L5 - ACTIVITY 5.3

L5 - Activity 5.3

1- Describe an example of exercise, or unit, from a book, dealing with intercultural competence.

English File: Pre-intermediate Student’s Book, is one of the examples that we can use with our students in order to apply intercultural competence. 

In this textbook we can find some examples of interesting exercises that go beyond of the classic “fill the gaps” activities, i.e, we can find in page 14 a text called A moment in history about the election of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States of America, using this social event as the conductive thread of a reading activity.

But we can find other kinds of activities, not only texts. In this same coursebook there is a very interesting listening activity about the life of those teenagers who are wheelchair users, and more activities related with other intercultural topics.  

2- In your opinion, has the subject been dealt with appropriately? Explain why it has or why it has not.
A moment in history, is a very interesting text about how the afroamerican breed has changed on the USA society, a topic that goes beyonf the curriculum. The text includes the grammar and the vocabulary of the unit, but is also a great opportunity of bring the intercultural aspects of our society to our classrooms as something real, meaningful and worthy for the student.

Is an example of how to EFL exercises can also help the students on his/her way to become in critical thinkers.

3- How would present/include it in your teaching?
 The reading of the text A moment in history could be a very useful tool to work the Curriculum and behind it. But it will be a more complete activity if it would include a chance to make the students build their own knowledge, using the Constructivism theories for that, it would be interesting add some some pre-reading activities and a debate as a post-reading activity.