A Critique on the Inclusion of Culture as an Important Factor in Teaching-Learning

Abstract

Guru and Gurukul were the first recorded sources of the education in the history of education system in India. Home has always been the first institution of learning for a new born child. Subsequently, upon reaching adolescence, the child is sent to a gurukul under the tutelage of a chosen guru. The purpose was to create an environment of experiential learning from a young age. This meant that along with other members of the family, the learner lived with the guru’s family and participated in the household chores of the guru’s home while pursuing academics. Living under strict regulations and following their culture, meant that the learner was
mastering both his own culture as well as the culture of the Gurukul. It taught the child life skills and respect for the values, beliefs, traditions, and practices of the Gurukul and the guru, in tandem with those of his family. While growing up in the Gurukul, the learner understood and accepted diversity as a way of life. In the nineteenth century, frequent and repeated foreign invasions -Islamic and European, brought new cultures and its assimilation impacted traditional learning methods. India was introduced to the modern system of education as enunciated by Lord Macaulay. After independence, the structure of education has undergone a change with a new National Education Policy (NEP) being introduced. The current, twenty-first-century version focuses on knowledge of culture
in language teaching-learning as globalization is the buzzword and diversity is the gatekeeper. This paper intends to trace the chronological revisions that NEP has undergone and critique why the latest version considers culture as an imperative factor in Language teaching-learning. An exploratory research method will be used to answer questions on the need to understand the role of the cultures of the mother tongue and target language to gain expertise in communication in English as a second language and the Associate Official Language.