……This Just In……
According to an article written yesterday by Brian Feagans of the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
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One out of every four of Gwinnett county’s 719,398 residents is
foreign born.
Gwinnett is now 19% Black, 16% Hispanic & 10% Asian
Non-Hispanic whites, who were 90 percent of the population in
1990, were 54% of the population in 2005.
What does this mean for Technical College Faculty?????
You’re not in Kansas anymore!
Instructional strategies for technical college
faculty addressing the needs of Limited English
Proficient students and students of other cultures
By James S. May
Professor of English as a Second Language
Valencia Community College
Orlando, FL
Faculty Questions on Culture
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How do we approach individuals from other cultures that fear
authority?
What about those who are shy and afraid to ask questions in
class?
Is this true that some cultures are insulted when you point a
finger at them?
Are there certain hand or body motions or distances that must
be considered?
Is it true that some cultures have a required time lapse or pause
before responding to a question from a teacher?
Are there some general characteristics of various cultures
regarding learning and interacting with teachers?
Multicultural I
Q
ntellegence
uiz
Directions: On page 2 of your handout, you will find a ten
question multiple-choice quiz. Please take a few minutes to take
that quiz right now.
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
You decide to use PowerPoint this semester while going over
your syllabus with your students. You have carefully chosen to
contrast important elements like your name with bolded red
letters. You notice, however, that this draws peculiar looks
from some international students. This is because:
1)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Buddhists tend to write someone’s name in red when he or
she is dead.
Red is the color of mourning in parts of Africa.
Some Mexicans find a name in red offensive.
All of the above
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
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Not all languages & cultures use/view text in the same ways.
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Typographical cuing techniques (bolding, italicizing, underlining,
using colors, etc.) differ across languages. Unfortunately, there is
limited research on the effects of cuing on ESL students.
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Even though most teachers share a preference for visual and
aural learning, most Americans appear to prefer a combination
of tactile and kinesthetic learning. (Dunn, Dunn, & Price, 1979)
The majority of ESL students also show a preference for tactile
and kinesthetic learning (Reid, 1987; Rossi-Le 1995; Stebbins,
1995; Park 2002)
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
2.
There are obvious differences among people of different
cultures; however, universals do exist. For example, pointing
with your index finger is universal.
a)
True
b)
False
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
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This statement is false; different cultures point with various parts
of their bodies: their lips, chins, palms, thumbs, etc.
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It has been estimated that 93% of communication is non-verbal:
55% coming from facial expression, posture, & gesture and 38%
through tone of voice.
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Things that might offend you second language students include:
shaking hands, posture, facial expressions, appearance, voice,
tone, hairstyle, clothes, expression in your eyes, smile, how close
you stand to others, how you listen, confidence, your breathing,
the way you move, the way you stand, the way you touch people,
color choice, silence.
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
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Suggested Reading:
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Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing
Business in More Than 60 Countries by Terri Morrison and
Wayne A. Conaway
Multicultural Manners: New Rules of Etiquette for a
Changing Society by Norine Dresser
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
The common ‘Everything’s O.K.’ gestures (thumbs-up & a
circle with the index finger and thumb) are extremely rude in
many parts of the world. Pick the country where one or both
of these O.K. gestures are obscene.
3.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Australia
Brazil
Spain
The Middle East
All of the above
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
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Suggested Reading:
Gestures: The Do's and Taboos of Body Language around the
World by Roger E. Axtell
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
Along with many other countries originally colonized by Spain,
pesos are the accepted form of currency in Old San Juan,
Puerto Rico.
4.
a)
b)
True
False
Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States and uses
US currency.
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
5.
In the United States, time is money, but being a hyper-critical
manager of time is viewed suspiciously by every one of these
ethnic groups except:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Africans
Arabs
Latin Americans
Polynesians
White South Africans
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
6.
Asians may show disagreement by squinting and sucking air
through their teeth.
a) True
b) False
Many Asians find it difficult to actually say the word no, and
instead more comfortably indicate their displeasure or
disagreement with a gesture.
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
7.
The quote, "If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it's
good enough for me." has long been used to show how little
most Americans know about other languages and cultures. Last
semester, I heard two of my Aruban students, Aruba being a
small island country off the coast of Venezuela, discussing this
quote. What language could they have been discussing it in?
a) Spanish
b) English
c) Dutch
d) Papiamento
e) All of the Above
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
In Aruba, most people speak, write, and read English, Spanish,
Dutch and Papiamento. Many also speak French and German.
Assignment:
Talk briefly with those sitting next to you; How do you think the rest
of the world stereotypes Americans? If you could summarize
these stereotypes in one or two words, what words would you
choose?
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
Actual Student Comments
Politically Correct Version
Americans are RUDE!
Business Oriented
If we don’t understand it, we
change it or kill it.
(Not necessarily in that order)
In international relations, its the
American way or no way at all.
Americans on vacation in
Europe often say stupid things
like, “Why aren’t you using
English?”
