This document discusses cultural diversity in writing skills and how different cultures approach writing differently. It covers topics like plurilingualism, recognizing cultural voice, moving from creativity to form, critical reading and writing. It provides examples from different language backgrounds to illustrate differences in writing styles, structure, planning and use of language. It also discusses the role of mediation and translation in bridging cultural differences in writing.

1. Speaking in Tongues: Cultural
Diversity in Writing Skills
Sophie Bennett
AISLi Academic Coordinator
www.eaquals.org

2. Penitenziagite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=wv8Puk7gOx4
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3. • Plurilingualism: mother
tongue vs ’other-
tongue’
• Recognising cultural
voice
• From creativity to form
• Critical reader to critical
writer

4. “A plurilingual speaker is “someone who has an ability to
interact with others, to accept other perspectives and
perceptions of the world, to mediate between different
perspectives, to be conscious of their evaluations of
difference” (Byram, Nichols and Stevens, 2001)
www.eaquals.org

5. EPG Descriptors
Enabling Competences
Intercultural Competence
1.1 understands that the relationship between language and culture is an important factor in language
teaching and learning
1.2 can create an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding in classes where there is social
and  cultural diversity
2.2 can integrate into lessons key areas of difference in intercultural behaviour (e.g., politeness, body
language, etc.)
Language Awareness
2.2 can recognise and understand the language problem that a learner is having
3.2 can always give full, accurate answers to queries from students about different aspects of
language and usage
can explain subtle differences of form, meaning and usage at C1 and C2 levels


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6. Crossing borders and boundaries
Reading between & beyond the lines
• The “other”
• The monolingual teacher mother
tongue vs other tongue cultural
chameleons
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7. Mediation and CEFR
“Overall, mediation is interpreted as any
procedure, arrangement or action designed to
reduce the distance between two (or more) poles
of otherness.”
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8. Translation as
mediation:
building bridges in the classroom
• Bottom up policy
• L1 ‘interference’ - ‘L1 transference’
• Code-switching and sandwiching (Kerr)
• Bilinguals naturally make shift from one system to other
• Thinking and dreaming in English
• Linear thought
• Communal vs individual thought
• The importance of finding a voice for cultural identity
• EPG “explain subtle differences” (eg?)Formal -ity
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9. “Being conscious of the evaluations
of difference” in writing
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10. Semitic
Moves forward, but with constant
digressions.

11. Eastern
Explores around the topic while the reader
is supposed to discover the writer's thesis
on his or her own.

12. Romance
Some deviations from
the main topic, but
usually returns by the
end.

13. English
Linear, no deviations,
consistently stays on the
same topic.

14. CEFR Mediation Descriptors & Writing
• translation and interpretation (which are specialised
types of mediation);
• online interaction (which involves some aspects
related to mediation);
• pluricultural and plurilingual competences (often
drawn on in mediation);
• reactions to literature – both personal interpretation
and critical analysis (which requires an ability to
mediate with a text).
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15. Italian Students’ Quotes
1. I really don’t like planning
2. When I write in Italian I don’t plan, I just write down
3. The paragraphs are in my head
4. We Classical Lyceum students are more verbose. We like to use
uncommon words. If you think too much about the words you forget
about the structure
5. In Italian you are more free to have your own style of writing
6. At school they teach us to use long sentences in Italian
7. Ideas can come across more easily in English
8. The transition from Italian to English isn’t so easy - Italian is part
of us.
9. The big difference is in the sentences. English the message is
more clear. In Italian we use too many words to make it sometimes it
is creating misunderstandings
10. When you are writing you have to follow more rules
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16. Streams of consciousness
James Joyce
Italian Students
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17. From creativity to form
1. Rewriting:
Umberto Eco ‘How to write a thesis’
“You are not Proust. Do not write long sentences. If
they come into your head, write them, but then break
them down. Do not be afraid to repeat the subject twice,
and stay away from too many pronouns and subordinate
clauses.”
2. Peer Correction:
Eco: ’Do not play the solitary genius’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8wCwjKYLO8
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20. Finding your voice through creativity
1. The Writing Dive
2. The cut up method
David Bowie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1InCrzGIPU
(3. Found Poetry )
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21. "An Elementary Treatise on
Mechanics”
Hence no force, however great,
can stretch a cord, however fine,
into a horizontal line
which is accurately straight.
William Whewell
Critical reading between & beyond the lines:
Found Poetry

22. Steps to standardisation: A plurilingual process
• Length - paragraphs and sentences
• Linear
• Succinctness
• Appropriacy of language
• Two way learning process:
• 10% inspiration
• 90% perspiration
• Crossing the bridge
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23. Online English
• Democratic, borderless
• Pioneering - not bound by convention
• Less formal, less form
• Paragraphless, punctuationless, ultimate stream of
consciousness
• Brief, spurts of blurt, spontaneous
• Dialogic vs monologic
• Less depth
• Contagious
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24. Online writing tools
• Quip
• Cambridge ‘Write and
Improve’
• 346 Writing Prompts
• Let’s Learn English
• Whatsapp
• Edmodo
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25. Eaquals International Conference, Lisbon, 21 – 23 April 2016
Biography
• Linguistic Imperialism Alive and Kicking
Robert Phillipson TEFL
• The Bilingual Reform “A Paradigm Shift in
Foreign Language Teaching” Wolfgang
Butzkamm & John A.W. Caldwell nary
studienbucher 2009
• “Translation and Own-language Activities”
Philip Kerr
• Identity and Language Learning. Bonny
Norton
• Resisting Linguistic Imperialism in English
Teaching
• How languages shape the way we think Lera
Boroditsky UC San Diego
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