Building connections to culture: A student-centered approach

This paper provides a model for becoming more student-centered when addressing cultural materials in the classroom. The model is comprised of three phases: (1) an information-gathering phase; (2) a target-language communication phase, and (3) a phase in which cultural values are discussed. Phases (1) and (2) shift the task of gathering and presenting cultural materials from the teacher to the student, leaving the teacher free to act as facilitator. The teacher's expertise is also required to guide students as they subsequently reflect on the values of the culture they are studying.This student-centered focus on culture helps students to strengthen their research skills, allows them practice in communicating in the target language, and builds greater understanding of the values inherent in foreign cultures.