Abstract:

Language learning classes are supposed to be a complete moment of the teaching and learning process. The teacher is supposed to teach the language but never out of cultural context. Only with these two faces is the student able to communicate effectively. Although the language teaching class has as main objective the proficiency of the language (written or spoken), it is not desirable to disregard or neglect the relevance of the socio-cultural context in the learning and teaching process. As a matter of fact, it is only possible to teach a language carrying out this complementarity.

The process of learning and teaching a language is completely and fully reached when a second language is taught and learnt as a whole. In this paper in order to prove it, we are going to analyze some official documents — syllabus and programs, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, Plan Curricular Cervantes, second language programs from the Portuguese Ministry of Education — that account for the thesis that language and culture must be taught together and simultaneously. To complete the theoretical and conceptual framework, we are going to illustrate some practical examples used in classroom context in a Spanish language teaching class that will certainly show that Language/culture are two inseparable faces of a second language teaching.

Keywords:

Language, Culture, Second Language Learning and Teaching.