Encounters with National Stereotypes in Foreign Language Teaching: Adjectives Describing Americans

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4312/elope.12.1.105-118

Keywords:

national stereotypes, teaching culture, curriculum, intercultural communication

Abstract

Teaching (or learning) a foreign language is a complex, interdisciplinary undertaking. Teachers and students are required to tackle aspects of language that transcend its merely linguistic component. This article discusses the relationship between language, thought and culture, and explores some aspects of the integration of cultural content in the English classroom. To achieve these goals, a study is conducted that identifies the main stereotypes about Americans among Slovenian university students of English as a foreign language. The results of the research can be used as a means of questioning some frequent stereotypes about Americans, and thus contributing to the fulfilment of (sometimes seemingly abstract) curricular aims that emphasize the significance of intercultural communication, awareness of cultural variety, and intercultural sensitivity.

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ELOPE Vol. 12, No. 1: Cultural Encounters with the English-Speaking World

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Published

22.06.2015

How to Cite

Stopar, A. (2015). Encounters with National Stereotypes in Foreign Language Teaching: Adjectives Describing Americans. ELOPE: English Language Overseas Perspectives and Enquiries, 12(1), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.4312/elope.12.1.105-118

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2015): Cultural Encounters with the English-Speaking World

Section

Intercultural Landscapes

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