What is culture?

Culture, according to Choudhury (2013) can be defined as the context where people
exist, think, feel, and relate to others. Moreover, Brown (2007) suggests that culture is the
group of ideas, customs, skills, arts, and tools that characterize a determined group of
people through the time. Sowden (2007) deems culture as a body of body traditions that
include social, artistic, and intellectual aspects linked historically with a particular social,
ethnic or national group. Simply put, culture involves everything that can be communicated
from one generation to another and differentiates one group form another. In addition,
Johnson (2013) states that through time, culture has played an important role permitting
people to deal with a number of problems in different contexts. Also, people have been able
to exist in a variety of environments because of their capacity to adapt to the changes.
Elements of culture
Frank (2013) describes some elements of culture such as beliefs, values, customs,
products, and the communication styles of a given culture or society. In addition, The
Standards for Foreign Language Learning (NSFLEP 1996) created a framework to
integrate the philosophical perspectives, the behavioural practices, and the products-both
tangible and intangible. This is known as the 3P model of culture:
Perspectives: this element refers to what members of a culture think feel and value.
Practices: it means how members interact to each other.
Products: this one makes reference to the things members of a group create, share, and
transmit to the next generations. For example: technology, music, art, food, literature, etc.
.

The previous framework works as a means to identify culture in its different stages
which show the most noticeable features of culture such as books, music, games etc. to
more specific such as attitudes, values, ideas which cannot be perceived at first sight. Thus,
learning about culture is a complex process which requires analysis and openness to
experience.
 Taking into account that the definition of culture may be wide due to the variety of
definitions, Spencer-Oatey, H. (2012) presents some characteristics and components of
culture which summarize the meaning of culture:
 Culture can be learned.
 Cultures and cultural patterns change.
 Culture is a universal fact of human life.
 Cultures provide sets of values and beliefs to support “blueprints” for living.
 Language and culture are closely related and interactive.
 Culture functions as a filtering device between people and the elements around the
environment.
Considering the aforementioned components of culture, it can be seen that language
and culture are related through interaction. Therefore, language has gone through a slow
process of development because of some modifications found in society life, level of
education, culture and technology. According to Harya (2016) the changes in language can
happen both internally and externally. From an internal view, language is developed
through the of speakers’ behavior to adjust to each other, then there is a tendency to
innovate in groups of people who are already familiar to finally make a language different
from each other. On the other hand, external language change happens when a language is
in contact with other languages. It is common that humans, as social beings, need to interact
to each other because language is influenced by socio-cultural factors that occur in society,
in this way, language and culture continuously change and evolve.
Language and culture education
Kramsch (2013) considers language as something important when it comes to
recognize cultural aspects. Thus, language is not only linguistic forms applied to a cultural
reality we can find in the real world. Besides, Kramsch (2013) adds that language and
culture coexist if we add meaning to food, places and lifestyles that constitute culture.
Moreover, Kim (2003) asserts that language and culture need to de interconnected because
if there is no language, culture cannot exist and vice-versa. These two elements are
necessary to ensure that knowledge and experiences are effectively expressed and
transmitted. In addition, Kim (2003) claims that language is a continuous process that
allows people to acquire new knowledge, express, transmit, maintain one’s culture and
acquire a new one.
According to Kumaravadivelu (2008) as mentioned by Olusiji (2016) the actual
world is becoming a space where borders disappear resulting in a massive flow not only
economical but of cultural values across the world. Those cultural values can be transmitted
to one another when interaction takes place, and that interaction can be carried out in an
informal or formal context. Nonetheless, Petrovic (2011) claims that students can benefit
from studying culture because they can feel motivated to learn about a determined culture
and most important it helps avoid the stereotypes or misconceptions. Also, Petrovic (2011)
considers that knowing about culture is meaningful because students need to start
understanding their own culture to understand other cultures, and students’ understanding
of the world is determined by the values of their own culture.
Besides, Tomalin (2008) considers culture a fifth language skill because including
culture in the process of learning a language helps you understand and appreciate values,
ways of doing things and unique qualities of other cultures. To understand culture,
Choudhury (2013) states that culture influences language teaching both linguistically and
pedagogically, from a linguistic perspective, culture influences the semantic, pragmatic,
and discourse levels of the language. Pedagogically, culture has an influence in the choice
of materials and content which are taken into account in the moment of deciding the
language materials.
At this point, if people want to acquire new knowledge about a determined culture,
thus it is necessary to learn about it. Therefore, Choudhury (2013) expresses that culture
plays an important role when teaching language. The main purpose is to foster intercultural
communicative competence among students, in this way, students are able to recognize
their own culture and comprehend the foreign one. Consequently, Kramsch (2013)
expresses that culture learning needs to be a conscious, purposeful process in which critical
thinking helps to understand another culture. Kramsch further states that culture has a
purpose since the members of a social group give meaning to the discursive practices they
share in a determined context. However, it might happen that learning about a foreign
culture without being aware of one’s own discursive practices can lead to a misconception
of others and to a limited understanding of the self. In this manner, Gao (2006) says that
language teachers should enhance students' cultural awareness and improve their
communicative competence.
Kapur (2019) argues that cultural education fosters historical awareness and creative
attitudes that are beneficial because it helps the formation of people’s identity. If students
learn about culture in their elementary and secondary education, they would be able to
follow culture interests. In addition, Kapur (2019) states that there are a lot of instructional
strategies to promote culture education and those can be implemented through arts and
crafts, music, singing and dancing among other activities. Once individuals are able to
understand cultural traits, they can be useful members of a society since they can bring
improvements to their community and establish good relationships with others. For that
reason, Obanya (2005) argues that culture in the field of education is helpful for the overall
system of education.
Interculturality

