (FMF), H. 1,  2003.

New Routes. DISAL S.A. Distribuidores Associados de Livros, São Paulo. 19, January, 2003.

Scripta Neophilologica Posnaniensia. Wydział Neofilologii UAM, Poznań, t. IV, 2002.

Tempus, Newsletter of the Federation of Foreign Language Teachers in Finland SUKOL, No. 2-3, 2003.

TESOL Matters. Vol. 13  No. 2, March/April/May 2003.

From the Editor

In the year celebrating integration the poem Don’t assume by Elana Cheshin diserves special attention. Denis Cunningham, in his Note From The President,  invites language teachers to Auckland Park, Johannesburg, (South Africa) for our 21st Congress. FIPLV News  provides information on the 4^th CER-FIPLV conference which took place in Prague. Our Congress Calendar has been updated. The Member Associations, as well as the institutions co-operating with us, discuss about their recent and future activities and projects  (News and Views). In Forum on Controversial Issues, two articles presenting different views on the role of language(s) learning are reprinted from language teachers’ publications (Towards an intercultural literacy...; One world, one language). A list of journals issued by and for language teachers, sent to the Editor’s address, is published in Books and Journals: Publications Received.

Teresa Siek-Piskozub,

Editor of Publications-FIPLV

Notes for Contributors

Contributions, announcements and letters should be sent to the Editor’s address, by post or e-mail. Advertisements should be sent to Dieter Herold (see back cover). Short contributions (up to 250 words), such as letters and announcements, can be type-written. Longer contributions should be accompanied by a PC-readable disc, with the article both in the original WP format (e.g. WordPerfect, AmiPro, Word for Windows) and in ASCII form (i.e. a .TXT file). Please provide a brief bio-statement with the office address. Contributions and discs are non-returnable. The Editor reserves the right to make editorial changes in any manuscript. The author will be consulted if substantial changes are envisaged.

See you at the 21^st FIPLV World Congress

 in Johannesburg !

21^st FIPLV World Congress (with SAALT)

2–6 July 2003

RAU, Auckland Park, South Africa

http://general.rau.ac.za/fiplv