Impact of Instruction on Shaping or Reshaping Stereotypical Cultural Representations in an Introductory French Course

Abstract

Learning a foreign language promotes new ways of seeing the world and the self in relation to it (Gee, 1996), making practices and perspectives underlined through the acquisition of vocabulary and grammatical structures available for appropriation (Bakhtin, 1981; Kramsch, 1993, 2009). Using a combination of interviews and self‐reported questionnaires, this study explores what may influence learners' preconceived images and cultural representations of the French language and culture in an introductory French language course. Data analysis shows that participants started a reflection on how learning a foreign language opens access to the cultures that speak it and embodies cultural acts. However, the findings suggest that at the beginning level, the reflection on the interconnection between a language and its culture needs to be nurtured within the course content itself in order to encourage the process of developing cross‐cultural understanding.

Stereotypes as an interdisciplinary construct: Implications for applied linguistics research

“…Studies in applied linguistics have not been concerned with defining and operationalizing the construct of stereotypes. In line with the definitions proposed in social psychology, applied linguists view stereotypes as an important cognitive tool and indispensable internal mechanism for processing new information (Drewelow 2013;Schulz and Haerle 1995;Webber 1990). Also, empirical investigations of stereotypes in applied linguistics have not attempted to offer a conceptualization of stereotypes, with the exception of a study by Byram and Kramsch (2008), discussed earlier in this article.…”

“…For this reason, studies on stereotypes in the field of applied linguistics have been mainly pedagogically motivated. Researchers aimed to use their findings for devising effective pedagogical strategies that promote the development of the students' intercultural knowledge and competence (Abrams 2002;Allen 2004;Drewelow 2013;Houghton 2010;Nikitina 2017;Níkleva 2012;Webber 1990).…”

A longitudinal study of language learners’ images about Russia

“…Viable pedagogical approaches to achieving these objectives would be based on constructivist assumptions concerning learning and teaching and some studies have offered detailed descriptions and discussions of innovative pedagogical initiatives that utilize language learners' stereotypes in concrete educational settings (Allen, 2004;Drewelow, 2013;Houghton, 2010;Vande Berg, 1990).…”

“…Educational researchers and applied linguists have noted a fact that students who begin learning a foreign language already possess an array of stable images, stereotypes and cultural beliefs about a target language (TL) country (Allen, 2004;Drewelow, 2013;Houghton, 2010;Nikitina, Zuraidah & Loh, 2014;Schultz & Haerle, 1995). As Steele andSuozzo (1994, cited in Allen, 2004, p. 235) maintained, "Unless students are encountering an absolutely exotic culture, they already reach the classroom with an array of stereotypes".…”

“…For the most part, these studies were conducted among the students learning German, Spanish and French (Drewelow, 2013;Schultz & Haerle, 1995;Vande Berg, 1990). Some of the studies have made attempts to classify these country images according to their favourability and theme (Schulz & Haerle, 1995;Taylor, 1977).…”