Language in Culture and Culture in Language

Key words: Serbian as foreign language, glottodidactic means, foreign language teaching methods, cultural contents ABSTRACT Until recently in linguistics and methodology it has been recommended that learning a foreign language means acquiring its grammatical and lexical system, which has been a basis for writing textbooks for foreign language learning, where they are more reminiscent of a grammatical summary of a language, and the lexis was used solely as a tool for grammar explanations. This principle has been almost completely changed with the notion that language is a means to express the cultural contents of a country and the people, and language learning includes the acquisition of the cultural values of the people whose language is being learned. This paper will highlight the cultural values that foreign students, from various ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, adopt in the Serbian language learning. Their choice depends on the content that is scheduled for acquiring by the programme, the personal preferences of the students, and the students’ personal affinity, their needs and interests.