According to Gregorio (2012) understanding culture teaching implies a long and

complex process that goes beyond learning a language. Thus, Cruz (2007) asserts that
people commonly tend to see their own culture as the appropriate way of looking at things
and perceiving reality. When people learn a foreign language, they tend to adapt the new
language to our cultural customs but they are unaware of the cultural implications involved.
However, Qu (2010) expresses that language is the key that enables individuals to increase
their personal culture if is taught properly. Besides, Qu (2010) says the purpose of teaching
culture is to increase students’ awareness and to develop their curiosity when they learn
about the target culture and make comparisons among cultures. The conception of
comparing does not mean to underestimate any of the cultures which are analyzed, but to
enrich students’ experience and to make them aware of the diversity among cultures.
Therefore, Jia (2015) states that people who are able to recognize their own culture
as well as foreign cultures, it means that they develop intercultural competence. This term
implies that people have the ability to analyse, integrate, compare and generalize cultural
phenomenon. To explain the concept of intercultural computer, Byram and Zarate (1997) as
mentioned by Kramsch (2013), identified five savoirs or capacities that constitute
intercultural competence:
 Savoirs (understanding of the self and others)
 Savoir apprendre/faire (ability to discover and/or interact)
 Savoir comprendre (ability to interpret and relate)
 Savoir s’engager (develop cultural awareness, education)
 Savoir être (attitudes, understanding others).
Along with these savoirs, Jia (2015) argued that intercultural competence should be
linked to the concept of diversity. The term diversity makes reference to determine both
national and local culture as well as the difference and diversity of culture, fostering
globalization.
Consequently, Frank (2013) explains that when teachers teach EFL, part of their job
could be to prepare students for challenges they may encounter when they travel or move to
a country where a foreign language is spoken. The process of adapting and understanding a
new culture is called “acculturation”. The process of acculturation, according to Brown
(1994) as mentioned by Frank (2013), has four stages:
 excitement (knowing a new country)
 culture shock (some feelings of frustration and hostility person may encounter)
 recovery (process of adjustment and comfort in the new culture), and finally
 adaption (overcoming of cultural barriers and accepting the new culture).
Finally, Catalano (2014) suggests that teachers should provide opportunities for
learners to think critically about how they build their identities by showing them strategies
in which the process of acculturation and the five saviors are implemented and help
students to overcome cultural barriers.
Nevertheless, clear references to interculturalism and multiculturalism can be found in the
Curricular Guidelines for Foreign Languages, which were published by the Ministry of
Education in 1999. Interculturalism is portrayed here as “a vision . . . which accepts and
promotes all cultural manifestations, requiring a receptivity towards the contributions of the
language under study and the guarantee of the knowledge and ownership of our language
and culture” (Curricular Guidelines in Foreign Languages, M.E.N.,1999: 23).
However, it is sometimes the case that knowledge of another culture is only developed at a
superficial level, such as cultural celebrations involving different types of food, music,
dress etc. without this leading to a deeper reflection on the significance of these differences
or their implications. This reminds us of Fishman`s criticism (1977 cited in García, 1991:
12) of bilingual education programmes in the United States which led to “the trivialisation
of biculturalism”, and which limited their interest in cultural matters to singing and dancing
routines.

Unfortunately, even for MEN the number of hours of instruction and the conditions
necessary for adequate foreign language teaching are still not clear. In Colombia,
researchers like González & Quinchía (2003), Cárdenas (2006), de Mejía (2006) and
González (2007) among others have analyzed the way language policy is carried out in
Colombia and its implications regarding learning conditions in Colombia. The conclusion
seems to be that Colombian idiosyncrasies were not fully considered when policy makers
decided on the framework to be enforced and that multilingualism (rather than
bilingualism), culture and identity need to be readdressed in order to achieve positive
results in foreign language teaching.

includes the understanding of sociocultural, political, and ideological contexts in which a

language functions
acquisition maintained that learning a foreign language, but being aware of the. This
awareness can be achieved by working on what is known as both intercultural and
multicultural communication. Overall, Cruz encouraged EFL teachers to approach
stereotypes, differences in cultural practices, and attitudes toward the target country in
order to help students broaden their cultural horizons and explore cultural understanding.
To Álvarez and Bonilla (2009), EFL teaching should no longer center on a linguistic-
oriented approach, but needs to focus on achieving a lingocultural experience. This
perspective presupposes both a critical intercultural approach and an intercultural
communication competence. The former has to do with the acknowledgement and
acceptance of diversity and the ability to reflect on it analytically; whereas the latter is
related to how speakers interact as intercultural subjects in order to create shared meanings.
(Anne-Marie de Mejía) As Silvia Valencia (2005: 1) explains, “As a result of
globalization and widespread use of English worldwide, the term ‘bilingüismo’ has
acquired a different meaning in the Colombian context. It is used by many . . . to refer
almost exclusively to Spanish/English bilingualism.. . . This focus on Spanish/English
bilingualism now predominates and the other dimensions of multilingualism and cultural
difference in Colombia are often ignored. The existence of other languages in different
regions of the country is overlooked, particularly the languages of indigenous Colombian
populations. The teaching of other modern languages (e.g. French . . .) has also been
undermined by the spread of English and by people’s increasing desire to ‘invest’ in
English”

This is very true, especially if we think of the Ministry of Education (M.E.N.) promotion of
the National Bilingual Programme (2004-2010) a project which aims at ensuring that,
“Colombian citizens will be able to communicate through English with internationally
comparable standards. This will contribute to the insertion of the country in the processes
of universal communication, the global economy and cultural openness” (M.E.N.
presentation, 2006) The emphasis here is very clearly stated: the reference is only to
English and the aim is competitivity in international markets, though there is an interesting
reference to cultural openness.
. A multicultural and plurilingual nation needs a language policy which takes into account
not only exolingual, but also endolingual concerns. In other words, we need to look both
outwards towards a globalised world, as well as inwards to focus on local complexities. The
question we can ask is, thus, how far bilingual education programmes for majority language
speakers in Colombia today are actively helping towards the creation of a more
understanding, a more tolerant society and not only providing a way to better jobs and a
higher standard of living for their graduates?
by Harvey Tejada and myself in 2000, we found that the majority of the 15 schools we
visited stated that they promoted a vision of tolerance and openness towards other cultures
as well as identification with the students` own culture, consistent with an intercultural
approach. However, they were less sure about how to actually put these visions into
practice on a daily basis in the school context, and particularly in curricular areas such as
Social Sciences.
She refers specifically to the theme of “Narraciones del Asombro” which has to do with
myths and legends and is closely related to the notions of plurality, identity, and respect for
differences, as related in narratives produced by Precolombian communities. Although
teachers and students proclaimed that they strongly agreed with these principles, and
particularly valued the condition of Colombia as a multicultural nation, Laura gradually
discovered that the reality was somewhat different. I will quote her actual words, “the
students showed strong reservations towards the treatment of these topics, as they
considered that these great narratives of our country `historias de indiecitos`, which were
very distant from their own life experience.” Notice especially the use of the diminutive
“indiecitos” indicating undervaluing of this type of narrative. In fact, some of the students
said that these stories were from a different cultural background, obviously showing that
they were unaware of the dominance of people of mestizo background in Colombia.
When I asked her for more detail about the portrayal of Colombia in these textbooks, used
for Social Science by Colombian students in seventh and eighth grade, Laura said that the
images that predominated were pictures of massacres and drug mules. Furthermore, there
was considerable space devoted to Colombia`s world economic position based on the
proceeds of drug trafficking. There was only a very brief reference to the coffee industry or
Colombian fashion or tourism. No wonder that the students felt ashamed to be Colombian
and wanted to distance themselves from this positioning!
An important general factor to take into consideration in bilingual programmes which
necessarily involve some degree of contact with other cultures is how far the teacher is
culturally attuned (en armonia) to the students, especially in the initial stages of schooling.
This awareness will involve taking into account the values commonly associated with
foreign cultures by parents and relatives. The advantages of employing native speakers of
the foreign or second language in terms of models for language acquisition, particularly in
the area of pronunciation, must be weighed up against their ability to relate to the children
in their care, both linguistically and culturally. In this respect, the Canadian early
immersion programmes have always insisted on the need for teachers of the initial grades to
be bilingual in both French and English, so that they can understand and help children in
difficulty. What has not often been stressed is the need for intercultural understanding.
They may be native speakers of the foreign or second language and yet not be “intercultural
speakers” (Byram, 1998: 113). Thus, the first step is to raise their awareness of these issues.
Byram (1998) suggest various ways that intercultural consciousness can be developed in
bilingual classrooms such as, comparative analysis in pedagogically-appropriate ways of
how different language express different cultures; understanding by the teacher of ways in
which the explicit introduction of cultural elements from other cultures relativises and
challenges what is taken for granted in the national or state curriculum; and that teachers
should have developed “intercultural speaker intuitions”
First of all, as Silvia Valencia (2005:17) maintains, it is important to analyse the current
discourse on investment in English from a critical point of view, in order to determine “who
in reality benefits from the promotion of ‘bilingualism’”.
Silvia Valencia also warns, there is a real danger that the ‘discourse on bilingualism’ with
English may lead to a widening of the gap between public and private education. This
position was reinforced recently by Eduardo Muñoz, Vice Minister of Commerce, Industry
and Tourismd who stated that it was necessary to close the gap with respect to bilingualism,
between private and state schools in the country.
(ana clara sanchez) This project has focused on adapting standards from Europe to be
applied in Colombia, a bold move given the fact that the similarities between that context
and the Colombian one are basically non-existent, and that the Common European
Framework (CEF) was created under different circumstances and with different purposes.
Bilingual programs are not recent. They have been applied in countries like Australia,
Canada and the United States since the 1970s under the names of immigrant on-arrival
programs or immersion education. The reasons for the appearance of these programs were
related to the need to teach immigrants to develop competences to adapt to their new
society and be able to get a job and/or perform in different contexts.

