This document discusses strategies for incorporating cultural awareness and diversity into adult English language classrooms. It provides examples of transforming course book topics like food, eating habits, travel guides, business customs, natural disasters, and heroes into culturally-linked lessons. For each topic, it outlines steps to select authentic materials, design meaningful tasks, and provide scaffolding for students. The goal is to help students make natural connections between English lessons and real-world cultures in a way that enhances their learning experience.

2. Cultural awareness and diversity
in the adult classroom
Vicky Saumell
Cusco, Peru
October 26th, 2012

3. Contents
1. What`s culture?
2. 4. Transforming course book topic into CLIL opportunities
– Procedure
– Examples
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4. What`s culture?
“The set of shared
attitudes, values, goals, and
practices that characterizes an
institution, organization, or
group” Retrieved from Wikipedia
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/2784104897_054121d4d5_o.gif
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5. The twelve aspects of culture for grouping information
when studying countries are:
1. Food 7. Religion
2. Clothing 8. Transportation
3. Recreation 9. Economy
4. Government 10.Environment
5. Education 11.Culture
6. Language 12. Arts
All images courtesy of ELTpics
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_12_aspects_of_culture#ixzz1gMtBkM36
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6. Giving topics from course books a cultural focus
Step 1 Select a topic from the course book you are 1. Food
using. You can use the aspects of culture as a guide 2. Clothing
3. Recreation
Step 2 Find a natural link between the material in the
4. Government
course book and real life
5. Education
6. Language
Step 3 Find authentic material that supports your
7. Religion
choice and ideas
8. Transportation
9. Economy
Step 4 Design a meaningful task to be done with the
10.Environment
authentic material found.
11.Culture
12. Arts
Step 5 Provide necessary scaffolding during task
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7. Food around the world
Step 2
• What people eat
around the world
• Healthy and unhealthy
food and habits
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8. Food around the world
Step 3
What the world eats, photo essay
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Around the world
in 80 dishes
Link
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9. Step 4
Design a meaningful task to be done with the authentic material found.
Suggestions
Food around the world:
Ask students to choose one of the
pictures in the photo essay and do
oral presentations where they can
name the food they see, analyse
healthy and unhealthy
choices, compare with own typical
diet.
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10. Eating habits Step 2
• Eating habits around
the world
Step 1 • Healthy and unhealthy
food and habits
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11. Eating habits
Step 3
Link
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12. Eating habits
Step 3
Link
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13. Step 4
Design a meaningful task to be done with the authentic material found.
Suggestions
Eating habits:
Ask students to choose a
country and make posters
comparing their eating habits
with their own, regarding the
ingredients, meals, times, etc.
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14. Travel Guides
Step 1
Step 2
• Travel guides
or brochures
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15. Travel Guides
Step 3
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16. Step 4
Design a meaningful task to be done with the authentic material found.
Suggestions
Travel Guides:
Ask students to choose a
country or their own country
(in multicultural settings) and
design a travel brochure
with the main sights and
landmarks
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17. Business Travel
Step 1
Step 2
• Social customs
around the world
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18. Business Travel
Step 3
Business etiquette
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
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19. Step 4
Design a meaningful task to be done with the authentic material found.
Suggestions
Business Travel:
Ask students to choose a
country and role play
situations in which they
would have to act differently
than in their own culture.
Image source: http://s3.frank.itlab.us/photo-essays/small/sep_25_2358_greeting.jpg
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20. Natural disasters
Step 1
Step 2
• News
coverage
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21. Natural disasters
Step 3
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22. Natural disasters
Step 3
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23. Step 4
Design a meaningful task to be done with the authentic material found.
Suggestions
Natural Disasters:
• How are different
countries covering the
same event?
• Ask students to analyze
short-term and long-term
coverage.
http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/japan-quake-causes-long-lasting-stress-in-dogs
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24. Heroes
Step 1
Step 2
• Heroes
around the world
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25. Heroes
Step 3
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26. Step 4
Design a meaningful task to be done with the authentic material found.
Suggestions
Heroes:
• Discuss qualities of
heroes. Are they different
according to different
countries/cultures?
• Do a survey. What kind of
heroes do different
culture respect the most?
http://www.inquisitr.com/309610/we-can-be-heroes-the-qualities-of-real-life-heroes-study/
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27. Step 5
Provide necessary scaffolding during task
Suggestions
• Pre-teach necessary vocabulary through pictures, mindmaps, etc.
• Monitor students` work and provide language/grammar support as
needed, either individually or for the whole class.
• Organise rehearsals for oral presentations and role plays.
• Suggest ways/strategies to optimise learning and organisation.
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28. Thank you
My contact details
E-mail: saumell.vicky@gmail.com
Website: http://vickysaumell.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @vickysaumell