Abstract:

The present paper offers a brief overview of the role of culture in language teaching and learning. Before the 1960s, there was a clear distinction between language and culture; learners of a second/foreign language were mainly studying the language in order to read literature and gain access to foreign civilization through their readings. Later on, mainly in the 1970s, the emphasis shifted towards communication and foreign language learners were listening to audio recordings, studying spoken as well as written language; after 1980, it has been acknowledged that culture should become part of language teaching and a cultural syllabus has become part of L2 and FL leaning in various contexts. Nowadays, language and culture should not be separated and culture teaching has been acknowledged as an essential part of second and foreign language pedagogy.

In this framework, we will define culture in the field of L2/FL in various ways and discuss issues like the homogeneity/diversity of the target culture and the level of language proficiency of learners.

Acknowledging the importance of cultural learning in L2/FL, ATHENA Research Center has developed "A year in Greece", a web and mobile application that focuses exclusively on the Greek tradition. The aim of the application is to promote cultural issues to foreigners (tourists, immigrants etc.) who wish to get to know / understand the habits of Greeks as well as to strengthen the cultural identity of members of the Greek diaspora.

How do the Greeks celebrate Christmas and what wishes do they give? What do they usually do on May Day and what are the customs of Kathara Deftera (Ash Monday)?
Users of "A year in Greece" will find the answer to these and other similar questions. To our knowledge, it is the first multimedia educational environment that focuses exclusively on the customs and traditions of Greeks. The teaching material of the "A Year in Greece" is organized into 12 sections corresponding to the 12 months of the year. It includes 29 units, each one capturing characteristic snapshots that take place at the specific time of the year and highlight the traditions of Greeks.

We will present the features of the educational environment and will describe the structure of a unit: the introductory text, dialogues, additional information, songs, exercises etc. with their translation in English. Specific examples will be used to illustrate the various components.

"A year in Greece" is designed for self-study as well as for use in classroom settings. For this reason, it is supported by a teacher management system for registering users, organizing groups of students and evaluating their work. Finally, learners are engaged in communicative and collaborative activities by using wikis, blogs and forums.

Keywords:

Web and mobile app, cultural learning, Greek as L2/FL.