| Foreign language is an important part of education in the United States. With the ever more diverse nation in which we live, it has become paramount that students learn more about others who do not share the same cultural background and/or language. In spite of this, foreign language acquisition has often been a difficult process for many students. One reason for this is that language is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon and therefore has many essential components which make it what it is. Among these components is the structural and grammatical side of language. Frequently, foreign language classes focus on engraining in the students the grammar, structural issues, and vocabulary of the target language due to the importance this component has on the ability to communicate in the target language. However, the process of becoming "socialized" into the language through learning how to actually communicate in the language as well as having a knowledge of the culture are equally important components required to fully comprehend a given language. Nevertheless, due to the importance often placed on the grammatical aspects mentioned above, communication and culture are often left out of the normal foreign language curriculum. Here I will argue that despite how difficult it may be to Communication and Culture in Foreign Language Learning provide these elements to foreign language students, these elements are essential for true acquisition to take place.; In this study, I examined language acquisition theory and how the role of communication and culture fit into what it means to actually become proficient in a language. I then discussed what was being done in the foreign language classroom with regards to providing students with real-life exposures of the target language through incorporating communicative competence and cultural aspects. To determine this, I examined three beginning Spanish classrooms at a university in the Rocky Mountain region. I observed if and how communicative and cultural aspects of the language were a part of the regular language teaching. This examination will help in understanding whether or not what the theory says is required for language acquisition to occur was indeed what was happening in these particular foreign language classrooms. |
