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How to include culture learning in English language classes Communicating Across Cultures A Guide for Teachers Linell Davis January 2005 What do we mean by culture? Chinese speakers often mean characteristics of Chinese people as compared to characteristics of people from other nations Knowledge about culture is often expressed as generalizations • The English are conservative • Americans are individualistic • The French are romantic National culture Personal traits of people from that nation More meanings of culture Way of life of any group • • • • • • • Regional culture- north/south, rural/urban Religious culture- Christian, Buddhist, Moslem Ethnic culture- Han, Hui, Tibetan, Xinjiang Gender culture- male/female Economic class culture- farmer/intellectual/business Generational culture- youth/middle age/elderly Organizational culture – schools, education “Way of Life” definition of culture Assumes that people with similar life experiences share VALUES. They see the world in similar ways. Members of important groups share MEANINGS. They can understand one another more easily than they can understand people from other groups. Group membership is often more important than national culture. What do I know about the NBA? Nothing at all I am female and I am old The NBA is American and I am an American It is an experience shared by male members of the international youth culture I am not a member of that culture So, don’t assume that national culture is the only or best level of analysis What do I know about teaching? A lot; it is my love, my craft, my life I share many experiences with other teachers It doesn’t matter whether they are Americans or Chinese We can communicate about teaching, learning, schools, students, etc. We share an academic or educational culture Differences in national culture are not necessarily significant barriers to communication Do I know how to use chopsticks? Of course, I do. Why do people keep asking me that question? Because Chinese use chopsticks and Americans use knives and forks, and I am an American They assume that I am different from them in every way because I am a waiguo ren Look for similarities, not just differences When you meet someone for the first time, you look for what you have in common with that person. How do Americans celebrate Christmas? In many different ways, some not at all • Ethnic cultures – Italian/Swedish/German/Hispanic • Religious cultures – Christian/Jewish/secular • Regional cultures –south/north, east coast/west coast People often ask me questions about Americans They assume all Americans are alike They want me to give them a generalization Generalizations about national cultures cause many misunderstandings in communication Do all Americans sleep late? A Chinese friend invited me to go to a park to do morning exercises BUT – all along the way she complained about the traffic. I asked – Why do you do it if it is so unpleasant? Her answer – You are an American, so I didn’t think you would want to go as early as I usually go. I am an early-riser. National culture is not a good predictor of most personal habits. Are Americans more individualistic than Chinese? The conventional opinion is yes, they are. There is some truth to it, but it is an oversimplification. This idea alone is not a useful guide to predicting the preferences or behavior of Americans. Chinese educational culture is much more individualistic than American educational culture. • American teachers collaborate more. • Students do more group work. If you use ‘American individualism’ to predict what Americans prefer, you will make many mistakes In international competition Americans excel at team sports while Chinese excel at individual sports. Americans are constantly forming groups and joining groups to meet a variety of personal and professional goals. Typically, Americans participate in groups very differently from the way Chinese people do. Pay attention to processes rather than traits How do people carry on a friendship? How do they teach; how do they learn? How do they show respect? How do they express disagreement? How do they apologize? How do they handle relationships with people of higher or lower status than themselves? How do they participate in work groups? ICC - Intercultural communication competence Knowledge of social groups in your own country and other countries Attitude of openness about other cultures and people Ability to gain new knowledge and to act on that knowledge Knowledge of processes and ability to use that knowledge How to communicate – not just how to speak the target language • • • • Meeting, greeting, starting a conversation Expressing agreement and disagreement Asking for information Working with others Then, how do we teach culture? Three approaches are used: Big “C” Culture • Important people, works, events • Mark Twain, Bill Gates, “I have a dream” speech, War of Independence, Civil War Little “c” culture • Daily life, holidays, customs Cultural awareness • Culture-general rather than culture-specific Try these two approaches Cultural awareness The classroom as a cultural scene • Stretching, expanding, destabilizing the culturally prescribed ways of teaching and learning • “When a butterfly flaps its wings in the north, it produces a typhoon in the south.” • It means – doing small things can have big effects Cultural awareness Sensitivity to • People • Situations • Similarities and differences Expanding the concept of culture beyond the idea of national culture Working on problems of generalization and prejudice Building on what students already know about how to communicate English is a global language People in many countries learn English. Don’t limit culture learning to the study of countries where English is a native language. English can be used to learn about many different cultures and about culture in general. It is likely that in the future your students will be communicating with speakers of English as a second or foreign language. They are participants in the emerging global culture. So are you! Culture learning begins with awareness of the home culture How did you/your family come to Shenzhen? How does your family entertain guests? What was life like for your grandparents when they were your age? Tell about an experience in which someone judged you based on a single characteristic. Tell about an experience in which you communicated with someone different from you. Your class is full of cultural diversity A microcosm of our global village Through these activities you teach how to deal with differences Respect differences, appreciate them and learn from them Look for similarities as a basis for building relationships Notice that these learning activities are inductive and studentcentered. Using them you are doing culture, not just learning about a specific culture You are modeling social practices from the global culture. Bring