This seems to be the case in Colombia where policies are created in a top-down approach
where only a few people (not necessarily teachers) know what “should be done and why”
and the participation of school teachers in the creation of standards is virtually invisible.

As Cárdenas (2006) states: “Schools and universities welcome the idea of placing teacher
education at the cornerstone of the programme, but serious concerns have also risen
because we do not see clear policies to make language teaching conditions appropriate for
the attainment of the defined goals

Professor de Mejía (2011) asserts that the prominent position given to English has provoked some
Colombian private schools to decide to teach science and mathematics only in English, sending
indirectly the message that Spanish is inappropriate to talk about scientific developments and
abstract thinking. Similarly, some “bilingual schools” do not teach English and Spanish, but only
English, presuming that students will learn Spanish at home or in other contexts. As a result,
students disown the local traditions and language
(Yi Qu) Culture is all pervasive and complex,
which is reflected in every aspect of life. And obviously, language is the key to the cultural
heritage of another people or that knowledge of another language enables individuals to
increase their personal culture through contact with great minds and literatures. The culture
of a people, in its broad sense, refers to all aspects of shared life in community. We
growing up in a social group learn ways of looking at things, doing things, expressing
things and solving certain problems in certain ways. We also learn to value something and
despise or avoid other things.
These attitudes, reactions and emotions become part of our ways of life without being
conscious of them. Yet these culturally determined features actually have rooted in a deeper
and more significant social conventions, relations and assumptions which are composed of
the main stream of a culture of a people. A language is learned and used within such a
context, drawing from the culture distinctive meanings and functions which must be
assimilated by language learners if they are to control the languages as native speakers
control it.
Culture, being what people have to learn as distinct from their biological heritage, must
consist of the end product of learning: knowledge, in a most general, if relative, sense of the
term. By this definition, we should note that culture is not a material phenomenon; it does
not consist of things, people, behaviour, or emotions. It is rather an organization of these
things. It is the forms of things that people have in mind, their models for perceiving,
relating, and otherwise interpreting them. (citado en Nord, 1997, pp.23-24)

Intercultural competence
Solo lo subrayado 3.(Absence of National Culture in Foreign Language…) Kim (1991) and
Gudykunst (1992) believed that intercultural communication competence includes the
adaptability in aspects such as cognition, emotion, and behaviour. Fantini (1995) divided
intercultural communication competence into five elements and described it in many ways
to help educators know its connotation, in which knowledge, positive attitudes, skills and
awareness are the core of intercultural communication competence.
The primary goal at knowledge level is to accumulate the knowledge of national culture
and foreign culture and compare them to know their differences and similarities; the
primary goal at behaviour level is to reflect on national culture and individual intercultural
interaction. Yang and Zhuang (2017) proposed a framework of intercultural communication
competence regarding foreign languages, including global awareness, cultural adaptation,
and knowledge and communication practice. Global awareness is the most fundamental
part of intercultural communication competence, as well as the complex of intercultural
awareness and intercultural thinking.
(Boosting Intercultural Competence in a Teacher…) Intercultural competence definition:
“ability to interact effectively with people from cultures that we recognize as being
different from our own” (Guilherme, 2000, as cited in Byram & Masuhara, 2013, p.143)
and the ability “to foster cooperative relationships with culturally (or ethnically) dissimilar
others” (Kim, 2009, p. 54).
… IC education prepares language students for meaningful interactions with people from
target language cultures by addressing the attitudes, knowledge and skills needed for
effective intercultural communication (Byram, 1997; Deardorff, 2006).
… when IC is incorporated into language classrooms, students who often feel disconnected
with language learning- such as students of color and international students- can begin to
feel connected to class activities due to the diverse voices and culturally relevant topics
represented throughout the curriculum (Hawkins, 2011).

Esto si (Rhadika kapur) Inter-cultural understanding helps the students to generate

awareness in terms of various norms, values, ethics, morals and principles of other cultures
and religions. When they are able to generate sufficient awareness, they are able to form
effective communication, and good terms and relationships with others. It is indispensable
for the individuals to establish inter-cultural understanding to accomplish personal and
professional goals.

(Interculturality and language teaching in Colombia: the case…) …interculturality

