A Study of the Difference of Language Learning Context and the Culture of Language Learning

Abstract

The present study aims at investigating the difference in the culture of language learning and teaching with reference to the change of place i.e. language learning context here BANA and TESEP. Holliday (1994) has used two terms BANA and TESEP to refer to different places or countries. He has used the term BANA for English speaking countries (ESCs) and TESEP for non-English speaking countries. Being an international language, English is taught and learnt in almost every part of the world whether they are BANA or TESEP. However, both BANA and TESEP promote different language teaching and learning culture (Holliday, 1994). Flowerdew & Miller (1995) propose that culture affects language learning in two different dimensions: ethnic culture and academic culture. The present study focuses on academic culture and aims at exploring the difference in language teaching and learning culture as promoted by the two different contexts i.e. BANA (here USA and New Zealand) and TESEP (here China). In this regard the data has been collected through interviews with five participants having language learning experience in both BANA (USA and New Zealand) and TESEP (China) contexts. The data has been analyzed qualitatively. The steps of qualitative analysis i.e. coding, categorization and interpretation have been followed. The results show a marked difference in language teaching and learning culture in the two contexts. The participants reported difference in the two contexts from the point of view of (i) Focus of language teaching (ii) Language learning environment (iii) Teachers’ role and (iv) Purpose of learning. The results reveal that ELT in China is based on conscious learning through explicit instruction of grammar, memorization of vocabulary items and textbook based language teaching. On the other hand, ELT in ESCs is based upon the development of communicative skill through various communicative activities which promote implicit learning.