Building Turkish Cultural Competence Through Movies

Cem BALÇIKANLI

University of Florida

Center for European Studies

E-mail: [email protected]

12th Annual NCOLCTL Conference, 2009

Madison, USA

Building Turkish Cultural Competence through Movies

MAP

* Cultural Competence

* Use of Movies

* Scenes from movies

* Students’ comments

* My comments

* Conclusion

people involved in language teaching have again begun to understand the

intertwined relation between culture and language (Pulverness 2003)

culture influences language teaching in two ways: linguistic and pedagogical

(McKay 2003)

Movies present language in a way that is often more natural (authentic) than that

found in course-books, the fantastic visual context aids understanding and

boosts listening, and students just simply love them.

What do movies provide?

How about

cultural frames?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.O.R.A.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfApseHHY4s&feature=related(3.05)

It was interesting to note that Turkish people pour some water down after someone goes away for a long time.

Even though I dont understand why they do (pouring water down), it is an aspect of Turkish culture.

I found out that they do it because they do believe that their beloved relatives will go back very fast.

http://www.turkishculture.org/http://www.geocities.com/resats/culture.html#social

Students’comments

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Father,_My_Son

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltz6-jrhmUY&feature=related(7.50)

Students’ comments

From the movie “ Babam ve Oglum”, I learned that you guys in Turkey kiss your elders’ hands as you respect them.

In the film 'Babam ve Oğlum' I can see lifestyle contrasts between Istanbul and Anatolia, where differences in accents, dress, and familial relations were clearly visible.

It was a decent movie.

I think this is something cultural, to kiss your elders’ hands when you see them. I wish it would be here , in the US, too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCle_G%C3%BCle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4sgzEOrFxg&feature=related(5.12)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkUuu7vusZE&feature=related(2.15)

Students’ comments

Friends greet each other with a kiss on each cheek. Then they stop and

they meet another man and they kiss each other in the face.

There is great respect for elders, and the elders often take care of the

younger.

He (Metin Akpinar) didnt let her (Nilufer Acikalin) pay for the drink.

There was the part where they put the handkerchief on the side

view of mirror of the car as they were going to the airport to show that

Galip was going to be with his beloved.

CONCLUSION

Movies are influential in building cultural competence.

Learners are involved in cultural components of a language through movies due to the fact

that they are exposed to lifestyles, people attitudes, and beliefs.

Movies increased students’ interests in learning Turkish.

Thank you very much