Addressing Cultural Taboos, Politeness Norms, or Idiomatic Expressions in English Language Teaching
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Cultural taboos, politeness norms, and idiomatic expressions are some salient aspects that must be included in ELT. Through these elements, communicative competence and intercultural understanding can be brought out among learners. Language and culture are inseparable; language teaching beyond grammatical and lexical competence will be socio-culturally sound. Cultural taboos such as what topics are inappropriate or offending in certain societies may bring misunderstanding if not handled delicately. Similarly, politeness norms vary widely across cultures and influence how requests, refusals, and compliments are expressed. ELT teachers need to navigate these differences by creating awareness without imposing one cultural perspective over another. In many cases, idiomatic expressions carry a meaning that can only be said indirectly and cause problems with non-native speakers. To avoid misunderstandings, idiomatic expressions need to be provided in a context where they could be accompanied by their explanations and illustrative examples. Cultural awareness in ELT encourages students to consider that their culture plays a part in a language and puts them ready for cross-cultural communication without creating offense or misunderstanding. This paper explores the importance of addressing these aspects in ELT, discussing strategies for teachers to incorporate cultural taboos, politeness norms, and idiomatic expressions in a way that enriches students' language learning experience while promoting global communication skills. Through an inclusive and culturally sensitive learning environment, ELT programs can better equip learners to thrive in increasingly multicultural and interconnected global contexts.
Author: B. Vivilia Arivu Mani* & Dr. M. Kannadhasan**
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6949617825
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