The aim of the Culture in ELT project is to support the introduction of intercultural approaches into English teaching in response to the changing role of English and the needs of Polish learners.

We are doing this through:

·         producing materials and activities with a variety of learner outcomes, which are available on the British       Studies website: http://elt.britcoun.org.pl
·         giving teachers, learners, and trainers greater choice in the classroom
·         encouraging open, investigatory and intercultural attitudes within language learning
·         providing space and a welcoming atmosphere for exploring culture in ELT.

 

We see culture in ELT as the point where languages and real worlds meet as partners of equal importance, where teachers and learners:

·         are given the opportunity to reflect on the role of culture in foreign language teaching
·         can develop the awareness and skills necessary for using English in its new "real world" contexts
·         can use English as a means of exchanging cultures communicatively.

There are four strands to our activities:

1.       Teacher Education and Development, where we co-operate with methodologists to introduce intercultural approaches into pre-service teacher training and enable trainers to lead INSETT courses directly with practising teachers

2.       IATEFL Special Interest Group, where we transfer the skills, knowledge, networks and assets within the project to Polish partners

3.       British Studies Webpages: http://elt.britcoun.org.pl, where we develop and provide materials and activities for English language teaching and learning which reflect intercultural approaches and provide a Teachers’ Forum, where teachers and trainers can find discussion, examples of intercultural approaches, background articles and up-to-date information

4.       International Summer School: where we showcase the project's aims, provide training, encourage participants to produce intercultural materials for classroom use, and provide opportunities for international networking.

To find out more about the Culture in ELT project, please visit our website: http://elt.britcoun.org.pl or
contact Ewelina Wróblewska, ELT/Education Officer, ewelina.wroblewska@britishcouncil.pl ELT/Education Officer, The British Council, Al. Jerozolimskie 59, 00-697 Warsaw, Poland
tel: +48 0 (prefix) 22 585 10 82; fax: +48 0 (prefix) 22 585 10 64 , or Małgorzata Zdybiewska, Lead Consultant, mzdybiewska@poczta.fm