Pre-field CLA Module
Pre-field CLA Module
Objective
Working through this pre-field Culture / Language Acquisition (CLA) material will remind you of the
most important aspects of the task that is now immediately ahead of you. The reading, exercises
and activities will help to review what you learned in your equipping program, and give you access
to the resources you will need. There are also suggestions for further reading and activities
throughout. This basic material should take you around five hours to complete. The resources you
will need are all in Pre-field CLA Resources.
Contents:
1. Becoming a Communicator……………1-15
What kind of learner will you be? w Active Listening w Careful Observation
Becoming a different person w Examples from the Word w A lifestyle, not a series of tasks
Who are we becoming? wAdjusting to a new culture w Culture shock
Common stages of adjustment w Making the adjustment easier
2. Proficiency……………15-23
Basic… Progressing… Capable… Proficient… w Basic Level w Progressing Level w Capable Level
Proficient Level w Activities for each level w What kind of evaluation? w Oral Proficiency Interviews
3. Becoming Equipped to Communicate (BEC) ……………23-27
Level 1 w Level 2 w Level 3 w Level 4 w Language and Culture Helpers
4. Other CLA Resources……………27-29
1. Becoming a Communicator
Introduction
The best time to begin to live a life of interest and involvement in people’s lives is when you
first move into a community - which also happens to be when you are learning culture and
language. This is the time when people will be most curious about you, and when you are
the most vulnerable and will need the most help and support from them. It is a never-to-berepeated time of opportunity to lean on people in the community to help you settle in, to
help you find your feet and to begin to learn about them and for them to get to know you
and begin to trust you.
With our long-term goals, a certain type of language and culture learning program that
requires a lot of community involvement and development of relationships is of greatest
benefit. A culture/language learning program like this would have the following overall
features:
•
A central focus on relationships with people as part of the learning process.
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•
The arena of language and culture learning activity is the life of the people.
•
The means of reaching your goal of fluent communication is through activities that
require relationships, first-hand experience with people, focusing on comprehension
and communicative activities.
•
A program that results in functional fluency - so you can speak in a natural way with
people and have an intuitive understanding of how they are thinking and feeling as
you speak.
What kind of learner will you be?
The type of program is very important, as it guides the activities and type of interaction that
the learner might have in the community during the process of learning language and
culture. But, perhaps an even more important, or foundational, aspect of the process of
learning to communicate in a cross-cultural situation is the attitude of the person who is
learning. Here are some notes made by a team leader who has worked for many years with
cross-cultural teams. He pinpoints some of the things he sees as being crucial for people as
they go through the initial process of culture and language acquisition.
“Some of the ‘Heart Attitudes’ necessary for CLA:
•
A high regard for culture – this time is seen as an opportunity to comprehend the
wide diversity in human existence and to find new opportunities for relationships.
•
An eagerness to learn - welcoming the challenge in hopes of learning new facts,
gaining new understandings, changing old opinions, shaping new interpretations,
and making new commitments.
•
A desire to make connections - being willing to persevere and using skills to build
bridges and find common cultural ground, making an effort to form connections.
•
A readiness to give as well as receive - not thinking in terms of personal gain, but in
terms of opportunities for sharing.
We highly value language and culture learners who are:
•
Curious (asking questions, rather than just passive)
•
Trusting (rather than reacting with suspicion)
•
Brave (rather than fearful, willing to take planned risks)
•
Secure (confident in new situations, not afraid of failure)
•
Relaxed (willing to adapt rather than being impatient)
•
Teachable (ready for new experiences, to change and grow)
•
Friendly (giving the first place to people, genuinely warm)
•
Communicative (verbally and non-verbally - listening, observing, responding)
•
Humble (and genuine)
•
Compassionate and empathetic
•
Motivated (for the correct reasons)
One key to success in CLA is the ability to both accept and learn from failure. When a
person is in that position he can relax, accept failure as a normal part of the process and try
things he knows will be flawed, for the purpose of learning and improving. He or she will be
tolerant of his or her own mistakes and willing to learn from them.”
