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PE2379 ch02.qxd 24/1/02 16:04 Page 139<br />

second language studies. Education is seen as a process <strong>of</strong> socialization<br />

with the dominant culture. In foreign language teaching the culture <strong>of</strong> the<br />

language may be taught as an integral part <strong>of</strong> the curriculum.<br />

culture fair adj<br />

also culture free<br />

(in language testing) a test which does not favour members <strong>of</strong> a particular<br />

cultural group, because it is based on assumptions, beliefs, and knowledge<br />

which are common to all the groups being tested, is called culture<br />

fair. For example, the following test item is not culture fair:<br />

Bananas are — (a) brown, (b) green, (c) yellow.<br />

The item is culturally biased because for some people bananas are<br />

thought <strong>of</strong> as yellow, but for others green bananas are eaten, and cooked<br />

bananas are brown. If only one <strong>of</strong> these answers is marked as correct, the<br />

test favours a particular cultural group.<br />

culture shock n<br />

strong feelings <strong>of</strong> discomfort, fear, or insecurity which a person may have<br />

when they enter another culture. For example, when a person moves to<br />

live in a foreign country, they may have a period <strong>of</strong> culture shock until<br />

they become familiar with the new culture.<br />

curriculum 1 n<br />

1 an overall plan for a course or programme, as in the freshman composition<br />

curriculum. Such a programme usually states;<br />

a the educational purpose <strong>of</strong> the programme, in terms <strong>of</strong> aims or goals and<br />

b the content <strong>of</strong> the programme and the sequence in which it will be<br />

taught, (also known as the syllabus)<br />

c the teaching procedures and learning activities that will be employed<br />

(i.e. methodology)<br />

d the means used to assess student learning (i.e. assessment and<br />

testing)<br />

e the means used to assess whether the programme has achieved its goals<br />

(i.e. evaluation)<br />

2 the total programme <strong>of</strong> formal studies <strong>of</strong>fered by a school or institution,<br />

as in the secondary school curriculum<br />

curriculum 2<br />

another term for SYLLABUS<br />

curriculum alignment<br />

curriculum alignment n<br />

the extent to which the different elements <strong>of</strong> the curriculum (goals,<br />

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