Comment on "Impact of college English education thoughts on enhancing national cultural identity"[1]

Yanyu Tan[2]

Commented article: LIANG, T. Impact of College English Education Thoughts on Enhancing National Cultural Identity. Trans/Form/Ação: Unesp journal of philosophy, v. 47, n. 4, e0240065, 2024. Available at: https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/14624.

One of the important research areas is an extensive study of how English language education can serve as a tool for nurturing cultural identity especially among the Chinese students. Liang (2024) systematically addresses the roles of institutions, teachers, and students, providing a multifaceted approach to integrating cultural education within the framework of English language teaching. However, they need further criticism and elucidation to provide a more profound insight and improved practical use.

The upgrading of the colleges and universities demands the cross-cultural environment for the growth of the students' cultural self-identity as well as the traditional Chinese culture, in addition to the foreign language lessons. This is a good strategy because it wants to support the balanced accomplishment of learning international languages together with the support for the cultures of the specified local societies. However, one can further maximize the given approach towards the elaboration of the peculiarities at improving the identified approach more concerning the identification of the problems associated with the integration in question.

For instance, Dafouz (2018) discusses the ideological forces and imagined identities at play in English-medium instruction (EMI) programs. Dafouz highlights the complexities and potential conflicts that arise when promoting local culture within an EMI framework, suggesting that the mere addition of cultural courses may not be sufficient. The ideological underpinnings and potential resistance from stakeholders who prioritize the instrumental aspects of language learning over cultural education need to be addressed. This perspective can provide a more nuanced understanding of the institutional challenges and strategies required for effective implementation.

Additionally, the concept of "cultural sustainability" (Mason, 2020) could be introduced to emphasize the long-term benefits of integrating cultural education into language learning. Cultural sustainability advocates for the preservation of cultural diversity and heritage through education, ensuring that students develop a deep appreciation and understanding of their own culture while engaging with global languages.

The teachers play a crucial role in balancing the dissemination of foreign and native cultures is well-founded. Teachers' attitudes and teaching methods significantly influence students' cultural perceptions and identities. However, a more effective approach can be proposed that could delve deeper into practical strategies for teachers to achieve this balance effectively. The suggestion for teachers to optimize their teaching methods and incorporate traditional Chinese culture into their classrooms is valuable. For instance, project-based learning, where students engage in cultural exploration and presentation projects, can be an effective way to integrate cultural education into language learning. Furthermore, professional development programs focused on intercultural competence for teachers could equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to facilitate this integration effectively.

Some insights could be used from the concept of "intercultural communicative competence" by in order to expound on the desired objectives of the cultural learning in the teaching of a foreign language. This concept is referred to as intercultural communication competence, which is contrary to mere awareness that entails interaction with other cultures but takes it to another level where people are able to treat other cultures with dignity. Introducing this concept would help broaden the conceptualization of teachers' work and contribute to better defining their tasks in relation to students' cultural identity formation.

The idea or concept of the "cultural hybridity" (Bhabha, 2012) can be further used to illustrate the growth of identity in this so-called well-connected world. The cultural identity is not at all static in nature on the contrary its quite dynamic due to the interaction of the people from diverse cultural backgrounds as per the concept of Cultural hybridity. This concept has totally transformed the perspective that students incorporate and manage various cultural influences at the same time underlining the changing as well as adaptable nature of cultural identity. Due to their exposure to diverse cultures and customs, the students as well as individuals are having a mixed identity which is being reflected in their nature. This mixed identity allows the students as well as individuals to possess a sense of flexibility as well as ambiguity permitting them to develop into mature individuals as per the Bhabha's theory. The prominence of context as well as ongoing expression of cultures and their significance are promoted by the concept of cultural hybridity, which ultimately improves the student's viewpoint about other cultures.

English teaching had played a significant role especially in the context of national philosophy and culture in order to develop the students understanding of the international view as well as diverse cultures. This is perfectly in tandem with the current structural changes in Chinese education system and the vision of strengthening the nation's cultural savvy in the world. However, the stated approaches might be strengthened by paying more attention to the latent conflicts embedded in this kind of strategy.

For example, Haidar and Fan (2019) give the studies on the role of English as a medium of education and as a symbol of globalization in Pakistan and China respectively while focusing on the relations between nationalism, globalization and the use of English language. They assert that the encouragement of English may reduce the importance of local languages and cultures which results in a kind of cultural invasion. Though such concerns are part of this cultural imperialism problem, they may be resolved if the strategies of avoiding the issues of cultural imperialism promotion while giving people balanced and multiculturalification education by teaching English can be discussed. Furthermore, "Cultural Intelligence", the skill to understand and function proficiently in diverse cultures, helps students improving their capability to adapt and succeed in a globalized society and preserving their own cultural heritage (Earley; Ang, 2003).

There are also suggestions for further research in this field: Firstly, a more comparative as well as wider outlook can be developed by simply integrating a number of researcher's perspective hailing from the similar research background but in diverse settings. Secondly, a very useful reference for teachers can be developed by presenting real-life scenarios and specific instances of successfully integrating cultural education into language instruction. Thirdly, a more comprehensive background for novel research can be developed by broadening the theoretical framework to encompass ideas like intercultural communication proficiency, cultural fusion, cultural sustainability and cultural savvy. And finally, an impartial as well as an analytical perspective can be very useful in terms of recognizing and dealing with possible inconsistencies as well as conflicts such as the danger of imposing one's culture on others.

References

BHABHA, H. K. The location of culture. UK: Routledge, 2012.

DAFOUZ, E. English-medium instruction and teacher education programmes in higher education: Ideological forces and imagined identities at work. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, v. 21, n. 5, p. 540-552, 2018.

EARLEY, P. C.; SOON, A. Cultural intelligence: Individual interactions across cultures. USA: Stanford University Press, 2003.

HAIDAR, S.; FANG, F. English language in education and globalization: A comparative analysis of the role of English in Pakistan and China. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, v. 39, n. 2, p. 165-176, 2019.

LIANG, T. Impact of College English Education Thoughts on Enhancing National Cultural Identity. Trans/Form/Ação: Unesp journal of philosophy, v. 47, n. 4, e0240065, 2024. Available at: https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/14624.

MASON, M. A.; TURNER, R. Cultural sustainability: A framework for relationships, understanding, and action. Journal of American Folklore, v. 133, n. 527, p. 81-105, 2020.

Submission: 30/09/2024 – Decision: 05/10/2024

Revision: 09/10/2024 – Publication: 20/10/2024

Notes

[←1]

This study has received support from the Key Special Education Project of Hunan Provincial Social Science Foundation (No. 18ZDJ01).

[←2]

Higher Education Research Institute, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha 410205 - China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2077-5813. E-mail: ytan1949@hutb.edu.cn.

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