Context and Culture in Language Teaching

This superb book, much cited in recent articles and studies, popularized the notion that culture is not something "out there", as conceived and taught in many language classrooms, but something created in interaction between people separated culturally, historically and socially. As Brian Street remarked about 6 years ago, "culture is a verb". This book has been instrumental in changing notions of what culture is and how it can be explored in all its rich manifestations--whether in the classroom or out. The depth and sophistication of the book, far from being inhibitory, invites constant re-readings and new insights: 6 years of reading and re-reading has not exhausted the possibilities. Kramsch's remarkable blend of incisive yet delicately nuanced phrasing, yields a startling clarity of thought and style rare in academic discourse these days. The temptation to plagiarize is hard to resist. It is a pleasure to read this book, and if the term "food for thought" were ever well applied, it would be to this book. Because of its inter-disciplinary approach and ground-breaking nature, this book should be read by anyone in fields remotely connected to language and culture--not just teachers mainly concerned with applying insights to the classroom. Language teaching is often dumbed-down and reduced to a matter of simply applying the currently-accepted methodology; Kramsch has revealed that language teaching can be (and should be) an intellectual endeavour. She has done nothing less than to revolutionize the nature of the field. We have everything to thank her for it.