Teaching-Learning Anglophone Cultures at the University of Pedagogical Sciences of Holguín and at the ELC of Shantou University: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative study of the teaching-learning process of Anglophone cultures through the English as a foreign language programs of Shantou University, Guangdong, China, and Universidad de Ciencias Pedagógicas “José de la Luz y Caballero”, Holguín, Cuba. As criteria for the comparison, the authors have selected the objectives, teaching methods, and resources of the two institutions. The comparative analysis allowed for the determination of the main trends common to both universities: the teaching of language as a means to an end, the active participation of faculties in the elaboration of teaching materials and textbooks for the specific courses they teach, the validity of research work aimed at improving the teaching resources for the EFL courses offered at both universities, the use of the communicative approach as a general method for the teaching-learning process, and the development of co-curricular activities to enhance the teaching-learning of cultural elements. The analysis also allowed for a reflection on how the distinct departmental/institutional structures of the two schools may lead to some significant differences in terms of educational focus. Finally, the analysis provoked questions concerning the balance between culture teaching-learning and intercultural communication training.