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Activities
•
When you read the comments in the notes from the team leader about what he believes are
helpful attitudes for CLA, how does that make you feel? Are there particular characteristics
mentioned that you think you might be more naturally gifted in than others? Take time to think
about the areas you feel you may have more difficulty with, and consider committing those
regularly to the Father as you move on to this next part of your journey with Him.
•
Read the article, Culture Acquisition through getting close to people (in the Pre-field CLA
Resources).
Two important skills
Two of the most important skills needed for language and culture acquisition are listening
and observation. The most successful learners spend a lot of time just listening and
observing - listening to the sounds, tones, and stresses of the language and also when and
how people are speaking, and carefully observing what is going on around them. Listening
and observation may both seem like ‘passive’ activities, but in fact they require thought
and discipline and may even take some practice to become good at.
Active Listening
There are many other contributing factors to communication than just the words that are
being spoken. So it follows that when we listen in order to learn how to communicate, we
probably shouldn’t just listen to the words - "To study language by listening only to
utterances is to miss as much as 75 per cent of the meaning". (David McNeil).
It has been said that communication is:
o
7% verbal - words
o
38% vocal - volume, pitch, rhythm, tone, stress
o
55% body movements - mostly facial expressions
So, what are the qualities of a good listener? Typically we all practise good listening some of
the time, especially if we are interested in a topic or genuinely want to get to know
someone better. These are attitudes and skills we need to become aware of, to begin to
practise and to seek to do more automatically - because to become a good
communicator, one of the first steps is to practise active listening as a skill, attitude and
eventually a habit of life.
Some characteristics of a good listener are that he:
o
Pays attention.
o
Is attentive and active, not focused on formulating responses.
o
Listens with objectivity, to discover what the speaker thinks (doesn’t transfer
preconceived personal beliefs to the speaker).
o
Does not judge the speaker before hearing him out.
o
Verifies understanding, and only responds after understanding.
o
Restates key points to affirm understanding and build further dialogue.
o
Summarizes key points to affirm understanding and build further dialogue.
o
Asks (non-threatening) questions to build understanding.
o
Carefully observes the speaker’s vocal and non-verbal communication.
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Careful Observation
To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.
- Marilyn vos Savant
Observation is something we do all of the time as a natural course of life, but if someone
intends to learn how to relate naturally in another culture, observation needs to be a skill
that is honed and developed. Often there are insights into culture that we can miss if we
don’t actively observe patterns of behaviour and try to fit those into a framework to
understand why people are doing the things we see them doing. Observation is one of the
primary methods of gathering information for someone in the early stages of cross-cultural
learning. It is particularly valuable because it helps someone to view actual behaviour rather than socially pressured or conditioned statements.
People who are astute observers often end up being more “natural” participants in the
culture, because they have learned how local people behave, have seen the gestures
they use and noted the facial expressions and tone of voice that is used in different
circumstances. Naturalness is important to clear communication, because it allows people
to listen without being distracted by the confusing messages given by ‘unusual’ behaviour.
Of course, later on when you can both speak and understand the language more fluently,
you will be able to investigate more deeply the motivation for certain behaviour and gain
more of an insight into a person’s thinking by talking to them - but observation will always be
an important part of understanding what is going on.
Good observation is simply noticing the details:
•
The physical location
o
What is the setting? (Where is the situation taking place, what kind of a room or
building or setting, what are people wearing, what props or objects are
involved, anything of note)
o
What kind of a situation is it? (Formal or informal, people’s purpose for being
there, etc.)
•
•
The human interactions
o
How many people are involved?
o
Who are they? (Gender, ages, social group, etc?)
o
How are they related? (Strangers, workmates, relatives, business relationship?)
Communication
o
What kind of communication is taking place? (Verbal, non-verbal, formal or
informal, etc.)
o
•
•
Who is communicating to whom and how?
Timelines
o
What is the sequence of events?
o
Was something going on before you arrived?
Questions
o
What are some questions you have that come to mind? (Things you would like to
investigate or understand more about, people in the situation you might
question about it, things you can find out later.)
Practice is necessary to become a good observer, but there is a lot of opportunity to
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practice! Seek to develop a healthy curiosity about what is going on around you and to
notice the details in a situation and in people’s behaviour. You will have plenty of
opportunity for observing and learning from people as you develop relationships with them.
