1) Damen, L. (1987)  Culture learning:  The fifth dimension in the language classroom.  Reading, MA:  Addison-Wesley.

Chapter 8:  A voyage of discovery:  Learning a new culture.  pp. 137-152.

2) Galloway, V. (1997).  Toward a cultural reading of authentic texts.  In P. Heusinkveld (Ed.) Pathways to culture (pp. 255-87).  Yarmouth, ME:  Intercultural Press.  In PDF format

3) Garcia, C. (1997).  Using authentic reading texts to discover underlying sociocultural information.  In P. Heusinkveld (Ed.) Pathways to culture (pp. 303-326).  Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. In PDF format

Garcia presents a set of reading activities for authentic reading materials that correspond to Galloway's framework for L2 reading instruction.  These activities are intended to improve the reading skills of L2 readers and to help them access the underlying sociocultural context reflected in a text.

4) Gordon, R.L. (1986) Living in Latin America: A Case Study in Cross-Cultural Communication.

This case study in the uses of household space looks at the miscommunications that occur when an American tries to cope with life in a Columbian household.  The various rooms discussed in the study are the bathroom, bedroom, living room, and dining room.  Additional chapters include the guest's general role in the family and the guest's specific relationships with different family members.

5)  Hahn, S.L (1976).  Strategies for increasing cross-cultural awareness.  In P. Heusinkveld (Ed.) Pathways to culture (pp.499-522).  Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press

Strategies developed by workshop particpants and published by Nebraska State Department of Education.

6) Heusinkveld, Paula, R. The Foreign Language Classroom: A Forum for Understanding Cultural Stereotypes. In P. Heusinkveld (Ed.) Pathways to culture (pp.487-497).  Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press

7) Lafayette, R. C. (1997).  Integrating the teaching of culture into the foreign language classroom. In P. Heusinkveld (Ed.),  Pathways to culture (pp. 119-148).  Yarmouth, ME:  Intercultural Press. In PDF format

This article presents Lafayette's model for teaching culture as well as examples of practicial applications that integrate language and culture.  There are activities for integrating the teaching of culture with the teaching of vocabulary, grammar, listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing.

8) Loeb Adler, L. (Ed.) (1993). International handbook on gender roles. Westport, CT: Greenwook Press.

This editor has collected studies dealing with women's issues from 31 different countries in order to provide a cross-cultural view of gender roles. 

Chapters of interest:

Davido, R. and O'Donoghue, M.A., "France." (pp 77-84). 

Diaz-Fuerrero, R. and Rodriguez de Diaz, M. "Mexico." (pp 199-215). 

Denmark, F.L. "United States of America." (pp 452-467).

9) Luce, L.F. (Ed.). (1994). The French-speaking world: An anthology of cross-cultural perspectives. Lincolnwook:     IL: National Textbook Company. 

Chapters of interest:

Rhinesmith, S. "Cultural values and intercultural adjustment." (pp. 8-23). 
To make sense of another culture, we need to look for a new value system.  The suthor identifies the blind spots that often interfere with our understanding of people from other cultures.

Spencer, S. and Millman, M. "French and American women in the feminine press: A cross-cultural look." (pp. 103-123).
From Ms. And McCall's to Marie-Claire and F Magazine, these women's magazines reveal how French and Americans define roles by gender.

Steiner, S. "The female factor: "The other" rearticulated and La femme." (pp. 162-182). 
The French female?  Whether a child, an adolescent or an adult, she clearly differs from her American and other European counterparts.

Stewart, E.C. "American cultural patterns: Form of social relations." (pp. 24-41). 
By looking at the American home, school and workplace, we begin to see how American behavior patterns differ from those of the French-speaking world.

Wylie, L. "French value orientations." (pp. 76-102).
The author identifies several values that mark the daily routines of the French.  Among them are traditions, structure, hierarchy, and the French esprit critique.

10) Luce, L.F. (Ed). (1992). The Spanish-speaking world: An anthology of cross-cultural perspectives. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Company. 

Chapters of interest:

Brandes, S. "Women of southern Spain: Aspirations, fantasies, realities." (pp. 332-348). 
Drawing from his research, the author identifies the ideals of womanhood in southern Spain and what is socially acceptable behavior for women.  He then turns to women's potential for achievement within the limits of a male-dominated culture and the obstacles that hinder their achievement.

Driessen, G. "Male sociability and rituals of masculinity in rural Andalusia." (pp. 316-331). 
By studying male social interactions in rural Andalusian bars, the author identifies why the bar is central to male socializaion in this rural setting.  We also discover how masculine display riturals are linked to contradictions between ideal and actual sex roles.

Garcia, C. "A cross-cultural study of politeness strategies: Venezuelan and American perspectives." (pp. 146-163).
A study comparing how U.S. and Venezuelan women use politeness shows a connection between culturally determined rules of politeness, communication styles, and the ways Venezuelan and U.S. women relate to others.