transcends the recognition of difference framed in a colonial, racial, and hierarchical
structure toward a tool, a process, and a collective, local project that seeks to transform
stuctures, institutions, and social relationships to construct different conditions of existence,
being, thinking, knowing, learning, feeling, and living (Walsh, 2010).
Esta parte si… Liddicoat (2008) states that for the development of an intercultural
pedagogy, it is necessary to recognize that the classroom is a cultural context by excellence
where students’ and teachers’ experiences and expectations are delimited by the linguistics
and cultural background that each one possesses.
(La competencia cultural e intercultural en traducción: estado de la cuestión)… Gudykunst
(2003) destaca que la competencia cultural e intercultural no solo significa conocer lo que
es diferente, sino también las similitudes entre culturas, asi como tener en cuenta el hecho
de que cada individuo aprende de diferente manera e interioriza diferentes aspectos de una
misma cultura. Asimismo, este autor subraya que: “different cultures have different systems
of meaning (i.e., languages), which confuses people from different cultures and makes it
difficult, if not impossible, for them to understand each other” (p.53)
… De acuerdo con INCA (2012), la competencia intercultural capacita para interactuar de
manera tanto eficiente como aceptable para otros al trabajar en un grupo donde sus
miembros tengan diferentes procedencias culturales. “cultural” puede englobar cualquier
característica, incluyendo valores y creencias en las que hemos crecido, nacionalidad,
costumbres regionales o locales y, en particular, actitudes y prácticas que afectan la manera
de trabajar.
(Critical thinking in the intercultural context: investigating EFL textbooks) Dewey
(1910) described critical thinking as an active process of purposeful reflection during which
judgment is suspended.
… Ennis (1985) depicted it as “reflective and reasonable thinking that is focused on
deciding what to believe or do” (p.45)
… CT goes beyond recalling factual knowledge and concepts, and prompts individuals to
reason and solve problems. It incorporates creative activities, such as formulating
hypotheses, questioning and investigating, noticing similarities and differences, comparing
and contrasting, finding alternatives, exploring viewpoints and drawing conclusions.
…Facione (2010) defined CT as the ability to reflect and withhold judgment before making
decision.
… On the basis of their contributions, he identified six essential cognitive skills (analysis,
interpretation, inference, evaluation, explanation and self-regulation) and a set of
dispositions conductive to practicing CT.
…Analysis involves exploring relationships among statements, questions, concepts or
descriptions used in the text.
…It includes examining ideas, detecting and analysing arguments, asking quality questions,
which are helpful to specify, amplify, verify or validate, and questions designed to probe
for more information, challenge and motivation (Petress, 2005).
…Interpretation allows, “Comprehending and expressing the meaning or significance of a
range of experiences, situations, data, events, judgments, conventions, beliefs, rules,
procedures, or criteria.” It “includes the sub-skills of categorization, decoding significance,
and clarifying meaning” (p.5)
(Intercultural Competence in Teacher Education- algo de historia)… J.A. Banks (2004c)
attributes the development of the field to educator’s needs to repond to increased anti-
Semitism and racial rioting in the 1930s in the United States and describes intercultural
education as a movement dedicated to “hel immigrant students adapt to American life,
maintain aspects of their ethnic identity, and become effective citizens of the
commonwealth” (p.231)
…the Progressive Education Association’s creation of the Commission on Intercultural
Education, which officially coined the term in 1935 to describe the work of educators
“seeking to help stdents reduce their prejudice and increase their understanding and
appreciation of ethnic, racial and religious diversity” (p.754)
Cultural competency: knowledge, competence, awareness critical thinking (falta
argumentar)
(Anne-Marie de Mejía) Poststructuralists draw attention to the idea that identities are
constructed (rather than possessed) on multiple dimensions (e.g. age, gender, race, class,
generation, institutional affiliation, social status) and that individuals often shift and adjust
ways in which they identify and position themselves in different contexts (Pavlenko and
Blackledge, 2004). Thus, identities are not static objects which can be lost and found, but
are fluid and complex, changing and evolving over time in accordance with the influence of
the different experiences we engage in.
In a recent article about bilingualism and identity Kanno (2000:2) following Taylor (1994)
takes identity to mean “A person’s understanding of whom they are”. This understanding
depends crucially on what others think of us. In other words, identity can be seen as
socially constructed. In the case of bilinguals, as they inhabit different language
communities, they often receive very different self-images from various cultural mirrors
(Kanno, 2000). They are simultaneously involved in multiple discourses, thereby
developing different identities that may contradict other identities which derive from other
discourses (Peirce, 1995; McKay & Wong, 1996). This is when the problem of anomie or
cultural disorientation may set in and the bilingual or multilingual person may feel they do
not belong either here or there.
(Zahra Ghorbani Shemshadsara) Tomlinson (2001) holds that cultural awareness
involves a gradually developing inner sense of the equality of cultures, an increased
understanding of your own and other people’s cultures, and a positive interest in how
cultures both connect and differ (cited in Tomlinson & Masuhara, 2004, p. 3). Tolinson and
Masuhara, (2004) claim, an increased cultural awareness helps learners broaden the mind,
increase tolerance and achieve cultural empathy and sensitivity. According to Tomalin and
Stempleski (1993), cultural awareness encompasses three qualities:
- awareness of one’s own culturally-induced behavior
- awareness of the culturally-induced behavior of others
- ability to explain one’s own cultural standpoint (p.5)
Knutson (2006) points out that the development of students’ cultural awareness starts by
encouraging them to recognize their cultural identity in relation to other cultures. For this
reason Knuston (2006) suggests teachers should analyze students’ real world and academic
needs in terms of cultural knowledge, awareness or ability to function in appropriate ways
Liddicoat (2002) mentions that there are generally two views toward culture awareness: the
static versus the dynamic. The static view of culture does not recognize the link between
language and culture. It merely transmits cultural information to learners and ignores the
constantly developing nature of culture. On the contrast, the dynamic view of culture
requires learners to actively engage in culture learning, rather than only learn about the
cultural information of the target culture in a passive way. They are encouraged to view
cultural facts as situated in time and space and variable across time, regions, classes and
generations. The dynamic view of culture also requires learners to have knowledge of their
own culture and an understanding of their own culturally-shaped behaviors.
Solutions
Culture and the curriculum – integration
(Rhadika kapur) The curriculum and the teaching-learning methods need to acknowledge
other cultures, values, norms, principles and the overall lifestyles of the individuals. When
they are generating awareness in terms of significance and meaning of cultural education,
then it is vital for them to identify other cultures as well. Apart from educational
institutions, the individuals are able to acquire an efficient understanding of cultural
education through religious places, historical places, museums, heritage sites, research
institutions and places of worship.

Making culture a part of the school curriculum would help the students in understanding the
significance of education and learning (Culture and Heritage Education under RMSA, n.d.).
Research has indicated that in some cases, students do not depict interest and enthusiasm in
academic learning. The major causes of this are, inability to understand academic concepts,
and problems and challenges experienced. But when there is introduction of culture within
the school curriculum, then students develop motivation towards learning of academic
concepts.

The cultural curriculum within schools promotes the development of artistic and creative
skills within the cultural-historical framework (Basis for Cultural Education, 2017). In
cultural education, there are impartment of extra-curricular activities as well. The extra-
curricular activities are focused upon augmentation of creative skills among individuals, so
they are able to enhance their understanding of cultural education. Furthermore, to promote
cultural education in an appropriate manner, it is vital for the teachers to possess adequate
skills and abilities, so they are able to carry out their job duties in a well-organized manner

In the implementation of cultural education, the teachers and students are required to
communicate with each other different perspectives, ideas and notions. They share their
experiences with each other. In this manner, cultural education plays an important part in
augmenting communication skills among individuals. The individuals learn to socialize and
in this manner they are able to acquire an efficient understanding of the concepts.

