Towards Critique: The Place of Culture in English Language Teaching

Abstract

This study explores in a descriptive way the overlapping relation between culture and English-language teaching. It lays out the different points of view and interpretations of linguistic researchers about the hot debate of the importance of introducing culture into ESL/EFL classrooms. While some believe that the current age of globalization needs us to expose our ESL/EFL learners to foreign cultures in their ESL/EFL learning, others disagree and deny the importance of doing so. Some go more radical and consider it as linguistic imperialism that should be excluded. The current study also discusses the opinions and views of researchers on the integration of language teaching and culture with some empirical studies.