Longman Dictionary of

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cultural pluralism
historical, political, artistic) regarded as necessary for informed participation
in a nation or culture. Cultural literacy may or may not be something
possessed by a person who is bilingual.
cultural pluralism n
asituation in which an individual or group has more than one set of cultural
beliefs, values, and attitudes. The teaching of a foreign language or
programmes in BILINGUAL EDUCATION are sometimes said to encourage
cultural pluralism. An educational programme which aims to develop
cultural pluralism is sometimes referred to as multicultural education,
for example a programme designed to teach about different ethnic
groups in a country.
cultural relativism n
the theory that a culture can only be understood on its own terms. This
means that standards, attitudes, and beliefs from one culture should not
be used in the study or description of another culture. According to this
theory there are no universal cultural beliefs or values, or these are not
regarded as important. Cultural relativism has been part of the discussions
of LINGUISTIC RELATIVITY and CULTURAL DEPRIVATION.
cultural studies n
an academic field that studies the conditions under which individuals
acquire or lose social and historical identities (their “culture”) through
the use of various symbolic systems, including language.
culturally relevant curriculum/instruction n
curriculum and instructional practices that acknowledge the beliefs,
norms and values of learners in relation to content and concepts being
taught. This may influence the choice of content, examples, modes of
presentation, grouping structures, learning strategies, etc., in order to promote
better understanding and learning.
culture n
the set of practices, codes and values that mark a particular nation or
group: the sum of a nation or group’s most highly thought of works of
literature, art, music, etc. A difference is sometimes made between
“High” culture of literature and the arts, and small “c” culture of attitudes,
values, beliefs, and everyday lifestyles. Culture and Language combine
to form what is sometimes called “Discourses”, i.e. ways of talking,
thinking, and behaving that reflect one’s social identity.
The cultural dimension of language learning is an important dimension of
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