ABSTRACT
This chapter explores an American model developed by Claire Kramsch. Her conceptualisations of culture, intercultural competence, intercultural speaker, symbolic competence, as well as the relationship between language and culture have been investigated in a comprehensive and detailed way. Kramsch insists that teaching culture takes the cultural context as its core. This challenges language educators because attention to context involves not only transmitting knowledge or facts. It also includes an understanding of cultural boundaries and the interaction between speakers and hearers in classrooms. Instead of focusing on "cultural content," Kramsch placed emphasis on the diversity of culture learning; she argued for the importance of context and cultural interaction in language learning. Kramsch proposed a new vision, namely, a sociocultural perspective on teaching and learning language and culture. Teaching culture becomes subordinate to language teaching. The teaching of culture as a skill provides little help for learners who seek to understand different perspectives.
