Page 211 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages

Level 3, University Preparation/Open
Language, expressions, and behaviours appropriate
to the cultural context (e.g., demonstrating sensitivity
to diverse cultural values, interpreting hints)
Recreation in countries and regions where the target
language is spoken (e.g., typical leisure activities, work
versus home life, sport, community organizations)
Indigenous cultures around the world (e.g., First
Nations, Métis, and Inuit people in Canada, indigenous
peoples in regions where the target language is spoken)
Educational and career opportunities in the target
language (e.g., student exchanges, diplomatic careers,
language teaching, working in other countries)
Level 2, University Preparation/Open
Language, expressions, and behaviour appropriate to the cultural context (e.g., adjusting physical proximity and eye contact to suit cultural expectations)
Cuisine in countries and regions where the
target language is spoken (e.g., traditional dishes, the connection between diet and natural resources,
the social context of meal times)
Connections between languages, ancient and
modern (e.g., modern languages with roots in ancient languages, borrowings of words between
modern languages, borrowings of cultural ideas
and the words for them from ancient and/or modern languages)
The use of the target language in Canada (e.g.,
the location of target-language communities, target-language media)
Level 1, Academic/Open
Language, expressions, and behaviour appropriate
to the cultural context (e.g., formal and informal
forms of address, appropriate body language)
family and given names, the inclusion of parental
Naming practices (e.g., nicknames, the order of
names in a child’s name)
Writing systems and their origins (e.g., languages
with more than one writing system, pictographic
versus phonetic symbols, writing systems shared by
several languages)
The benefits of knowing more than one language
countries, ease of travel, the ability to understand
(e.g., the opportunity to make friends in other
cultural products)
Effective communication goes beyond language proficiency to include intercultural understanding, which enables students to appreciate the ways in which their own and other cultures influence behaviour, beliefs, and relationships in a multicultural, multilingual world. Cultural Concepts for Developing Intercultural Understanding
The following chart provides cultural concepts and related examples for each level of study of an international language; these are intended as suggestions rather than as exhaustive or mandatory categories. The concepts reflect the overall expectations and have been selected to enable teachers to weave language and culture together within the course content.
relevant information about the use of the target language in Canada and around the world. Cultural concepts can also be dealt with in greater or lesser Teachers are encouraged to select cultural topics suggested for other levels according to students’ interests, and to incorporate additional current and depth depending on students’ abilities and needs.
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Cultural Concepts for Developing Intercultural Understanding
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