Activities
•
Practice active listening in your conversations this week. Make any observations about the way
you normally listen and how easy or difficult it is to change those habits (if they needed
changing). Also what did you notice about the way people listened to you?
•
As an extra activity, go and observe some kind of event that you have rarely or never taken
part in before. This could be a sporting event, an entertainment event, an activity that others
are doing, or going a visit to a public place (it should be somewhere people are involved and
where you can observe them closely). Take notes of the things you observed during the activity
- the physical location, the human interaction, the communication, timelines and questions. Try
to avoid taking an active part in things and affecting the behaviour of people by your
presence - your goal is to simply observe what is going on. As you do this activity, think about
how you felt about the experience and how easy or difficult it was for you, and try to imagine
doing it in an unfamiliar cultural setting.
Becoming a different person
A key foundation for effective cross-cultural learning is that we understand culture and
language learning as a process of becoming someone who we currently are not in order to
be useful servants in a new context. You may have thought already about the fact that in
order for you to be an effective cross-cultural learner, there may be a need for some
personal changes - changes of habit or changes of automatic behaviour. This kind of
change requires a willingness to change who we already are for the sake of somebody or
something else - and that is never an easy decision to make or a simple process to go
through. It is helpful to think about why we should be willing to go through that process of
change, to understand what things will motivate us along the way.
An important aspect of learning cross-culturally is remembering to value the gifts that have
been given to you specifically - your personality, your experience, your background - who
you are in your uniqueness. Because being the person that He has uniquely prepared for
the work He has given us is the best way to provide access to His message to the people we
come in contact with. Culture and language learning really is a process of deep change in
our lives - the journey of becoming relevant and useful instruments in a new context, and it
is also a personal journey, one in which we will need to be wholly involved.
Examples from God’s Word
Culture and language learning is primarily a time of learning and of gradually coming to a
point of knowing and understanding the language and culture of the people. But the
greater test will be our going beyond knowing and understanding to becoming and being becoming and being someone that you are not now - changing some things about yourself
for the purpose of reaching the people God loves. Christ Himself is the foremost example of
this and is a pattern for us.
Let’s think of the example of our Lord Jesus Christ: through His incarnation, He so identified
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Himself with man, that it was later said of Him that He could actually “…sympathise with our
weaknesses…”! He became a man, He gave up all the privileges associated with His higher
status, and took on the nature and characteristics of humans.
Think about the life of the Lord in more detail, and how He actually lived among people:
o
How did Christ relate to those among whom He lived?
o
How did He love them?
o
Which culture was He enculturated into?
o
What kind of food did He eat?
o
How did He dress?
o
How did He travel?
o
Was He part of the community?
o
Where did He live?
o
How removed was He from the normal life of the society?
o
Did He escape? How? What for?
o
What kind of privacy did He have?
o
How did He relate to leaders of different types?
o
How did He respond to the philosophies and worldview of others?
o
How did He communicate?
o
What language?
o
What body language?
o
Did He know the culture? As an insider?
Jesus came to initiate change and rebirth, so He did not come to become like us in every
way. His life exhibited a perfect balance of Grace and Truth - He made every effort to
become like us in every way He could, but that did not stop Him from confronting the things
He needed to, in order to bring Truth. Read 1 Corinthians 9:19 - 23, where Paul gives a
description of his own willingness to give up his rights in order to fulfill his purpose in life.
A lifestyle, not a series of tasks
CLA is much more than learning how to say something, we are actually learning how to be
something. We could also say that effective cross-cultural learning is more a lifestyle that we
grow into, than a checklist that we accomplish. It is a process of becoming a relevant
participant and communicator in a new context.
There are certain activities and ways of living that will help you to grow and learn, and you
will need to be pro-active in including those and keeping them balanced in your new
setting. YOU are the one who will have the ultimate responsibility for how you spend your
time. Here are some of the most important aspects that should be included in a healthy
lifestyle of learning during the time of culture and language acquisition:
Spend time with people
Continually evaluate your schedule and activities to see if you are pursuing people rather
than avoiding them:
o
Find ways to be involved in regular activities in the community that local people
also do regularly.
o
Join a sporting group or activity where you are regularly with a group of people
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and the focus is on something other than you.
o
Take a class at a college or university level in a topic that interests you.
o
Do part-time volunteer work in an old-people’s home, hospital, school,
orphanage - where you will regularly be with the same group of people.
o
Have goals of meeting a certain number of new people each week, specific
and measurable goals.
o
Maintain existing relationships and evaluate how they are developing.
