What makes something truly part of a culture? And can a tradition still be authentic if it originally came from somewhere else?

Whose Culture Is It Anyway? is a thought-provoking B1+–C1 English lesson on culture, identity, heritage and cultural exchange that moves beyond the usual “compare two countries” approach to intercultural learning.

Using familiar examples from Greek culture — including food, language, music, coffee, architecture and celebrations — students discover how cultures are continually shaped by migration, contact, borrowing and adaptation.

Students first make predictions, then become Culture Detectives, examining short Culture Files and tracing the influences hidden inside things we often think of as purely “ours”. Along the way, they learn and actively use key vocabulary such as cultural exchange, heritage, assimilation, appropriation, hybrid identity, authenticity, preserve, adopt, adapt and evolve.

The lesson builds towards the central question:

At what point does something borrowed become authentically ours?

Rather than asking students to discuss a complex issue without preparation, the activities gradually provide the knowledge, examples and language support they need to form and defend an informed opinion.

Included:
• Student worksheet
• Teacher’s guide
• Six Culture Files
• Vocabulary in context
• Culture Detective investigation
• Borrowed → Authentically Ours continuum activity
• Critical-thinking and speaking tasks
• Final reflection
• Extension/homework idea

Level: B1+–C1
Skills: Speaking, Reading, Vocabulary, Critical Thinking
Topics: Culture, Identity, Heritage, Migration, Cultural Exchange, Intercultural Awareness

Ideal for EFL/ESL secondary students, older teenagers and adult learners, as well as lessons on intercultural competence, identity, globalization and cultural diversity.