4P’s of cultural pedagogy: A new paradigm for the cultural dimension in Chinese language instruction
Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association 43.3 (2008): 1-24.
Bridging the gap between language teaching and critical theory, this article offers a new “4P’s” paradigm for incorporating the cultural dimension into Chinese language instruction. Culture has long been overlooked and under-theorized in foreign/second language teaching. This four-dimensional model suggests that educators should pay as much attention to how cultures are presented and perceived in the classroom as what is taught and who teaches it. The “4Ps” are Plurality, Progressivity, Positionality, and Performativity, which explore material, temporal, spatial, and communicative factors, respectively. Together, the “4P’s” form a critical framework for cultural teaching and outline an initial attempt to conceptualize the various aspects of culture in Chinese language pedagogy.