Listen to people talk
This will happen naturally if you are spending time with people. The most effective way to
boost your learning is to expose yourself to massive comprehensible input. That is, expose
yourself to massive doses of speech (and perhaps writing) that you can understand, while
gradually increasing the difficulty level.
Talk to people
This will also begin to happen naturally if you are spending time with people. You have to
practice if you want to continue to learn, so you need to engage in extensive
extemporaneous speaking. That is, engage in extensive two-way conversational
interaction, and other speaking and writing activities.
Learn about people
Learn to know the people whose language you are learning. That is, learn all you can
about their lives, experiences, and beliefs. Do this in and through the language as you
spend time with them, and as you carefully observe them and ask questions. Have some
broader learning goals as well, such as:
o
Gaining an appreciation and understanding of history, culture, community both on a wider and a local level through individual contacts and relationships,
and develop an overall understanding of themes, worldviews.
o
Have an interest in their national politics, entertainment, arts, religion, travel, and
develop understandings about what is important to people.
o
Have an understanding of what friendship means in this culture, ideally through
development of relationships personally.
o
Find out how the church (if it exists) looks and functions in this setting, and how it
relates to other religious groups. Remember this will take a long time - avoid
evaluating the situation too quickly or coming to conclusions too early - take
your time and don’t make commitments until you are in a position to really
understand what is going on.
Get the most out of every situation
Use the principle that every situation has a multiple purpose - building deeper relationships
as well as increasing linguistic ability and cultural understanding. Once you gain a degree
of fluency through structured activities you will be more comfortable with unstructured
social visiting as a means of getting conversational practice. You can use your formal
language sessions to prepare for your general social visiting. For example, when you learn
to discuss some topic in your language sessions, you can then make a point of discussing
that same topic during informal social visits. You can even tell your friends, "This is what I
have been learning to talk about ", and then go on to talk about the topic with your friends.
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Balance your learning activities
One of the most difficult things to do when learning cross-culturally is to balance your time
in various learning activities. So no matter what language program you end up following
(we will be giving an introduction to the BEC program later in this material), you will need to
personally make sure that your schedule includes all of these types of activities:
o
Formal language sessions with someone who is providing comprehensible input
and opportunities for extemporaneous speaking. During this time you have a
safe environment to practice, ask questions and focus on particular things.
o
Private activities in which you listen to recordings, read, write, and plan. Listening
to a lot of recorded comprehensible material is very valuable as it prepares you
for speaking with people. You can use this time to plan well for language
sessions or to think about opportunities for social activities.
o
Social activities in which you use the language, either in understanding
messages, in uttering messages, or both. Purposefully identify situations social/cultural - that you have not taken part in or do not know how to function
in yet and learn how to do that. Participate in that situation, learn by observation
what people say and what they do, evaluate what you need to learn, practice
being in that situation until you know how to function. Your goal is to be able to
function in this new context - to communicate to a level where people in this
setting understand who you are and what you are saying to them at the
deepest level. Also, make sure that you take time to just relax and enjoy other
people’s company, and for them to relax and get to know you.
Balance your family life
Finding His direction for including your home and family life as an integral part of learning is
a key to sustaining a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle of learning. This is possible, and can be
a wonderful time as wives and husbands engage together in the challenge of becoming
relevant and useful communicators and support each other in the learning process. Also,
parents can find ways to help their children identify with their long-term goals, and help
their children to be moving forward also in becoming more “insiders” in this new context.
Children are a valuable part of the picture and should be included as much as possible in
the deeper aspects of why you are there and be shown understanding and given help as
they too make cultural adjustments along with you. Strong and healthy family relationships
are an important way to honor Him and communicate His character to those around you
and children who feel this sense of responsibility will enjoy the part they can play.
Who are we becoming?
We need to go beyond just knowing and understanding to becoming and being, in order
to communicate fully what God wants us to. So who are we becoming?
