9.Evidence of hostility to a theory of cross-cultural communication in English Language Teaching

Abstract

The desire for effective cross-cultural communication motivates second and foreign language learning. Theories that relate to communication across cultures, a central concern of both teachers and students, must be expected to play an important part in language teaching research and methodology. It is suggested here, however, that professionals and researchers in the field have been, and continue to be, slow to acknowledge this. Evidence is presented here of traditional resistance to any theory that impinges on communication between cultures, whether this theory arises from the fields of sociocultural second language acquisition theory, cultural psychology, cross-cultural psychology, cross-cultural or intercultural communication. It is assumed here that language is the most salient element of culture. In this regard, evidence is presented to challenge the widespread and unsubstantiated view that use of student language (L1) in English language teaching necessarily reduces second language (L2) output, an example of kneejerk hostility to a culture-based understanding of local reality. It is shown that SLA doctrine -- minimizing L1 use delivers maximal L2 output -- is severely flawed. The findings show that, when students are given only L2 support, the written output of L2 was statistically significantly less than for students who were given full L1 support.