EFL STUDENTS AND CULTURE: CASE STUDY OF A COLLEGE COURSE
EFL STUDENTS AND CULTURE: CASE STUDY OF A COLLEGE COURSE

Summary/Abstract: A qualitative case study approach is taken in order to reflect on some of the frequently addressedissues surrounding the relevance of culture in teaching foreign languages. This timethe focus is on a one-semester British Culture course taken by a group of second-year studentsat the University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the academic year 2017/18. Thecourse is described and analyzed against the following set of parameters: status of the course;size of the class; syllabus, coursework structure, teaching methods; student input and progressassessed formally but also by means of anecdotal evidence; and transferable skills. The paperinitially takes a decontextualized look at some of the key points continually raised by EFLpractitioners, i.e. which culture to teach, how to teach it, and to what end. It then proceeds toanalyze and describe a specific context in which British culture is taught to students of Englishat the University of Banja Luka in order to assess whether the conclusions justify dwelling onthe ‘big’ questions or, alternatively, suggest a preference towards more moderate expectations.While the former upholds general theoretical principles, the latter seems to be more attuned to aclassroom in which the teacher faces the additional challenge of compensating for the students’lack of worldly experience (e.g. travelling, encounters with otherness, and diverse lifestyles)as well as that of filling gaps in the students’ general knowledge, a would-be prerequisite for asuccessful culture class.

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