Cultural issues in ELT Máster 2008-2009 Inglés para la cualificación profesional Módulo: Inglés para profesores ESL Profesor: Dr. Antonio R. Roldán Tapia
culture cultures diversity stereotypes languages
You identify your own culture with these… … two people … two objects/machines/tools … two places/monuments
Stereotypes I have heard Example: All americans eat hamburgers. A national’s opinion A nation’s stereotype
Culture
vs.
culture
Hamlet and Otello Beans on toast The Cavern Queue Haydn Adrian’s Wall 8:30-12:30 y 13:30-16:30 A jumble sale
Hamlet and Otello [C] Beans on toast [c] The Cavern [c] Queue [c] Haydn [C] Adrian’s Wall [C] 8:30-12:30 y 13:30-16:30 [c] A jumble sale [c]
The place of culture in ELT
Culture
Ø culture
intercultural awareness
Culture … … is not an object of study but a question of competence
Acceptance of DIVERSITY Intercultural awareness “ In fact, the diversity within cultures probably exceeds the difference between cultures” (Camilleri 2002:23)
Diversity: Languages and users
Hoy vacunamos la carpeta
Favor entre su número
Me llevo la troca de picar
El sitio estaba nublado de gente
Enclucha y acelera
En la bolsa tengo la lonchera
Hoy vacunamos la carpeta
Today we are vacuuming the carpet
Favor entre su número
Please enter your code number
Me llevo la troca de picar
I’m driving the pick-up truck
El sitio estaba nublado de gente
The place was crowded
Enclucha y acelera
Put the clutch in and accelerate
En la bolsa tengo la lonchera
I got the lunch box in the bag
Which culture do I share?
Man, 35 years old
Married, non-religious wedding
Lives in a mid-size town in Andalucía
A bisexual.
Speaks two foreign languages and has travelled around Europe.
Born a catholic, but he does not practise.
Woman, 78 years old
Widow
Lives in a small town in C. y León
Sexuality is a taboo.
Has never travelled abroad.
A practising Catholic.
Which culture do I share?
Man, 35 years old
Married, non-religious wedding
Lives in a mid-size town in Andalucía
A bisexual.
Speaks two foreign languages and has travelled around Europe.
Born a catholic, but he does not practise.
Man, 28 years old
Lives with his partner
Lives in the outskirts of Amsterdam.
Admits his homosexuality.
Has lived in three different countries.
Born in a protestant family.
“ The word white conceals more than it reveals ” (Banks 1999: 26)
In our case, ethnicity is not as important as nationality.Other variables:
Age
Sex and sexual orientation
Religion
Political ideas
Residence
Economical status
Your skin colour
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Who am I ?
Who am I ?
Who am I ?
Who am I ?
Politeness and social behaviour
Do you…
… clap for an applause?
… cheer up for an applause?
… take off your shoes in public?
… tickle your nose?
… burp after a meal?
… wait in a line for the bus?
… keep a short personal distance?
… move your hands when talking?
… touch young children’s heads to show love and care?
Non verbal communication. Do you… ?
… speak with a high pitch ?
… raise your eyebrows when talking?
… maintain a social distance when talking to another person?
… stablish a prolonged eye contact?
… shake hands with a firm grip?
… usually arrive on time?
… usually wear a tie?
… have a tanned skin?
… sweat when speaking in public?
Non-verbal communication modes
affecting
cultural diversity
Paralanguage: the vocal language that accompanies verbal communication.
Kinesics: the language of gestures.
Proxemics: how space communicates.
Oculesics: eye communication.
Haptics: tactile communication.
Chronemics: the importance of time.
Body coverings: dressed to communicate.
Physiological responses: communication out of control.
Physical appearance: the way we look.
Black or white?
Black or white?
Black or white?
Black or white?
Black or white?
Black or white?
Black or white?
Black or white?
Are you…
… black or white?
Your skin colour
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Who are they?
Mary
Peter
Betty
Philip
Aadi
Alvaro
Tiffany
Hallie
Danny
Payton
Greg
Paul
Denis
Aliska
Jennifer
Sarah
Mia
What’s the name? ? Men Mamen Menchu Meli Mari Carmen Carmeli Carmina Carmuca Carmela Carmelita Mariuca Carmenchu
Metaphors
Melting pot
Salad bowl
3 steps
Assimilation
Multiculturalism
Interculturalism
Assimilation (melting pot)
Mutlticulturalism (salad bowl)
Interculturalism
Citizen of the world
Mouth open: you were born in this country.
Mouth closed: you were born outside this country.
Triangle nose: your parents speak more than one language.
Round nose: your parents speak one language.
Number of freckless: number of languages in which you can say Hello.
Citizen of the world
Long sleeves: you are a Catholic.
Short sleeves: you are a non Catholic.
Shorts: you have friends from other countries.
Trousers: you have no friends from other countries.
Colours of clothing: colours of the flag of your family’s origin.
Sandals: you are a boy.
Sneakers: you are a girl.
!!??
Mentonia has produced the finest works of art in the world.
Mentonia is a superior country becuase it produces the greatest technology in the world.
Non-mentonians do everything the wrong way round.
The Mentonian language is the best language for poetry.
The Mentonian people have been very generous in teaching people in other countries how to do things the right way.
Ethnothentric attitude
What is it?
It is…
A scalator
A reception desk
Information (a kind of hidden “i”)
A park (child going down a slide)
The perceptions of ESL Vietnamese students in the UK (Hewings 1991)
Culture from very simplistic stereotypes to an elaborated cultural awareness
Awareness of one’s own cultural behaviour
Awareness of the cultural behaviour of others
Ability to explain one’s own cultural standpoint
Ability to accomodate new behaviours into one’s own schemas
Schema theory
Intercultural awareness
You identify your own culture with these… … two people … two objects/machines/tools … two places/monuments
Stereotypes I have heard Sometimes I do, but I also eat vegetarian food. Example: All americans eat hamburgers A national’s opinion A nation’s stereotype
For your students, what is the most important issue? … to learn about the Big Ben? … to learn about the Empire Sate? … to know what Yorkshire pudding is? … to learn about American football? … to be able to expalin what salmorejo is? … none of the above.
References
Banks, J. A. (1999). An introduction to multicultural education. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Camilleri, A. G. (2002). How strange! The use of anecdotes in the development of intercultural competence. Comme c’est bizarre! L’utilisation d’anecdotes dans le developpment de la compétence interculturelle. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
Gill, S. & Canková (2002). Intercultural activities. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hewings, M. (1991). “The interpretation of illustrations in ELT materials”, in ELT Journal 45/3: 237-244.
Roldán Tapia, A. R. (2001). “Moving into multiculturalism”, in English Teaching Professional 21: 40-41.
Tomalin, B. & Stempleski, S. (1993/2003). Cultural awareness. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Vez, J. M. & González Piñeiro, M. (2004). “Intercultural competence and the European dimension”, in Madrid, D. & McLaren, N. (eds.) TEFL in Primary Education . Granada: Editorial Universidad de Granada: 341-383.
Zarate, G. (ed.) (2004). Cultural mediation in language learning and teaching. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
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