BECOMING…
…a true friend
…someone they want to be with
…someone they trust
…a part of their lives
…someone they can talk to (because they know that we understand)
…someone they can listen to
…someone they want to listen to
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…someone who can do things in the culture/language
…someone who communicates at the deepest levels
…someone who never stops growing
This becoming is not simply a matter of learning language and culture so that I can
accomplish a series of tasks…it’s about undergoing inward change into a suitable
vessel/steward of the Treasure - and a servant of Him.
Activities
•
Someone has said “cross-cultural learning for His work is not merely learning how to act but
becoming what we want them to become - modelling Him in their culture. To help them to
become, not like us, but uniquely like Him.” Think about this statement, do you agree with it,
does it seem possible, is it too extreme, does it ignore other influences on their growth?
•
Look back again in the notes at the list of headings under the title: A lifestyle, not a series of
tasks. Think about your activities and engagement with people in the community you lived in
last, and brainstorm some specific ways you could have put more of these into practice in that
situation if you were doing CLA there.
•
Read the article - Leave me alone! Can’t you see I’m learning your language? by Greg
Thomson (in the Pre-field CLA Resources)
Adjusting to a new culture
Relocation into a new cultural situation is a huge step. The changes and contrasts in the
simple things such as the language, food, television, weather, shopping and socialising are
only a small part of the relocation process. It is often the deeper differences in customs,
mentality, worldview and interpersonal interaction that have a more profound effect.
There are many different reactions and feelings people have, when faced with the
challenges of moving and living for the long-term in an (initially) unfamiliar cultural context.
Although it is often an exciting, interesting and positive time of learning, there will probably
be days when it seems overwhelming and you feel that you just want to be back in your
own culture, where you feel comfortable and can relax. No matter what kind of a person
you are, or what preparation you have had previously, one of the major factors in
adjustment is your willingness to make the adjustment, and your motivation to keep walking
through those challenging times.
Your motivation is, of course, based on your overall purpose for being in the new culture
and new situation in the first place. If you can find a deep and satisfying answer to the
question, Why am I (and my family) here? Then that will get you through the initial stages of
culture adjustment better than anything else. If we are convinced that He is the one who
has guided and led us to where we are for His purposes, then we will trust Him with the
details of our living situation, new foods, new neighbors, and all the rest of the daily
adjustments we must make - we will be more patient through the challenges of that
process. Being more relaxed because we know He is in control can also help us to be open
to see the fun side of cultural adjustment, and see it as a positive time, that will help in the
process of us becoming more like His Son.
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There are some distinct stages that have been recognized in people as they adjust to their
host country, the host culture and their new daily activities. Looking at these stages can
help us to recognize in ourselves that we will probably go through some similar feelings and
attitudes, and hopefully we will be more prepared and objective about it at the time. No
person’s experience is exactly like another’s, but you should be aware of some of the
thoughts and feelings that you or your family might experience, during your initial
adjustment to a new cultural living situation.
‘Culture Shock’
It is probably better to call it ‘culture adjustment’. The term ‘culture shock’ can be
misleading, because many people making a planned move to a new culture have had
time to think about the move and prepare themselves in some way for it, so they won’t
face a sudden ‘shock’ that hits them out of the blue and that they have no control over.
For most people, adjusting cross-culturally is a gradual process with a mix of ‘positive’ and
‘negative’ experiences, as they gradually adjust to a new set of rules for living, relating,
communicating and doing just about everything else, and in effect, as they become a
different person in the process.
Some of the factors that make cultural adjustment more difficult for some people, have to
do with their lack of preparation for another culture. If someone hasn’t thought about it too
much before, they will probably struggle to really believe in cultural differences and as a
result, they will probably tend to impose their own cultural value system on others. This can
lead them to think people who are behaving differently are behaving wrongly. They will
tend to think that the way they behave themselves is natural and normal and the way other
people behave, if it’s different, is wrong or at the least, misguided. Generally, people who
begin to think like this have had limited contact with people different from themselves and
so have no experiential basis for believing in, and therefore understanding, the real scope
of the differences that exist in other cultures. This probably doesn’t apply to you, but
nonetheless you will face some adjustment time.
