no animmind the gap v2 ih conference november 2011 copy

Thank you to OUP for sponsoring this event

through the provision of the platform to host this

workshop.

Mind the gapDesigning materials and activities for cross-cultural training

Simon Greenall

simon.greenall@btconnect.com@simongreenall

Overview1 Why do socio-cultural/

intercultural training?2 Six personal characteristics of

cross-cultural sensitivity3 Teachers’ concerns

• Monocultural classes• Socio-cultural awareness

at low levels• Coverage of intercultural

syllabus• Types of materials• Meanings of ‘culture’• Teachers’ responsibility to

teach socio-cultural awareness

4 Six conclusions

Why do socio-cultural/ intercultural training?

Why do socio-cultural/ intercultural training?

In the classroom: Integral part of communicative

competence Essential learning objective Source of motivating material

In real life Finding out about other cultures Finding out about your own culture Importance of intercultural

awareness in business, finance, government, entertainment, broadcasting, the internet, education – the world-wide English speaking community

So where do we start?

So where do westart?

Teachers’ concerns

Teachers’ concerns 1 ‘It’s easy if you have a multi-cultural group. But what can we do in monocultural classes like ours?’2 ‘How can I teach socio-cultural awareness at low levels?’3 ‘What does an intercultural syllabus cover?’

Teachers’ concerns 4 ‘What types of materials and activities can you use?’5 ‘What do you mean by culture?’6 ‘Is it really my job as a language teacher to teach intercultural awareness?’

Intercultural training – general issues

Intercultural training – general issues

Integrating intercultural training into a language course design

Monocultural and multicultural groups

Teaching at low levels The role of anecdotes Teacher’s

responsibility Generalisation,

stereotyping and prejudice

Cultural taboos in textbooks

PARSNI

P

Cultural taboos in textbooks

PoliticsARSNIP

Cultural taboos in textbooks

PoliticsAlcoholRSNIP

Cultural taboos in textbooks

PoliticsAlcoholReligionSNIP

Cultural taboos in textbooks

PoliticsAlcoholReligionSexNIP

Cultural taboos in textbooks

PoliticsAlcoholReligionSexNarcoticsIP

Cultural taboos in textbooks

PoliticsAlcoholReligionSexNarcoticsIsmsP

Cultural taboos in textbooks

PoliticsAlcoholReligionSexNarcoticsIsmsPork

Six personal characteristics of cross-cultural sensitivity

• Tolerance of ambiguity• Behavioural flexibility• Communicative awareness• Knowledge discovery• Respect for otherness• Empathy

INCA project, CILT (National centre for Languages, UK 2004)

The reculturalisation of English

The reculturalisation of English

Periods of studying English: where the

USA/UK/Australia etc were target cultures

where the cultural origins of the language were ignored

where the link between language and culture is recognised and sample cultures are explored

Teachers’concerns

1 ‘It’s easy if you have a multi-cultural group. But what can we do in monocultural classes like ours?’

Missing you already!

Missing you already! What do you miss when you’re away from home?

What do you look forward to when you return?

Missing you already!

‘My cat.’‘The crossword’‘The Sunday papers.’‘A nice cup of tea.’‘Baked beans/

sausages/Marmite’

‘The sense of humour.’

‘The radio cricket commentary.’

‘Manageably sized insects’

‘My own bathroom.’‘My bed.’

Missing you already! What do you miss when you’re away from home?

What do you look forward to when you return?

Teachers’concerns

2 ‘How can I teach socio-cultural awareness at low levels?’

Desert Island words

Think of eight favourite words to take to your desert island, and one phrase or saying.

Desert Island words1 family

2 Oxford

3 book

4 television

4 televisio

5 mountain

6 Venice

7 beer

8 another

Favourite sentence

It’s out of the question!

Desert Island words

Think of eight favourite words to take to your desert island, and one phrase or saying.

See the rest of your family

Go out with friends

Go shopping

Get some physical exercise

Read a book

Talk about politics

3 ‘What exactly does an intercultural syllabus cover?’

Teachers’ concerns

THE CULTURAL ICEBERG Beyond Culture (1976) Edward T Hall

What’s missing from the iceberg?

Effective and meaningful intercultural communication requires:

Language Non-verbal

communication Communication style Awareness of one’s

cultural identity

Common European Framework

5.1.1.2 Sociocultural knowledgeStrictly speaking, knowledge of the society and culture of the community or communities in which a language is spoken is one aspect of knowledge of the world. It is, however, of sufficient importance to the language learner to merit special attention, especially since unlike many other aspects of knowledge it is likely to lie outside the learner’s previous experience and may well be distorted by stereotypes. p103

Common European Framework

5.1.1.3 Intercultural awarenessKnowledge, awareness and understanding of the relation (similarities and distinctive differences) between the ‘world of origin’ and the ‘world of the target community’ produce an intercultural awareness. It is, of course, important to note that intercultural awareness includes an awareness of regional and social diversity in both worlds. It is also enriched by awareness of a wider range of cultures than those carried by the learner’s L1 and L2. This wider awareness helps to place both in context. In addition to objective knowledge, intercultural awareness covers an awareness of how each community appears from the perspective of the other, often in the form of national stereotypes.

Linguistic, non-linguistic and social conventions and rituals

Customs and traditions

Attitudes and beliefs

1 Linguistic, non-linguistic and social conventions and rituals

1 Linguistic, non-linguistic and social conventions and rituals

Greetings Reciprocal

speech Silence Smiling Eye contact

Gestures Appearance Personal space

Non-linguistic conventions

Linguistic conventions: functions

Linguistic conventions: functions

Greetings and making introductions Thanking Apologising Complaining Giving opinions Making compliments Expressing feelings Expressing ability Back channelling

2 Customs and traditions

2 Customs and traditions

WeddingsTable manners

Buying foodGiving giftsFestivals Folk stories

Customs and traditions

Customs and traditions

Talk about these questions. You’re invited to someone’s

home for dinner. What time do you expect to be invited?

