oa Cultuurtekst als middel voor interculturele reflectie

This article posits that language teaching methods which implicitly assume a direct link between one particular national culture and one particular language cannot address the changing needs of language learners in contemporary multicultural societies, which are characterized by increased mobility and cultural complexity. It further charts different views of intercultural communication and, along with Kumaravadivelu (2008), takes a view of language and culture pedagogy as leading to cultural ‘transformation’ rather than providing cultural information. An example of an approach in the field of teaching Dutch as a foreign language is provided. This cultuurtekst approach encourages learners to reflect on the multiplicity of discourses in texts – global as well as nationally articulated ones. It is the self-reflexivity of students in considering these discourses and relating them to their own experiences which sets a step towards the pedagogic aim of cultural transformation.