Language, Culture, and the Embodied Mind

Beschreibung

There is an odd contradiction at the heart of language and culture learning: Language and culture are, so to speak, two sides of a single coin—language reflects the thinking, values and worldview of its speakers. Despite this, there is a persistent split between language and culture in the classroom. Foreign language pedagogy is often conceptualized in terms of gaining knowledge and practicing skills, while cultural learning goals are often conceptualized in abstract terms, such asawareness or criticality.

This book helps resolve this dilemma. Informed by brain and mind sciences, its core message is that language and culture learning can both be seen as a single, interrelated process—the embodiment of dynamic systems of meaning into the intuitive mind. This deep learning process is detailed in the form of the Developmental Model of Linguaculture Learning (DMLL). Grounded in dynamic skill theory, the DMLL describes four developmental levels of language and culture learning, which represents a subtle, yet important shift in language and culture pedagogy. Rather than asking how to add culture into language education, we should be seeking ways to make language and culture learning deeper—more integrated, embodied, experiential and transformational. This book provides a theoretical approach, including practical examples, for doing so.

Autor*in

Joseph Shaules

Themen in »Language, Culture, and the Embodied Mind«

linguaculture language and intercultural awareness cognitive neuroscience second language acquisition deep learning transformational learning complexity theory dynamic systems theory language and culture

Stimmen zu »Language, Culture, and the Embodied Mind«

“Language, Culture, and the Embodied Mind: A Developmental Model of Lingua culture Learning, which gives a detailed, accessible insight into language and culture learning both theoretically and practically. ... The book concludes with an extensive bibliography for further reading. For those interested in incorporating culture in their language teaching, as well as those teaching culture-related courses, this book is a welcome addition to the teacher’s bookshelf.” (Eleanor Smith, JALT Journal, Vol. 43 (1), May, 2021)

“What is new and thought-provoking in this book is its neurocognitive perspective and its observation that ‘linguaculture’ resides at a deep, intuitive level. Importantly, Joseph Shaules recognizes that both language and culture are comprised of complex dynamic patterns. For this reason, teaching linguaculture is not adding culture teaching to language teaching, but rather integrating them by understanding that the learning of such patterns calls for adaptive, embodied processes.” (Diane Larsen-Freeman, Professor Emerita, University of Michigan)

“Not since Edward Hall’s reflections on culture, and Marshall McLuhan’s ideas on communication, has an author so successfully explained the invisible links of language and culture that bind and define us. With his Developmental Model of Linguacultural Learning, Shaules provides a new lens with which to understand language and culture teaching and learning. To link theory to practice, Shaules explains modern psychological and neuroscientific theories, but rather than being overwhelmed by abstraction, the reader is captivated. Shaules’s makes tough concepts seem like a casual stroll through a botanical garden of pedagogy. Language, Culture, and the Embodied Mind is a must read for anyone who wants a clean, clear and insightful approach to language and culture learning.” (Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, Ph.D., Professor at Harvard University Extension School, and Associate Editor of Nature Partner Journal Science of Learning)

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