East Bay ESL
  • Home
  • Study at Home
  • Shop ESL Lessons Plans
  • Take a Class
  • Start a Class
  • The Blog
  • Home
  • Study at Home
  • Shop ESL Lessons Plans
  • Take a Class
  • Start a Class
  • The Blog
Search

What Are Social and Cultural Skills?

1/30/2015

0 Comments

 
So, a few weeks ago we published a chart which describes the four main skills that language students need to develop in order to master a language.  Hopefully, this graphic reminds you that grammar is only part of the equation and that it is important not to overlook other elements of communication.

In this post, I want to focus on one of those other elements.  Namely, let’s talk about social and cultural skills.

What are “social and cultural skills”?

To help explain, I would like to offer a few examples.

  • Switching to more formal language when speaking with your boss
  • Using a stronger tone when you are placing a complaint
  • Addressing a professional by using their title and last name (for example, Dr. Johnson, Ms Gomez)

If you guessed that social and cultural language skills are related to tone, politeness, and formality, you would be right.  Essentially, social and cultural skills (or sociolinguistic skills) help you act appropriately in different situations, with different people.  They can be tricky because they are so intertwined with culture.  Our culture guides us on how to ask for favors, set limits, and resolve conflict.  Our culture also gives us a framework for how to speak with people of different ages, genders, and positions.

Hopefully, this helps you understand social and cultural skills.  Are there any other examples you can think of?  Share them in the comment section.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    East Bay ESL is an English language school for learners in the San Francisco East Bay.

    Archives

    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All
    Academic English
    Business English
    English Vocabulary
    Free English Classes
    Job Skills/VESL
    Online Resources
    Pronunciation
    Scenarios
    Study Tips For ESL Students
    TOEFL

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Study at Home
  • Shop ESL Lessons Plans
  • Take a Class
  • Start a Class
  • The Blog