This document discusses several sociocultural factors that influence language acquisition, including culture, attitudes, social distance, and individualism vs. collectivism. It notes that culture consists of integrated patterns of ideas, customs, and behaviors that meet biological and psychological needs. Stereotypes form from our cultural environment, and having an open mind helps understand cultural differences. Attitudes develop in childhood from parents and peers and impact language success. Second culture acquisition involves stages like excitement, culture shock, and recovery. Social distance refers to differences between cultures, and parameters include dominance, integration, and value systems. The best language learning combines study of a second language and culture in the target language's environment.

1. Sociocultural
Factors
Educational material created by Mitzy Glenn A & Ma. Fernanda González R. for ULATINA
Centro Interamericano de Postgrados. MEI-1202 Principles of Language Acquisition 2013

2. Culture
 Ideas, customs, skills, arts and tools.
 Group of people- given period of
time.
 Integrated patterns.
 Biological and psychological
needs.
 Cognitive and affective behavior:
personal and social existence.
 Perception: subjective

3. From Stereotypes to
Generalizations
 How do stereotypes form?
Our cultural milieu shapes our world view.
 Open- minded vs. Closed –minded.
 The key= to understand cultural differences.

4. Attitudes
 Develop in early childhood.
 Result of parents’ and peers’ attitudes.
 Relationship between attitudes and language
success.
Awareness
Exposure
Valuing
Understanding

5. Second Culture Acquisition
• Acculturation: second identity
• Culture shock: irritability
& psychological panic.
Stages of culture acquisition
1.Stage 1: excitement.
2.Stage 2: culture shock.
3.Stage 3: tentative recovery.
4.Stage 4: full recovery.

6. Social Distance
Dissimilarity between two cultures.
Parameters of Social Distance:
1. Dominance: politically, culturally,
economically, technically, etc.
2. Integration: assimilation, acculturation,
preservation.
3. Cohesiveness

7. Parameters of Social
Distance
4. Congruence: value and belief systems,
attitudes.
5. Permanence: intended length of
residence in the target language.

8. Culture in the Classroom
Teacher: needs to be sensitive by using
techniques that promote cultural
understanding
Best model of the combination
 2nd language 2nd culture learning
Students who learn a 2nd language in a
country where the language is spoken
natively.

9. Conceptual Categories
1. Individualism
2. Power Distance
3. Uncertainty Avoidance
4. Masculinity

10. Language Policy and Politics
Language Society
Politics

11. Collectivist vs. Individualist Societies
Collectivist Societies Individualist Societies
The young should learn, Permanent learning.
adults cannot accept student
role.
Students expect to learn how Students expect to learn how
to do. to learn.
Students will only speak in Individuals will only speak in
individual groups. large groups.
Education is a way of gaining Education is a way to
prestige in one’s social improving one’s economic
environment. worth and self respect.
Teachers are expected to Teachers are expected to be
give preferential treatment to strictly impartial.
some students.

12. World Englishes
• Nativization.
• ESL and EFL.
-Immigrant communities in a large
city.
-English based on media TV
internet, motion picture industry,
etc.

13. World Englishes
According to Nayar (1997:22)
“ seems to have created a world
view that being a native speaker of
English will somehow bestow on
people not only unquestionable
competence in the use of teaching of
the language but also expertise in
telling others how English ought to be
taught”

14. Language, Thought
and Culture
• Cognitive development and linguistic
development go hand in hand.
• Words shape our lives.
• Verbal labels can shape the way we
store events for later recall.

15. Language, Thought
and Culture
• Conversational discourse styles, lexical
items, the passive voice, the tense
system, etc may affect thoughts.
• As teachers we should respect for the
languages and cultures of our
students.

16. As teachers...
• Look for intrinsic motivation.
• Promote self confidence as an
important way to success.
• Successful learners make strategic
investment in their learning.
• Language and culture are tangled
• Take a few calculated risks in the
classroom.

17. “The interaction between your
approach and your classroom
practice is the key to dynamic
teaching”

18. “Thank you”