(Grace Chibiko Offorma) Curriculum can be further regarded as the instrument by means
of which schools strive to translate the demands and aspirations of the society in which they
function into concrete realities. The essence of education is to transfer the knowledge, facts,
skills, values and attitudes learnt from one situation to solving problems in another
situation, and this is done through curriculum that reflects the culture of the people.
In planning a curriculum, a number of elements are considered. They are: the learner, the
teacher, the society, philosophy of education, psychology of learning, examinations,
economy of the society, resources, subject specialists, and values. All these factors each
have link to the culture, as nothing can be done in education without recourse to the culture
of the society on which hinge their demands and aspirations.
Culture is maintained and modified through education. It is believed that wherever
educational institutions discharge their responsibilities well, they influence the life of the
society, which implies their culture. Curriculum must be a reflection of what people do,
feel, and believe. All these have cultural affiliation. It is said that culture is to education
what current is to electricity. Any society whose education is not founded on its culture is
in danger of alienating the products of that system from their culture. The curriculum
planners must be familiar with the culture of the society for which the curriculum is being
planned.
The specialization of some group or class is based on their capabilities and interests.
Their specialization leads group awareness, which encourages or leads members to develop
specific patterns of behaviour or skills. The essence is to present to the learners with
options from where they can select areas of specialization based on their capabilities and
interests. According to Agwu (2009:172), ‘integration means that what the school offers
must be related to what the community requires.’ In the organization of content and
learning experiences (method of teaching), integration refers to the horizontal relationship
of curriculum content and learning experiences. The essence is to integrate the learners as
functional members of the society.
Situational analysis is the diagnosis of all the elements that influence curriculum planning
and implementation. It surveys the society, the environment, the educational system, the
learner factors, the teacher factors, learning process, school facilities, and available
accumulated body of knowledge.

The societal values are also taken cognizance of, as respect for the values of the society are
very important. It gives one the sense of belonging and well-being, self-respect, and self-
esteem (Obilor, 2003). Khan (2004) identified three types of values. They are behavioural,
procedural and substantial values. Behavioural value deals with the type of behaviours
exhibited by the teacher and the learners. It is reciprocal in nature. The teacher exhibits
good behaviour which the learners imbibe and internalize. Procedural value entails manner
of approach in problem solving; for example, respect for evidence, willingness to
participate in rational discussion. Substantial value are beliefs held by individuals as a
result of their family, ethnic, religious or cultural experiences or attitudes of people to
social of political issues. The data collected from these sources would furnish the
curriculum planner with the required capability to plan a good and functional curriculum.

The inclusion of the mode of delivery of the curriculum at the planning stage takes
cognisance of the nature of integration. Such modes include role play, dramatization,
collaboration, field trips, games and simulation, and other interactive modes. Through these
modes, it is easy to relate the curriculum content to the real life experiences of the learners
to show them the worthwhileness of the school programmes.

Authentic Materials – strategies

(Anne-Marie de Mejía) As I have argued in this article, teachers need to be sensitive to the
cultural implications of what they are teaching, not only in the area of Social Science but
also in other content areas. They need to be able to help their students become aware of the
value of different ways of seeing the world and, as Byram (1997) says, to adopt a critical
and comparative methodology towards different cultural practices and beliefs. In other
words, teachers need to be able to help their students develop intercultural competence, as
well as linguistic, sociolinguistic and discourse competences. In order to help students in
the development of cultural sensitivity, teachers need to be helped to raise their awareness
on such issues. Courses on teaching methodology need to be complemented by reflection
on how different methodological options can be exploited to promote intercultural
understanding.
It is therefore important that bilingual schools develop coherent policies on intercultural
relations, which would help students “reaffirm the esteem for our culture and the
understanding of other cultures” (La Institutión Universitaria Colombo Americano, 2005).
Some schools (and some parents) tend to think that the idea of importing native speakers
(of English) as teachers adds to the prestige of the school. While native English speaking
teachers provide usefully language modelling, I would strongly advocate the importance of
schools hiring highly competent Colombian bilingual teachers, particularly in view of the
recent change in perception of the status of native speaker norms discussed above. They
would act as bilingual role models for their students, and may also help to advise on
possible conflicts of identity. It is equally important that both teachers and school
administrators understand the principles of bilingualism and bilingual education, so that
they are able to make informed choices about academic and linguistic issues in their
specific bilingual contexts.
(rhadika kapur) Culture plays an important part in the lives of the individuals. Education
of various elements of culture helps the individuals in adapting to the social and cultural
environments, development of personality, socialization of the individuals, making
appropriate use of leisure and recreational activities, treating other individuals with respect
and courtesy, not imposing any unfavourable effects upon anybody, understanding of other
cultures and significance of liberality. It is a major job duty of the heads, principals, and
educators to ensure that curriculum and instructional systems are put into operation in an
efficient manner and should be able to benefit the students in the achievement of academic
goals. With the changes in the cultural traits, the curriculum and instructional systems are
also undergoing changes. The learning has become student-centred learning. Due to the
influence of culture, there have been introduction to projects, organization of seminars and
workshops, discussions and so forth. In other words, the students are becoming more
communicative in nature, primarily within the educational institutions.
The first and foremost aspect is, students need to develop effective communication skills
and maintain good terms and relationships with other individuals, particularly their teachers
and fellow students. The educators need to be well-qualified, skilled and trained in terms of
implementation of job duties in an appropriate manner. When recruitment and selection of
educators takes place, then certain factors need to be taken into consideration. These are,
educational qualifications, skills, abilities, experience, personality traits, and attitudes. They
are required to conduct research on a regular basis and remain updated in terms of various
changes and developments that are taking place, mainly in the system of education.
(Fandiño) En el contexto colombiano, la implementación de AICLE puede potenciar la
integración curricular de los programas bilingües al favorecer tanto el aprendizaje de
contenido como de lengua extranjera. Si este enfoque se incorpora adecuadamente al
currículo, y la competencia intercultural se toma en cuenta de manera crítica, la suficiencia
comunicativa tiende a mejorar y los contenidos propenden a aprenderse de manera más
exitosa (Rodríguez, 2011). No obstante, se debe tener en cuenta que hay mucho por hacer
en cuanto a entrenamiento de profesores, desarrollo de materiales e interculturalidad para
que el aprendizaje de lenguas y el bilingüismo en el marco de AICLE puedan ser realmente
exitosos.
(Zahra Ghorbani Shemshadsara) To Leveridge (2008), language teachers must instruct their
students on the cultural background of language usage, choose culturally appropriate
teaching styles and explore culturally based linguistic differences to promote understanding
instead of misconceptions or prejudices. The students, when using the learnt language, may
use the language inappropriately or within the wrong cultural context, thus defeating the
purpose of learning a language.