new experiences into the classroom Look at the organizational culture of the school and the classroom. Take steps to stretch that culture a little to move it closer to the ways of the target culture. This is the best way to teach culture. It is the way for you and your students to gain intercultural competence. Similarities in classroom cultures Students study similar subjects They usually live at home and attend school five days a week They have homework; they take exams They are sensitive to the approval/disapproval of their teachers and classmates From the classroom culture they are learning how to participate in the larger culture Differences in classroom cultures American Chinese Student-centered Teacher - centered Knowledge is sometimes discovered by students Inductive Knowledge is given by the teacher Deductive Students prefer definite answers; uncomfortable with ambiguity, uncertainty More than one answer is acceptable; uncertainty stimulates discovery Learning through problemsolving – thinking, acting Learning through reading - visualizing Relationships based on hierarchy The teacher is at the top of the hierarchy, the leader of the class Relationships between teacher and students somewhat distant because students owe respect and obedience Relationships are reciprocal or complementary service The pattern is one of mutual Respect, and obedience dependence Direction, care and protection Communication flow The classroom leader, the teacher, belongs to other hierarchies. Teacher owes respect, service and obedience to those above Communication flows from the top down Teachers communicate with one student at a time or with the group as a whole Students can communicate freely with each other unless they are competing for the approval of the leader. Teacher - Student Interaction Teachers are likely to give very precise instructions The student’s job is to produce the correct answer This process is endlessly repeated and elaborated It produces the examination system I better tell them exactly what to do I don’t want any mistakes What am I supposed to do? I hope I don’t make a mistake Bring the new close to the familiar Develop your intercultural competence by stretching the system a little. Introduce activities in which students learn inductively – cultural awareness activities. Encourage student inquiry. Encourage them to ask questions that do not have definite or fixed answers. Western style groups Short term – time limited group learning projects Belong to many groups – classes and a variety of extra-curricular groups such as sports teams and music groups Less emotionally involved in each group Prefer equal relationships – teacher is not as socially distant, not as elevated in status The teacher is more like the coach of a team Group identity and personal identity are separate In the West groups have less influence over the individual’s behavior The person forms and breaks ties easily The person looks for groups that are useful in achieving personal goals Professional groups Community groups person Work groups Recreation groups Group leadership is dispersed Various members take leadership roles Leaders win their roles by convincing members of their effectiveness Members expect to contribute in different ways to the group Their rewards will be different too. Task leader Formal leader Emotional leader Process leader Resource leader Members cooperate and compete Members may compete with one another for recognition, leadership, allies, etc. They also cooperate within the group and outside the group Linking the group with other groups is an essential function The group boundary is relatively open These complex patterns of competition and cooperation are made orderly by rules of process called “fair play rules” Examples of fair play rules Everyone should have an equal opportunity to participate – no one should dominate or be left out Decision-making is shared – not the exclusive responsibility of the leader whether that is the teacher or any other member Members should give honest feedback – students freely say what they like and don’t like; they make suggestions Everyone should focus on the task at hand Some tasks are individual; others are completed by the group Know the difference and don’t cheat These process rules are often more important than reaching a specific outcome Personal motivation is critical Because group membership is voluntary, members must be motivated to devote energy to the group If a person must be in a group, it is still necessary to build motivation to create energy for the group’s work Chinese classroom groups depend more on extrinsic motivation – passing exams I like working with the people in this group I can learn some new skills from this group I really believe in the purpose of this group If I do a great job I’ll move up in the organization My goals are the same as the group’s goals Comparing group behaviors Western little difference between ingroup and outgroup behaviors less associative with ingroups; less hostile to outgroups informal and direct insensitive to hierarchical relations among members Chinese great difference between ingroup and outgroup behaviors more associative with ingroups; more hostile to outgroups may be motivated by loyalty to ingroups expect all members to be rewarded equally Questions for teachers who want to stretch the classroom culture What motivates me and others? • Do I respond to extrinsic or intrinsic motivation? What roles do I play in the groups I participate in? • A directive leader in some and passive follower in others? What behaviors/attitudes from the target culture can I practice? • Sharing tasks and information with colleagues without waiting for the leader’s instructions • Introducing inductive learning experiences • Coaching rather than directing learning experiences Teams are Western style groups Teams are highly motivated, voluntary, short term, goal-oriented groups The team metaphor includes the idea that the group will win; it will achieve its goal Members cooperate and even compromise if necessary to get the job done High energy and some ingroup competition serve the larger goals of the group When you enact the team metaphor in your class, you prepare students for participation in the global culture. The Chinese national football team hired a coach from the West The strategy was to build a Western style team Previously every member was behaving like a Chinese dragon • Showing how great they were as individuals • Sacrificing the best interests of the team as a whole “One Chinese is a dragon; three are a worm.” Do you still say that Americans are more individualistic than Chinese? For more information Read my book • Doing Culture: Cross-cultural communication in action. Beijing Foreign Languages Teaching and Research Press • Available at Shenzhen Book City, telephone 075582073020; talk to Miss Wu • Chapters 1-3 on cultural awareness • Chapter 13 on working in groups