Gudykunstk, W.B. and Yun Kim, Y. "Cultural variations in message decoding." (pp. 34-51). 
"Do you hear what I hear?" Effective communication across cultures depends on reading the context correctly.  Using examples from several cultures, we learn how culture controls the style and meaning of our message.

Hanvey, R. "Cross-cultural awareness." (pp. 22-33). 
The author offers some guidelines on what one can do to prepare to encounter a new culture, whether through travel to another country or by meeting cultural difference here at home.

Paz, O.. "Mexico and the United States." (pp. 56-70). 
A respected Nobel prize winner argues that Mexico and the U.S. are two distinct versions of Western civilization.  They differ not because of an imbalance of political or economic power, but because of profound cultural differences.

Sunshine, C. "Unifying themes in Caribbean cultures." (pp. 100-107).
If the hallmark of the Caribbean is diversity of race, religion, language, and culture, the Caribbean nations are unified by their common past under colonial governments and their present struggle for economic and cultural survival.

11) Luce, L.F. and Smith, E.C. (Eds.). (1987). Towards Internationalism. Cambridge, MA: Harper & Row. 

    These editors have collect readings in cross-cultural communication that are some of the classics.

Chapters of interest:

Adler, P.S. "Culture shock and the cross-cultural learning experience. (pp. 24-35). 

Morain, G.G."Kinesics and cross-cultural understanding." (pp. 117-142). 
In this chapter, Morain discusses the nonverbal channel of expression which includes posture and movement, facial expression, gaze and eye movement, gestures, proxemics, and kinesic universals.  This is a must chapter for anyone interested in nonverbal communication.  

Steward, E.C. "American assumptions and values: Orientation to action." (pp.51-72). 

Sullivan, C.A. "Machismo and its cultural dimension." (pp. 88-95).

12)  Spinelli, E & Siskin, J. H. (1997).  Selecting, Presenting and Practicing Vocabulary in a Culturally Authentic Context.  In P. Heusinkveld (Ed.),  Pathways to culture (pp. 225-245).  Yarmouth, ME:  Intercultural Press.

13) Merrill Valdes, J. (Ed.). (1986). Cultural bound: Bridging the cultural gap in language teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press. 

This book contains chapters on the following: Part I: Language, thought, and culture; Part II: Cultural differences and similarities; and Part III: Classroom applications.  This is an excellent reference book with ideas for your Four-Year Culture Plan as well as background information for many of our discussions.

14) Seelye, H. N. (1997) Teaching Culture:  Strategies for Intercultural Communication.  (3rd. ed.) Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Company. 

Chapter 1: Cultural Context, the Key to Comprehension

Chapter 2: What is Culture?

Chapter 3: The Cultural Mazeway: Six Organizing Goals

Chapter 4: I Am Curious, Blue

Chapter 5: Building a Survival Kit for Culture Shock

Chapter 6: Who Does It? The Role of Social Variables in Predicting Behavior

Chapter 7: What Images Lurk Therin? Cultural Connotations of Words and Actions

Chapter 8: Fitting the Where of Behavior to the When of Circumstance

Chapter 9: Why Do People Do That? The Rationale behind Behavior

Chapter 10: There's Gold in Them Thar Hills: Exploring the Target Culture

15) Zanger, V.V. (1984) Exploracion Intercultural: Una guia para el estudiante. Rowley, MS: Newbury House. (Available in PDF Format below)

This book is a guide for intercultural investigations that emphasizes an interview technique adapted from ethnographic approaches developed by anthropologists.  The book introduces eleven topics for investigation by students of Spanish and gives them background information and vocabulary for each topic.  The purpose of the book is to structure the students' interviews and focus the class discussion of the data they gather.  Some of the topics included in this book are courtesy, gestures, greetings, family structure, male/female roles, the concept of time, and many more.  Check this book for more topics and background information.

Chapter 1:  Los saludos:  Formas y significados

Chapter 2:  Los gestos latinos

Chapter 3:  La cortesia

Chapter 4:  La estructura familiar

Chapter 5:  Los roles masculinos y femeninos

Chapter 6:  El concepto del tiempo

Chapter 7:  Las transaciones monetarias

Chapter 8:  El sistema escolar latinoamericano

Chapter 9:  Las comidas latinas

Chapter 10:  Migraciones e inmigraciones:  Presentes y pasadas

Chapter 11:  El bilingüismo

1) Abrate, J.E. (1993). French cuisine in the classroom: Using culture to enhance language proficiency. Foreign Language Annals, 26, 1, 31-37.  Print this article here:  PDF format

French cuisine offers a valuable resource for creating culture-based contexts for language use in the classroom.  Situating a food in its historical and social context prior to tasting, following up the experience with a detailed discussion of student reactions, and comparing the situation to other aspects of French or American eating habits permit learners to appreciate more fully the important sensory differences between cultures.  This article presents numerous suggestions and ideas for exercises incorporating food-related activities in the French class. 

