1 The Development of Foreign Language "Textbooks" and Challenges from Artificial Intelligence

Discusses the development process of foreign language textbooks and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. Since the rise of the communicative approach in the 1970s, foreign language textbooks have seen many design improvements, such as the addition of situational dialogues, cultural knowledge sections, interactive activities, and supporting audio-visual materials. However, these textbooks still have limitations, mainly reflected in their focus on "teaching language," neglecting the integration of target language behavioral culture, which is not conducive to cultivating cross-cultural communication skills and self-directed learning abilities. At the same time, with the development of artificial intelligence, its powerful language understanding and translation capabilities, as well as its advantages as a learning platform, pose challenges to the sustainability of foreign language teaching. Nevertheless, the true goal of foreign language learning is cross-cultural communication, where AI has limitations. Therefore, in the digital and intelligent era, foreign language teaching needs to break through traditional thinking, integrate target language behavioral culture, and support self-directed learning. The concepts related to the Performing Culture teaching method have significant reference value.

2 Performing Culture Curriculum Framework and "Learning Materials"

Elaborates on the new framework for foreign language teaching constructed by the Performing Culture teaching method, emphasizing "cultivating cross-cultural communication skills" as the core, with "culture" as the main teaching content and "performance" as the learning approach. It points out that culture is a dynamic knowledge system, with communicative behaviors as its manifestations, closely related to context. Foreign language learning requires accumulating cultural communication experiences in the target language and achieving knowledge transformation through performance activities to enhance learning efficiency. Performing Culture learning materials prioritize audio-visual content over text, aiming to optimize learners' experiential learning and help them master behavioral scripts and adapt to impromptu communication.

3 Concept for Developing Performing Culture "Learning Materials": Conversation-Driven

Explains the "conversation-driven" concept in developing Performing Culture learning materials, emphasizing orientation toward real future communication scenarios and cultivating students' ability to engage in sustained conversations with members of the target culture in the target language. Conversation is viewed as an open negotiation process, serving as the core goal of cross-cultural communication teaching. It is specific and open-ended, enhancing learning focus and a sense of achievement. Through conversation, learners can build interpersonal relationships, develop learning motivation, and simultaneously promote the consolidation and expansion of memory. Furthermore, conversation-driven learning materials help leverage the complementary strengths of AI and human teachers, improve the efficiency of cultivating cross-cultural communication skills, strengthen awareness of Performing Culture, and shift the focus of foreign language teaching toward cross-cultural communication.

4 Conversation-Driven Learning Material Design Principles and Examples

Discusses the principles and examples of designing Performing Culture learning materials, emphasizing the goal of enabling learners to engage in sustained conversations within specific domains. The process begins by identifying conversation domains and scenarios, selecting materials and activities that enhance conversational performance. The learning flow design follows experiential learning principles, activating students' specific experiences of learning objectives, guiding them through reflective observation and hypothesis formation via annotations and exercises on linguistic and cultural points, and stimulating practical motivation. Key writing points include developing reading and writing skills based on listening and speaking, giving equal importance to cultural and linguistic points, balancing strategies and knowledge, and integrating technology to improve learning efficiency. Examples illustrate that elementary learning materials primarily use audio-visual media to strengthen listening and speaking skills, while at intermediate and advanced stages, textual content increases, though conversation remains the main form. Equal emphasis on cultural and linguistic points is reflected in selectively presenting behavioral scripts, guiding students to focus on behavioral culture points, with language exercises aimed at communicative functions. Balancing strategies and knowledge involves combining knowledge-based teaching with strategy-based teaching, increasing the proportion of strategy-based teaching as students accumulate knowledge. Technology integration requires evaluating the "cost-effectiveness" of activities, utilizing technology to enhance the experiential quality of teaching content and learner engagement, such as authentic corpora, video resource platforms, and intelligent self-assessment tools. It also notes that technology integration has room for development but must consider costs and benefits.

5 Conclusion

Emphasizes that foreign language courses within the Performing Culture framework should shift from "teaching language" to cultivating cross-cultural communication skills. Learning material design must focus on listening and speaking skills, behavioral culture, and learning strategies, reinforcing cross-cultural awareness and constructing cultural knowledge through performance activities. Simultaneously, leveraging educational technology to provide online resources and intelligent assessment tools can enhance learning efficiency. Currently, conversation-driven learning material design has limitations and requires updates and supplements from frontline teachers. There is broad potential for future development and innovation in design and technology integration.