Culture adjustment is a process that affects people of all different walks of life and ages;
teachers, managers, sports people, business people, aid workers, medical personnel,
children and teenagers all deal with some degree of adjustment as part of international
relocation. Learning to recognise stages of the process of adjustment is helpful because it is
important to realize it is a process that is common to everyone, and that we can work
through it, and gradually become well adjusted to our new situation.
Common stages of adjustment
The varying stages of culture adjustment that have been recognized are:
1. The Honeymoon - Initial Enthusiasm
(First week or two in host country)
This is a period of initial enthusiasm and excitement, hope and stimulation. Everything is
exotic and quaint. The attitude toward host country is generally positive, mixed with
enthusiasm for the move and the new things you are experiencing. Little is expected of you.
Interaction with the host culture is primarily passive.
At this stage, you are probably unaware of most cultural differences. It may not occur to
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you that you may be making cultural mistakes or that you may be misinterpreting much of
the behaviour going on around you. You have no reason not to trust your instincts.
2. Culture Fatigue - Initial realization of the challenges of adjustment
(After the first few weeks)
Wider exposure to the country and culture means more realistic and more mixed reactions.
You are trying to establish daily life routines and even those can be a challenge to
accomplish. Enthusiasm is tempered with frustration. Feelings of vulnerability and
dependence are common. Homesickness is frequent. Nothing seems routine or has yet
become ‘easy’ or ‘fun’. Limited language ability undermines confidence. Close bonds can
be formed with other expatriates rather than locals. The differences in behaviour combined
with the stress of adapting to a new daily routine sometimes lead to criticism of the host
culture. Symptoms of culture fatigue can start to appear such as boredom, lethargy,
irritability and hostility toward the host culture.
You now realize that differences exist between the way you and the local people behave,
though you understand very little about what these differences are, how numerous they
might be, or how deep they might go. You know there’s a problem here, but you’re not
sure about the size of it. You’re not so sure of your instincts anymore, and you realize there
are some things you don’t understand. You may start to worry about how hard it’s going to
be to figure these people out.
3. Initial Adjustment
(After the first six months or so)
Routines are re-established - you now know what to do to ‘get by’ and how to do what you
need to. You are able to communicate in the language with people in a limited way. Some
aspects of the country and culture now seem normal. Adjustment to the physical aspects of
the host country is beginning to improve. You are somewhat more self-reliant. You are more
positive about your ability to function. An understanding and empathy with the host culture
starts to develop. You feel more comfortable with your routines and surroundings.
You know cultural differences exist, you know what some of these differences are, and you
try to adjust your own behaviour accordingly. It doesn’t come naturally yet - you have to
make a conscious effort to behave in culturally appropriate ways, but you are much more
aware of how your behaviour is coming across to the local people. You are in the process
of replacing old instincts with new ones. You know now that you will be able to figure these
people out if you can remain objective.
4. Further Adjustment - Enthusiasm
(After the first year or more)
Your relocation is now a distant memory and your host country feels more like 'home'. The
effects of culture adjustment lessen as a genuine enjoyment of the new location and
people develops. Elements of the host culture's behaviours and values are adopted. You
are less likely to criticise things that are different, and certain areas of the host culture are
now preferred to the way you used to do things. You can communicate fairly well and
have developed some relationships that are becoming closer and can sometimes even
relax and enjoy socializing with local people, or having deeper, more open, conversations
with them.
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You no longer have to think about what you’re doing in order to do the ‘right thing’.
Culturally appropriate behaviour is now second nature to you; you can trust your instincts
because they have been reconditioned by the new culture. It takes little effort now for you
to be culturally sensitive.
The Diagram below shows the typical “U” curve of cross-cultural adjustment:
Honeymoon
Further Adjustment
Comfort
level
Initial Adjustment
Culture Fatigue
Time in country
Making the adjustment easier
There are many theories on making cultural adjustment easier, and a lot of resources that
approach the challenge of adjustment from different points of view. However, most people
agree that the very best way to adjust to a culture is to learn about it - familiarity,
understanding and eventual adjustment come through knowing about your new context
and getting to know local people.
