LAC 28:CVII.1101. Focus

A. Students become better equipped to reflect on their native language and culture after having studied other languages and cultures. As students become aware of and sensitive to the behaviors, perspectives, and products of the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, they acquire a perspective from which to examine and analyze their own culture, and its origins, more objectively. B. One of the most direct methods available to understanding a world different from our own is through the learning of a second language. The second language classroom should serve as a springboard for cross-cultural comparisons and help students take on a new and broader perspective (Curtain and Pesola, 1994). C. Students often express that through the study of another language they develop a deeper understanding of the syntactical structuring of their own language. Even simple vocabulary instruction can provide new cultural vistas for the classical language learner. It can therefore be seen that this comparative approach can begin at a very early stage in the instruction of second languages.