(Strategies) 2.1Describing and explaining the culture

One of the commonest methods of presenting the cultural information has been by
exposition and explanation. For this method, teachers could choose to talk the geography,
the history, the literature, the art, the scientific achievements and the small details of a
foreign people. These culture talks could be part of their subject teaching or some special
topics particularly for foreign culture teaching. Actually, sometimes, it could be replaced by
some new approaches. For example, this information could be presented by groups of
students or by individual students. In the beginning, when culture readings are
supplementing basic language practice, it may be prepared by the students in their native
language. As soon as they have a higher command of language, they could present them in
target language, which can be an exciting exchange of idea, both in class and at some out-
of-class occasions. Of course, these two methods are, to some extent, lack of variety and
inspiration. So we suggest that these presentations from teachers or students be
accompanied by visual illustration in the form of charts, diagrams, maps, and pictures, with
films and slides where it is necessary and available.
2.2Experiencing culture through language use
While trying the first method, we may encounter such a problem: Can we take time in our
language class for the teaching of culture background in this way? There is another
approach which doesn’t take time from the essential work of language learning, that is,
teaching for culture understanding is fully integrated with the process of assimilation of
syntax and vocabulary. Since language is closely interwoven (entrelazado) with every
aspect of culture, this approach is possible, when the teachers involved are well informed
and alert to cultural differences and thus, their students absorb the meaning in many small
ways. This awareness should be part of every language teaching classroom where the
teacher should orient the thinking of the students so that they will feel curious about such
differences and become observant as they listen and read, applying what they have
perceived in their active oral work.
2.3Dialogues and mini-dramas
Usually, in a conventional teacher-student situation, students feel foolish if asked to
respond in a foreign way with an accurate imitation of the sounds of the language and with
appropriate gestures. In this case, situations are proposed which students then act out in a
culturally authentic fashion, a common method used in language teaching called dialogue
or mini-drama. Each dialogue should be constructed around an experience compatible with
the age and interests of the students. As students become familiar with the dialogue and act
it out, they can learn through role playing how to interact with all kinds of people, as they
did in their own culture. Such experience are valuable than many lines of comment and
explanation.
In terms of the material, some textbooks deliberately began with dialogues reflecting
common and everyday experience of the students in their native culture. But acting out
dialogues of this type confirms the impression of many students that the new language is
the native language in a new dress which students are very familiar with in any case. In
other textbooks, one finds the dialogue are deliberately kept “culturally neutral” which will
be inevitably interpreted by the students as familiar patterns of their own cultures. The two
cases are, to some degree, deprive the students from being exposed to the real situation, and
thus should be avoided. So authenticity of situational material is extremely valuable as the
dialogue or drama reading faithfully reflects the behaviors in the target culture.
2.4Role playing
After students have learned acted-out dialogues or dramatized situations from the early
stage, they are encouraged to try to use what they have learned freely and spontaneously in
communications. They may also use the skills in developing their own skits. If they are
encouraged to look upon much of their language learning as role playing, they are more
likely to carry this over into classroom conversations with contents, gestures, and reaction
to simulate a situation in the second culture. Undoubtedly, the students will be able to do
this more successfully as their knowledge of the foreign culture increases.
Besides, students could invent their own situations based on their understanding of the daily
life, or the imitation of a foreign film (their own version), and then discuss which
presentation most authentically represents cultural viewpoints, relationships, and general
behavior.
Where possible, teachers should live for some time in both the cultures to be taught. If this
is not possible, we must compensate for the lack by disciplined reading. We must read what
the people living in the culture read (books, newspapers, magazines), listen to the radio and
watch the television broadcasts where accessible, and watch films made of local
consumption.
Whenever possible, we should contact with native speakers, discussing all kinds of subjects
with them and in this way we could educate ourselves in cultural interpretation.
(https://www.banrepcultural.org/servicios/maletas-didacticas-museo-del-oro) Las maletas
didácticas del museo del oro del banco de la republica son una forma interactiva, didáctica
y lúdica de llevar el museo del oro y su actividad cultural a todas las regiones del país. Se
prestan gratuitamente desde las 29 sedes del área cultural en Colombia, como un aporte
a la cultura y la educación en Colombia.
Con sus objetos que invitan a la exploración y la pregunta y sus actividades que vinculan
lo arqueológico-antropológico y temas actuales (el arte, la literatura, la diversidad, la
ecología, la música, la historia, el periodismo…), las maletas y juegos son aliados de los
maestros y maestras desde el jardín infantil, básica, media y hasta la universidad, así
como de muchos otros multiplicadores de la labor cultural en casas de la cultura,
bibliotecas, centros comunitarios y más.
Son 13 maletas diferentes las cuales poseen pequeñas exposiciones interactivas con
actividades novedosas que el maestro lleva en préstamo gratuito al salón de clase. Su
objetivo es proveer lectura comprensiva y trabajo en equipo.
Cada maleta Cada maleta va acompañada por una cartilla que explica los objetivos y
temáticas y sugiere múltiples actividades que usted puede escoger o adaptar para
hacerlas con su comunidad educativa, social o cultural. Partiendo del patrimonio cultural,
todas ellas promueven las identidades diversas, en convivencia y en trabajo en equipo, la
lectura, la expresión y la investigación.

(ana clara sanchez) The first step in ensuring effective foreign language programs in
Colombia should be to inform everyone about not only the goals but also the rationale
behind the goals for L2 teaching in this context.
(Raising Cultural Awareness in the English Language…)…Strategies include having
students learn about a culture from native informants, develop their cultural observation
skills, and learn about the culture through authentic materials associated with that culture.
Teachers need to provide students opportunities to explore and recognize cultural
differences. That means raising their awareness not only of the target culture but of their
own as well.

… intercultural competence includes these features:

- A curiosity and openness to other cultures
- An understanding of social practices and products in both one’s own culture and the
target culture.
- The ability to relate something from another culture and make it comprehensible to
members of one’s own.
- The ability to use new knowledge of a culture in authentic situations.
- The ability to critically evaluate the cultural practices and products of one’s own
culture and that of other countries.
(Murshed Haider Choudhury) One of the problems resulting from the use of the target
culture in ELT is the fear that the students will be influenced by the target culture and lose
their own identity since this may be categorized as linguistic imperialism. Some authors
have suggested using both home language and target language culture to deal with the
limitations of exclusively using one of the cultures. This idea is, according to Ariffin
(2009), excellent because students are encouraged to discover similarities between their
culture and the target language culture, which could bring about common understanding
and tolerance.
We designed our English courses to include the following PPP (Presentation, Practice,
Production) sequence of activities: In deciding on the tasks best suited to meet our
pedagogical objectives, we initially created the following checklist of essential attributes
for any task, which should do all of the following:
• focus on interactional spoken communication
• involve practical language knowledge, including commonly used phrases and expressions
• allow for personal expression on the part of the learners
• be easily assessed
• be completed over one or two class sessions (not including preparatory work)
• expand learners’ intercultural knowledge

Purpura (2004) further categorizes extended production tasks into three sets of activities:
(1) performance-focused (e.g., simulations, recasts, practice activities); (2) product focused
(e.g., presentations, essays, portfolios); and (3) process-focused (e.g., observations,
discussions, reflection activities). role-play simulation, a poster presentation, and an
interview discussion.

It’s important for teachers to get to know their students at a more personal level and not
make any assumptions on each student’s individual culture. Teachers must be aware of
their students’ primary languages, background culture, interests, and hobbies to construct a
curriculum that is relevant to their students’ lives. When students can make a connection to
what they are learning at school they will be more engaged in the lesson and will have a
better comprehension on the concepts being taught. Teaching and embracing the students’
cultures can be embedded (INCRUSTADO) in the curriculum to enrich the lessons and to
help students learn better.

