Cultural bridges

What should be the goals of a culture class or a cultural component?
There are a number of goals that we may set for culture learning in the language teaching.

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  At the most basic level, that goal may be to make students more aware about target language cultural patterns and how they differ with or are similar to their own.
  
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  At a deeper level that goal may be to help students learn the reasons for those practices; that is, to understand why people do what they do. This requires some knowledge of a people’s history, traditions, geography and climate.
  
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  For those students who may be going to live, work or study with target language people, the goal may be to also develop the skills to interact appropriately with them in a variety of contexts. This involves much more detailed attention to social roles, non-verbal communication and speech acts. Observing the media, interviewing people or other activities as these are intended to help students move from awareness and understanding to being able to predict or avoid problems and to resolve them effectively. The language classroom is the only ‘safe’ place where students can express their frustration and ask cross-cultural questions without hesitation.
  

Unit 1 Culture shock
Discussion
Work in pairs and discuss the following questions with your partner.
What is culture shock?
Why should we improve students’ awareness of culture shock?
Have you been to a foreign country? If yes, how did you feel yourself there?
Have you ever felt confused by the actions of someone from another culture? If so, tell what happened at that time.
What is reverse, or re-entry, culture shock?

 Read the text 

What is Culture Shock, and What Can I do to Avoid it?
Adapted from Wikipedia
Culture shock is an experience a person may have when one moves to a cultural environment which is different from one's own; it is also the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new country, a move between social environments, or simply transition to another type of life. One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign social environment. Culture shock can be described as consisting of at least one of four distinct phases: honeymoon, negotiation, adjustment, and adaptation.