What time do you arrive? Do you take a gift? If so,

what? When do you expect to eat? What do you say before you

start eating? In which hand do you hold your fork?

Do you compliment your host?

Can you smoke during the meal?

How do you know when to leave?

3 Attitudes and beliefs

3 Attitudes and beliefs

Superstitions Face Men and

women Ancestors Networking Time

Attitudes towards time

Proverbs

Teachers’ concerns

4 ‘What types of materials and activities can you use?

Materials and activity types

Materials and activity types

Cultural self awareness

Cognitive training C2 comparison Experiential

training Critical incidents Cultural resonance L1 interference

Cultural self awareness: macro and microculture Here is a list of furniture and features of a house. Which ones do you expect to see in a typical home in your country? balcony , garden , bath, stairs shower, separate bathroom and toilet, dining room, living room, large kitchen Find out which items you're likely to use to describe an English home.

Cognitive training:

information about C2

C2 comparison

Experiential training

Experiential training: cultural bumps

Read the conversation and decide if there is anything which surprises you.Julia Hi Scott! How are you? Do come in! It’s great to see you. You’ve put on weight.Scott Thanks, great to see you too.Julia And who are you?Scott Julia, I’d like you to meet Helen.Julia Hi Helen, how do you do? I’ve heard so much about you.Helen How do you do, Julia? Nice to meet you.

Julia I really like your coat. Let me take it for you.

Helen Oh, this old thing? Thanks.Julia How much did it cost?Helen It was incredibly expensive.Julia Do come in and make yourself at

home.Scott Hey! It looks like a swell party!

Listen and cross out anything you don’t hear.

Experiential training

Critical incidents

Critical incidents: face

“I invited a friend to a dinner party at my apartment last Thursday. She replied, ‘Yes, I’d love to come, but it might be difficult.’ I didn’t hear from her so I expected her to come. But she didn’t. Why didn’t she call me and let me know?”

Critical incidents

Cultural icons, symbols and resonance

Cultural resonance

What ideas do you associate with these colours?green white yellow blue redWhat are the qualities of these animals?sheep goat donkey dog frogWhat words do you associate with these ideas?home book beach New Year school English

L1 interference: trap words and absences

Yes/noIt certainly is! (emphatic agreement)Please/Thank youGrazie – prego, Danke schn – bitte schon, xie xie – bu ke qi... You’re welcome?SorryHave a nice day!

Teachers’ concerns

5 What do you mean by culture?

Types of culture: sample and target culture

Target cultureCognitive information about a specific ‘target’ culture, where the speaker intends to live, work or study

Sample cultureCognitive information or experiential training using non-specific ‘sample’ cultures for cross-cultural comparison

Surface culture

Factual, objective

dictionary/

encyclopedia definition

Denotational meaning

Deep culture

Impressionistic, subjective

Cultural resonance

Connotational meaning

Types of culture:surface and deep culture

Surface culture:weather forecast

Cultural resonance:deep culture

Dogger, Rockall, Malin, Irish Sea:Green, swift upsurges, North Atlantic fluxConjured by that strong, gale-warning voice,Collapse into a sibilant penumbra … … It was marvellousAnd actual, I said out loud, ‘A haven,’The word deepening, clearing, like the skyElsewhere on Minches, Cromarty, The

Faroes.Seamus Heaney Glanmore Sonnets

Types of culture: macro and microculture

Say which of these food items people in your country usually buy each week.

rice oranges potatoes fish sausage beer water flour noodles eggs tea coffee oil butter yoghurt shrimp bread sugar cheese

Which items do you (or your family) usually, sometimes or never buy each week?

Macroculture

… based to national, regional, ethnic origin

(The Americans, the Italians, the West v the East)

Microculture… based on age, gender, socio-economic background, socio-professional background, climate local or family customs, individual preferences and behaviour

Teachers’ concerns

6 ‘Is it really my job as a language teacher to teach cross-cultural awareness?’

From cultural bump to culture shockPerpetrator Recipient

Recognition of difference in behaviour

Mild interest

Amusement

Surprise

Culture shock

Recognition/ignorance Perception of of offence of offence

Communication breakdown

Confusion Incomprehension

Embarrassment Irritation

Shame/anger Anger

Six conclusions

1 The key to an awareness of other cultures is an awareness of your own.

.

Six conclusions

1 The key to an awareness of other cultures is an awareness of your own.

2 Intercultural training can be integrated with the grammatical, functional syllabuses and skills syllabuses.

Six conclusions

3 Intercultural training is not an option. Its absence can compromise effective communication.

4 Cross cultural awareness does not imply assimilation or mimicry but the understanding and appreciation of different values.

Six conclusions

5 We cannot give our learners specific information about every culture, but we can make them aware of the possibility of differences.

6 Effective communication =

Linguistic competence and intercultural competence

Designing materials and activities for cross-cultural training

Intercultural training in the classroom should lead to the enjoyment of recognising similarities between cultures, and to the celebration of difference.

Designing materials and activities for intercultural training in the classroom

‘Strangers are only friends you haven’t made yet.’Irish saying

simon.greenall@btconnect.com

@simongreenall

Thank you to OUP for sponsoring this event

through the provision of the platform to host this

workshop.