She recommends that teachers help their students by connecting learning to socially
relevant issues and building learning from students’ personal, social, world, and cultural
knowledge. She also recommends connecting students’ learning to their literacy level, and
explicitly telling students in terms they understand what they will be learning and what they
will be doing to learn these objectives, and finally teaching students how to think to learn.

It is not necessary for students to lose their primary language to learn English. In fact using
the primary language for instruction in the classroom has been demonstrated in various
studies that it improves student achievement. Acquiring a second language is easier when a
student can use his or her development and knowledge of the primary language, “Many
studies have shown that cognitive and academic development in L1 has a strong, positive
effect on L2 development for academic purposes (Ovando & Combs, 2006, p. 135).

Building upon students’ heritage language and culture does not only benefit students’
academic success but also empowers them as individuals. A culturally responsive
classroom environment allows students to feel respected and safe to learn and participate.
Teachers should invest time to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust among the
students. According to Navin Singh, having a mismatch between school and home can
result in; teacher-student confrontation and miscommunication, hostility, alienation,
poor self-esteem, and school failure (2011) they share creating a sense of tolerance.
Culturally appropriate education helps students reflect on social justice topics discussed in
the classroom developing critical thinkers and liberates them from ignorance and fear.
Teachers need to take the time to develop and modify their academic curriculum to include
their students’ different cultural background to create a more positive, and productive
school experience for all children.

Assumptions
Big C culture
(Claire Kramsch) ‘big C’ culture, it is the hallmark of the cultivated middle-class.
Because it has been instrumental in building the nation-state during the 19th century, big C
culture has been promoted by the state and its institutions (e.g., schools and universities) as
national patrimony. It is the culture traditionally taught with standard national languages.
Teaching about the history, the institutions, the literature and the arts of the target country
embeds the target language in the reassuring continuity of a national community that gives
it meaning and value. National cultures are always bound up with notions of the ‘good’ and
‘proper’ way of life which is why they elicit pride and loyalty.

Little c culture
(Claire Kramsch) With the focus now on communication and interaction in social
contexts, the most relevant concept of culture since the 80’s has been that of ‘little c’
culture, also called ‘small cultures’ (Holliday, 1999) of everyday life. It includes the native
speakers’ ways of behaving, eating, talking, dwelling, their customs, their beliefs and
values. Research in the cultural component of language learning has been deeply interested
in cross-cultural pragmatics and the sociolinguistic appropriateness of language use in its
authentic cultural context.
Even though everyday cultural practices are as varied as a native speaker’s use of language
in everyday life, the focus is on the typical, sometimes stereotypical, behaviors, foods,
celebrations and customs of the dominant group or of that group of native speakers that is
the most salient to foreign eyes. Striking in this concept of culture is the maintenance of the
focus on national characteristics and the lack of historical depth.

(Zahra Ghorbani Shemshadsara) Kumaravadivelu (2003) holds what the traditional

approach to the teaching of culture ignores is the rich diversity of world views that learners
bring with them to the language classroom. That is, even if a group of learners appear to
belong to a seemingly homogeneous national or linguistic entity, their life values, life
choices, life-styles, and, therefore their world view may significantly vary. In that sense,
most classes, according to Kumaravadivelu, are not monocultural cocoons but rather are
multicultural mosaics.
Ho (2009) claims still, the development of the cultural awareness in English language
classes may be influenced by a number of constraints, namely the teacher’s cultural
knowledge, the availability of native English speakers, time allowance for culture teaching
in each lesson or even the system of education itself. The teacher has been considered the
expert knower of the language (Kramsch & Sullivan, 1996) and his/her own cultural
knowledge thus seems to be the main source for students to learn about. Time allowance for
culture teaching is also a big issue for teachers as lessons are already very loaded. In spite
of that, if teachers know how to incorporate language and culture in language teaching in a
flexible way, they can solve the problem easily and even make their lessons more
interesting (Ho, 2009, p. 63–76).
As Hui (2005) puts forth language teachers must remember that people from different
cultures learn things in different ways. For example, in China memorization is the most
pronounced way to study a language which is very unlike western ideologies where the
onus is placed of free speech as a tool for utilizing and remembering vocabulary and
grammar sequences. Maley (1986) asserts that when a teacher introduces language teaching
materials, such as books and handouts, they must understand that these will be viewed
differently by students depending on their cultural views. In fact, one should not only
compare but also contrast the cultural differences in language usage. Visualizing and
understanding the differences between the two will enable the student to correctly judge the
appropriate uses language idiocyncracies. (Leveridge, 2008)

(Yamith José Fandiño-Parra, Jenny Raquel Bermúdez-Jiménez, Víctor Elías Lugo-

Vásquez) Mufwene (2010) ha llamado la atención sobre lo que ha decidido nombrar la
falacia del inglés global: la sobrevaloración del rol de la lengua inglesa en la economía
globalizada. Esta sobrevaloración es especialmente notable en contextos como el nuestro en
el que existe una proporción asimétrica de población urbana y rural: In places that are still
on the margins of economic globalization, the presence of English remains scant, especially
where the rural population still exceeds the urban one. Although one will always come
across peddlers who manage to speak some English at craft markets and in other touristic
areas, for commercial purposes, the proportion of educated people who still do not speak
English (confidently) is too high to be overlooked (Mufwene, 2010, p. 46).

Por otra parte, los lineamientos del PNB parecen reflejar la mera transposición de ciertos
estándares internacionales en pro de la globalización a nuestro sistema educativo, sin que
haya mediado una reflexión pública sobre su trasfondo y pertinencia. Particularmente, en el
Programa se hacen evidentes nociones de exactitud, autoridad, prestigio y legitimidad, que
encierran elementos ideológicos que desencadenan tanto la uniformidad en el uso de la
lengua como la implantación de “una cultura” en los pueblos (Milroy, 2007). Estos autores
señalan que el documento parece fomentar o, al menos, propiciar el desconocimiento de las
características regionales, las culturas locales y los contextos de las instituciones educativas
al favorecer un modelo de sociedad hegemónico que anula o menosprecia la diferencia.

Para él, la noción instrumentalista del bilingüismo español-inglés no solo excluye a las
lenguas indígenas y las demás lenguas extranjeras, sino que impone discursos y prácticas
importadas al país en detrimento del conocimiento local. Por otra parte, señala Usma que el
PNB sirve al propósito de estratificar, incluir y excluir a estudiantes y profesores al
dividirlos según los resultados de exámenes. Esta situación, afirma este autor, favorece la
consolidación de un mercado lucrativo en torno a la certificación del inglés en Colombia,
mercado provechoso para unas pocas entidades en su mayoría extranjeras.