2) Arries, J.F. (1994). Constructing culture study units: A blueprint and practical tools. Foreign Language Annals, 27, 4, 523-534.  Print this article here:  PDF format

For years the leading voices in foreign language education have spoken to the issue of how to incorporate culture study in the second language classroom.  There are essentially two schools of thought about culture study: a traditional "activity" approach and an "anthropology-process" model.  Both schools have inspired innovative and successful techniques, yet seldom do the theorists of either group relate these to a specific language acquisition theory.  A theoretical foundation for any model of culture study is important to practitioners, as it provides a blueprint according to which teachers can judge the adequacy of the activities in their repertoire.  In this essay, the author describes three integrated activities that students and teachers can use as tools to construct and evaluate a culture study unit at the novice level.  He concludes with a summary of a psycholinguistic theory of language acquisition and appends examples and evaluation forms.

3) Evans, G.A. and Gonzalez, O, O. (1993). Reading "inside" the lines: An adventure in developing cultural understanding. Foreign Language Annals, 26, 1, 39-48.

One of the major concerns of the foreign language profession today is to find a way to promote better cross-cultural understanding while continuing to develop linguistic skills.  This paper presents a series of oral and written tasks based on authentic written texts.
In this case, the texts taken from magazines for Hispanic readers, clearly reflect the traditional Hispanic cultural value placed on close ties among family and friends.  A series of activities grouped into pre-reading, reading, and post-reading tasks is provided along with some student responses to them.  After locating appropriate authentic tests, activities can of course be designed for any language.
The authors argue in favor of such task progressions for authentic texts.  Reading "inside the lines" can be a motivating and enjoyable adventure for the students, and developing the tasks can be a similar challenge for the teacher.

4) Flewelling, J.L. (1994). The teaching of culture: Guidelines from the National Core French Study of Canada. Foreign Language Annals, 27, 2, 133-141. 

Core French teachers have been faced with a number of changes in approach with regard to the teaching of French as a Second Language.  One such change is the increased emphasis being put on the teaching of culture.  The culture Syllabus of The National Core French Study offers not only a theoretical look at how and why culture should be taught in FSL programs, but it also provides examples of cultural topics and practical activities which could help them integrate these topics into their teaching programs.  This article looks at the implications of the Culture Syllabus of The National Core French Study for foreign language teachers.  It also examines some of the suggestions made regarding how culture should be taught.  The information is such that it could be adapted to any foreign language teaching situation.  A list of Canadian sources for cultural information can be found in the Appendix at the end of the article.

5) Jourdain, S. (1998). Building connections to culture: A student-centered approach. Foreign Language Annals, 31, 3, 439-450. Print this article here:  PDF format

This paper provides a model for becoming more student-centered when addressing cultural materials in the classroom.  The model is comprised of three phases: 1) an information- gathering phase: 2) a target-language communication phase: 3) a phase in which values are discussed.  Phases (1) and (2) shift the task of gathering and presenting cultural materials from the teacher to the student, leaving the teacher free to act as facilitator.  The teacher's expertise is also required to guide students as they subsequently reflect on the values of the culture they are studying.  This student-centered focus on culture helps students to strengthen their research skills, allows them practice in communicating in the target language, and builds greater understanding of the values inherent in foreign cultures.

6) Mantle-Bromley, C. (1993). Preparing teachers to make a difference in global education. Foreign Language Annals, 26, 2, 208-216.

Our nation is in critical need of a globally competent citizenry.  Educational leaders have increasingly called upon second language teachers to accept partial responsibility for preparing today's students for tomorrow's complex, interdependent world.  Given the inseparable nature of language and culture and the complexities of intercultural communication, language teachers are uniquely placed to teach their students cultural understanding and intercultural skills. 
Unfortunately, many tachers lack a comprehension of the essence of culture and of the cultural-learning processes, both of which are fundamental to teaching culture in a progressive, skill-building fashion.  Through no fault of their own, they may not have the tools necessary to teach for global understanding.
This article describes an experimental course.  This course tested the hypothesis that teachers, given an in-depth understanding of culture and culture-learning theory, and given the experiences necessary to discern the process both affectively and cognitively for increased global skills and understanding.

7) Martinez-Gibson, E. (1998). A study on cultural awareness through commercials and writing. Foreign Language Annals, 31, 1, 115-131.

This study presents the results of two groups of Spanish compositions from fifth-semester students.  The written assignment was to compare the cultural differences observed in a television commercial shown in the classroom.  The participants were divided into two groups: Group NCD (the Non-Culture Discussion Group) was given the writing task with no pre- or post viewing culture-discussion activities; Group CD (the Culture discussion Group) was given the same writing task with pre- and postviewing cultre discussion activities.  The purpose of this study was two fold: 1) to assess the students' ability to observe cultural differences between the target culture and their native culture as presented in the commercial, and 2) to assess how the procedures to view the commercial affected the quality of their writing.  The compositions were compared observing the cultural themes and the writing skills.  The results indicate the importance of follow-up activities, such as those used with Group CD, for the commerical viewing.

8) Ortuno, M.M. (1991). Cross-Cultural Awareness in the Foreign Language Class: The Kluckhohn Model. The Modern Language Journal, 75, 4, 449-459. In PDF Format