Xenophobic
Ethnocentric
Monolingually Myopic
Contrastive Rhetoric
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
8.
In 1969, Honduras and El Salvador fought a brief war. What
sporting event led to the outbreak of this war?
a) Baseball
b) Cricket
c) Soccer
d) Rugby
The five-day Soccer War ended when El Salvador withdrew
from Honduran territory.
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
Unintended Cultural Bias
When you teach, do you use?
Analogy
Story telling
Current events
Pop Culture
Realia
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
9.
The United States, Australia, Canada, Guyana, Liberia, Malaysia,
New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Western Samoa, Hong
Kong, and Singapore all use a basic unit of currency called the
dollar.
a) True
b) False
The word "dollar" comes from the German word "Taler" (Low
German "Daler"). "Taler" is short for "Joachimstaler," a
coin made with metal from Joachimsthal, a town in the
Erzgebirge Mountains, Czech Republic.
Vocabulary
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The History of English
Cognates
Free Online Tools for Reading and Vocabulary
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
10.
To quote Little Orphan Annie, "You're never fully dressed
without a smile." A smile is a universal expression of genuine
pleasure.
a) True
b) False
In much of Asia, a smile can be used to cover up
embarrassment, shock, or fury.
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
Bonus Question: Alfred Nobel of Sweden (1833-1896) left the
bulk of his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes, which are
awarded each year in the categories of medicine, physics,
literature, chemistry, peace, and economics. Nobel made his
fortune inventing and marketing:
a) The pneumatic drill
b) Dynamite
c) The modern syringe
Multicultural IQ: Answers & Implications
Nobel made his money on his new explosive called dynamite which
he patented it in 1867.
Close to 47 percent of the Nobel laureates in the world are
Americans; however that does mean 53% come from some other
country/culture.
For a statistic more near and dear to the hearts of English teachers,
only 25 percent of the Nobel laureates in literature are English
speaking and only 12 percent of those are American.
More Questions from Teachers
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I have students who seem to read the text or seem to understand
what is gone over in the classroom, but they do poorly on tests.
Why?
Why is it that students speak English fluently, but then they
demonstrate more errors in their writing?
Some of my students “Ace” grammar tests, but then fail the
essay. Why?
Why is it that even if they get it in class they still mess things up
when they write essays?
BICS & CALP
BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) is the language
used in social, face to face interactions sometimes referred to as
playground language. It is context embedded and low in
cognitive demands. Research has shown that it typically takes
second language learners 2 to 3 years to acquire BICS. On the
other hand
CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) is the language
required for academic achievement. It is language that is reduced
in context and high in cognitive demands. Research has shown
that it takes anywhere from 7 to 10 years to acquire CALP.
The Morpheme Studies
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Morphemes are grammatical items in English such as ‘ing’, plural
/s/, and third person singular /s/.
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Certain morphemes, such as ‘ing’ and plural /s/, tend to be
acquired relatively early, while others, such as the third person
singular /s/ and the possessive /'s/ tend to be acquired late.
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Unfortunately, not one study showed that the natural orders
could be changed.
Input or Output?
In the 1970s, Krashen suggests that Comprehensible input is what
leads to acquisition of language
In the 1980s, Swain suggests opportunities to produce language are
what is necessary for important for acquisition.
Modern beliefs are that no one side is correct, teachers are
supposed to create interactive learning environments for
students, where they can get input and create output in the
Authentic negotiation of language.
Writing Feedback
I recommend one-on-one feedback for second language
students. I also recommend teachers and tutors to use
these following tricks.
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Backchanneling Cues
Open Ended Questions
Wait Time
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In China, the teacher is a moral guide, like a parent, who has valuable
knowledge that is a student’s duty to learn. Students and teachers both
expect students to obey and pay attention, so little time is spent on
discipline even in classes of 60 students (Jin & Cortazzi, 1998).
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Western students often ask questions in class to fill gaps in learning,
Chinese students ask questions after they have studied on their own.
They believe that questions should be based on knowledge and may
consider westerners to be rude for asking questions based on their
ignorance
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In Lebanon, teachers are like prophets. Students memorize everything
that is presented to them. Practical or creative applications of the given
knowledge and personal reactions to this knowledge are not encouraged
(Kibbi, 1995).
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In the United States direct eye contact is a sign of honesty, and a lack of
eye contact means a person is hiding something. However, other cultures
view direct eye contact as intrusive, inappropriate, shameful, or
disrespectful.
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In the United States direct eye contact is a sign of honesty, and a lack of
eye contact means a person is hiding something. However, other cultures
view direct eye contact as intrusive, inappropriate, shameful, or
disrespectful.
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In some cultures emotional expressions are considered inappropriate in
the classroom, while American teachers often hope to rile up students
and get them excited about a topic.
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In some countries there are topics that are not discussed publicly; even
apparently inoffensive topics can be problematic for some students.