Nonetheless, Choudhury (2013) claims that in more traditional societies, EFL

language teachers are hardly aware of the importance of cultural teaching. They sometimes
rely on the application of grammatical rules in oral and written practice. In some cases,
learning about the target culture is seen as a threat to the native values, and the importance
of linguistically relevant information is neglected. Since having a close contact with the
target culture and its speakers is a rare opportunity for all language learners in countries
from outer and expanding circles (Kachru, 1992), learners cannot appreciate the importance
of learning the cultural aspects of communication unless they visit a foreign country and
experience the difficulties. Nonverbal aspects of target culture are sometimes acquired from
movies and TV serials, which are far from being helpful for communicative purposes or
may sometimes develop misconceptions or stereotypes
In addition, Cruz (2007) asserts that students and teachers are unaware of the cultural
aspects of language learning and teaching, both students and teachers may be speakers of a
language but still not be intercultural speakers.

Enseñar cultura, un desafío del docente colombiano.

Educación basada en la cultura, un desafío del docente colombiano en la enseñanza del inglés.
Educación intercultural en Colombia, un reto…

Estrategias para la integración de la enseñanza de la cultura, un reto para los docentes

colombianos.

…y estrategias para enseñar cultura en Colombia.

Maleta didáctica San Agustín, mi patrimonio es de la humanidad: This suitcase has

been presented like a ludic and interactive invitation for the students, to discover how was
the life of San Agustín, according to Varón (2016) el objetivo de la maleta es dar a conocer
el conocimiento arqueológico de una sociedad prehispánica de hace 2.000 años en
Colombia, a través de diferentes elementos como: una orejera, una estatua, un colgante,
un cascabel, una copa, una alcarraza, una nariguera, una diadema, un mortero con su
mano, un celular, una pirinola, un juego de sellos, tarjetas, una cartilla para el docente,
afiches, un material de apoyo y actividades didácticas llevando a cabo temáticas desde la
arqueología hasta lo patrimonial. Además contiene 3 actividades: “La vida en San
Agustín” donde los estudiantes tendrían una idea sobre lo que es la muerte y la
cosmogonía. “Recuperada ayer maleta del arqueólogo Luque Gámez” un juego de roles
donde los estudiantes son detectives y luego arqueólogos y su propósito es darle sentido
de patrimonio a los objetos que buscan. Luego está el “diario de viaje por el Huila” un
recorrido con una niña para conocer diferentes municipios y reconocer el patrimonio como
son: fiestas, gastronomía, entre otros. Por último, se encuentra la actividad lúdica para
reconocer el patrimonio cultural “¡Estatua! ¡Defendemos nuestro patrimonio!”
Maleta didáctica Amazonas: esta maleta tiene en su interior objetos como: el banquito
del chaman, la canoa, el arco, la flecha, la corona de plumas, collares, entre otros, que
usan los indígenas actuales de las etnias Yukuna, Ticuna y Huitoto. Estos objetos motivan
a los estudiantes a descubrir la diversidad cultural de Colombia. Banco de la Republica
(2017)
Maleta Calima: narraciones indígenas, animales míticos: en esta maleta se
encuentran mitos actuales indígenas con animales modelados en arcilla de hace 500,
1.00 y 3.00 años de la región Calima, Valle del Cauca. Además, tiene como objetivo la
apreciación de los animales como arte y literatura y a través de ellos se puede valorar los
mitos como patrimonio inmaterial de la cultura colombiana, así como también el
patrimonio arqueológico y ecológico. Banco de la Republica (2017)
Maleta Cauca: espejo de la diversidad de Colombia: en esta maleta se encuentran
actividades arqueológicas de Tierradentro, Guambía, volcanes nevados de la Cordillera
Central, entre otros lugares de Colombia, con el propósito de conocer la diversidad
biofísica, étnica y cultural. Banco de la Republica (2017)
Maleta Juego Amazonas: en esta maleta se encuentra un juego de mesa con retos de
chamanes y poderes que hacen que el jugador cambie su identidad animal. En ella se
hace un recorrido a pie y en canoa los ríos y selvas del Departamento del Amazonas
como lo hacen los indígenas ticunas, huitotos y yacunas. Banco de la Republica (2017)
Maleta Juego de Zenúes, los señores del agua: esta maleta propone un juego que
asume el rol de los antiguos cacicazgos zenúes de hace 2.000 años, así como también
como cuidar el agua como lo hizo esta comunidad prehispánica en forma lúdica con una
lectura activa y comprensiva. Banco de la Republica (2017)
Maleta La música de la vida: esta maleta contiene instrumentos musicales tradicionales
de Colombia. Algunos son réplicas de excavaciones arqueológicas y otros han sido
recolectados en las actuales comunidades indígenas, negras o campesinas. También
tiene actividades con videos y sonidos para conocer a Colombia pluriétnica y multicultural.
Banco de la Republica (2017)
Maleta Los muiscas y su organización social: esta maleta contiene un video de un
ancestro muisca como un caso real en una sociedad y objetos arqueológicos de los
cacicazgos muiscas de Cundinamarca y Boyacá en la conquista española y el rol que
desempeñaba en la sociedad como los hilos de la política eran manejados por el cacique,
el ámbito religioso era ocupado por el chamán, los productos eran traídos y llevados por el
mercader y la producción se daba por los agricultores y artesanos. Banco de la Republica
(2017)
Maleta Los Zenúes y el manejo del medio ambiente: esta maleta muestra a los Zenúes
como una sociedad ancestral, inteligente, creativa y solidaria que resolvió un problema
ambiental como lo es el aprovechamiento de las inundaciones que durante ocho meses al
año inundan su región, aprovechando el agua y los recursos que ella ofrece. Esta maleta
permite tomar conciencia ecológica y responsabilidad individual y colectiva en actividades
cotidianas como: encender la luz, cerrar la llave del agua, botar basura, entre otros. El
propósito es que apoya la creación de grupos PRAES en las instituciones escolares para
crear jornadas ecológicas culturales. Banco de la Republica (2017)
Maleta Nariño: arte prehispánico: en esta maleta se encuentra actividades de expresión,
arte y dibujo con técnicas prehispánicas. Además, se encuentra un afiche didáctico con un
atuendo de orfebrería de un cacique de los Pastos. Banco de la Republica (2017)
Maleta Noticias de 16.000 años: los primeros pobladores de Colombia llegaron hace 16
milenios para conocer y convivir en un ambiente muy diverso. En esta maleta los
estudiantes conocerán el modo de vida, la adaptación, la invención de la cerámica, la
orfebrería y la agricultura de estos pobladores. El objetivo es organizaran un periódico
escolar e imaginaran las noticias sobre el futuro con el fin de dejar un legado a sus
descendientes pero formando antes un esquema cronológico escuchando noticias de la
conquista, la independencia y el presente. Banco de la Republica (2017)
Maleta Quimbaya: el cuerpo es cultura: en esta maleta se encuentran objetos (réplicas
y originales) como: narigueras, pectorales y orejeras que pertenecen a la Historia
prehispánica del Cauca en sociedades quimbayas. El tema del cuerpo, el adorno y de
cómo nos identificamos nosotros mismos y la expresión del lenguaje corporal. Pintar un
autoretrato y aplicar sellos prehispánicos o representar una situación pensando en la ética
y los valores, es una forma de reconocer que somos integrantes de un mismo cuerpo
social. Banco de la Republica (2017)

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