Because of the particular goals you have to be in the context in the first place, your initial
years will be spent in doing ‘culture / language acquisition’ activities. You will be working
through a systematic program of learning to communicate, understanding the culture and
getting to know the people around you - and this also happens to be the best way for you
to adjust to your new country and culture as well.
Prior to relocation
Before you move, it is important for individuals, couples and families to learn as much about
their new host country as possible. Personal research should look at the people, culture,
social norms, religions, language, food, entertainment, and accommodation - in fact
anything you can find out about the country and it’s people. Good preparation can go a
long way in helping you (and your family) with your eventual adjustment to the culture.
As a goal for your personal research you should try to gain:
o
An introduction to the country and its history, politics and culture.
o
An understanding of the culture's values, customs and etiquette and their
possible impact on work and social life.
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o
An understanding of the possible lifestyle realities in the destination region.
o
An initial connection to the other team members working in the area.
o
An introduction to the languages and cultures in that region and specific
characteristics of those.
Attitudes that help when adjusting to a new culture
Culture adjustment is something everyone experiences to one degree or another. For
everyone there will be times of stress and fatigue and even the feeling of being out of
control of your environment. No matter how well we prepare for our destination, there will
be times when we just want to be in a familiar place where we understand what is going on
and can function and communicate freely.
The challenge of culture adjustment could be said to be one of the major reasons that
there are still unreached peoples in the world - it is where the ‘rubber hits the road’ for the
Body in its efforts to fulfill the Task. Because it isn’t in a sense the big decision to go that is as
significant as the daily decisions people make to stay. One thing we do know is that He
understands and appreciates the sacrifice His people make in putting themselves into
difficult situations - or even just out of their comfort zone - for the sake of His purposes in the
lives of others. One of the most helpful attitudes to have when facing culture fatigue or
stress is to remember what He did for us.
Some other things to think about that will help you to bridge cultures:
Realize that everyone experiences culture fatigue. Find someone who has gone through
culture adjustment and has a positive attitude now. Get perspective. Avoid others
who are in a permanent state of complaining and culture shock (unless you feel you
can help them).
Admit that you don’t know. Knowing that we don’t know everything, that a situation does
not make sense, that our assumptions may be wrong is part of the process of
becoming culturally aware. Assume first that you might be misunderstanding the
situation and be ready to learn from it: there are different ways of doing things, not
worse, not better.
Suspend judgments. Collect as much information as possible so you can describe the
situation accurately before evaluating it. Begin looking for logical reasons behind
everything that seems strange, confusing, difficult, threatening. Assume that other
people are as resourceful as we are and that their way will add to what we know.
They have probably found perfectly good, but different, solutions to the same
problems we face.
Empathy. In order to understand another person, we need to try standing in their shoes.
Through empathy we learn of how other people would like to be treated by us. Try
to think about the other person’s point of view.
Systematically check your assumptions. Ask your local friends or neighbours for feedback
and constantly check your assumptions to make sure that you clearly understand
the situation.
Become comfortable with ambiguity. The more complicated and uncertain life is, the more
we tend to seek control and to work everything out. Learn to recognize this in
yourself and allow the Lord to be the One who is in control - guiding and leading in
each situation you face.
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Celebrate diversity. Find ways of sharing and appreciating the culture around you and your
local friends and co-workers, and also the diverse cultures of your expat friends and
co-workers. Find ways to talk about differences or similarities in a positive and
appreciative way. Relax your grip on your own culture.
Enjoy your situation. Make a list of all the positive things you can identify about your present
situation. List all the things you enjoy or appreciate about the culture around you,
and the things that you are looking forward to finding out more about, or to trying
for yourself.
Maintain a healthy sense of humour. There are often a lot of funny situations that happen
when you are adjusting to a new culture and learning a new language - learning to
laugh at yourself and your mistakes and to talk about them with others can be a
great stress reliever.
Have faith. Remember that the Lord is with you and you will work through culture
adjustment to brighter days ahead.
Think about the needs of others. Be concerned about others and you will be less worried
about how you feel.
Activities that help with cultural adjustment:
Learn the Language and Culture. As we said before, this is going to be an ongoing process
for you perhaps for several years - it is good to remember that it is helping you to
adjust and feel more comfortable the more you learn.
Explore! Get a sense for the physical environment, look for parks, sports facilities, bus stops,
etc. Get an initial sense for how people greet each other, wait in line, etc. Find out
where people meet and socialize. Make an effort to go to those places.
Use local Media: In every country, a lot about the culture is revealed by the media, which
includes; Books/Poetry, Newspapers, Magazines, Radio, Television, Movies/Theater,
Songs and music. Your ability to use the media to learn about the culture depends
on how well you speak and read the language, but this will increase with time.
Adjust your schedule. Try to fit into a rhythm of life in your host culture. Adjust to their time
schedule for meals and work.
Keep busy. Keep active. Keep your mind occupied. Don’t sit around and feel sorry for
yourself.
Join In. Begin to find the things that local people do and take part in those things. Find ways
to actively participate, to become involved in the life of your community and its
people. Much of this involvement happens automatically as you go about living
and working in your village or city, but you can also make a conscious effort to
become involved in community activities outside your work and meet people you
ordinarily would not.
Take care of yourself. By exercising, getting enough sleep, eating properly, and doing things
you enjoy. Draw on your personal resources for handling stress. You’ve done it many
times before, and you can do it again.
Keep in touch. With friends and family at home.
Keep a journal. This will help you make sense out of what you are feeling, how you have
changed, and what you have gained so far from your time in your new country. It
helps to share this with family and friends, to share your experiences with them.
Make friends. Getting to know sympathetic locals - those who are willing to help you initially
- is a great comfort and a way to begin to develop deeper relationships. Ask people
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for help in learning to do the basic things and you will find the people who want to
get to know you. Share with them some of the challenges of your adjustment to this
new situation.
Activity
•
Think about the activities that you like to do now that help you to enjoy life and relax; e.g.,
exercise, watch movies, shop, cook, fish, bike ride, read, walk, go out to eat, etc. Which of
these do you think you will probably be able to continue to do in a new cultural situation?
Which activities might you not be able to do and how do you think you might feel about that
and deal with it?
2. Proficiency
Introduction
As we have already discussed, cross-cultural learning is about much more than just
language learning, it involves your whole person, and can even be described as a process
of becoming a different person - becoming someone who can communicate with
proficiency in a new context. Our definition of proficiency might read something like this:
Proficiency: “the progressive acquisition of culture and language, such that, as a
result of the acquisition process, the learner earns the perspective, privileges, and
communicative ability of a people group insider: namely, that the learner shares,
with that particular people group, the intimate trust and understanding based on
the specific, uniquely held people group worldview - that which is distinguished by
an integrated set of values, beliefs, and behaviours, both cultural and linguistic.”
So, in practical terms what does it actually look like to move toward, and eventually reach,
that kind of proficiency? We are going to take a ‘snapshot’ of what communication and
learning looks like at four different stages in the learning process. We will see, for a learner at
each stage, what abilities they might have at that stage and what activities they might be
involved in at that stage.
Basic… Progressing… Capable… Proficient…
As people progress through culture and language learning, assessments can be made of
when they reach certain levels of proficiency. These assessments are based on how they
actually function and are able to communicate in real life situations - culturally and
linguistically. The four levels of proficiency that people move through are: Basic, Progressing,
Capable and Proficient.
Each level has recognisable characteristics - at certain levels people are able to do certain
things with the language and in the culture - so we can assess when a learner has moved
beyond one level and on to the next. The levels of proficiency are not dependent on how
much time someone has been learning or what program they have been following to learn
- the time it takes to reach a certain level of proficiency will vary, depending on the
individual learner, on the difficulty of the language, or on other factors. Proficiency is based
simply on their actual functional ability to communicate.
Learning is a gradual process, which looks different for every person and situation, and
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some aspects can’t be neatly divided into sections and measured in a ‘scientific’ way.
Even though this is true, there are some similarities that have been identified in the way all
people grow in their ability to communicate cross-culturally. For example, there are clearly
identifiable steps or stages in the way people learn to use another language:
o
They begin with simple words and phrases,
o
then they use those words and phrases to make sentences,
o
then they learn to join those sentences into paragraphs,
o
and finally they are able to speak using extended discourse by linking the
paragraphs together.
These identifiable characteristics of learners at different levels are evident in other areas as
well - in cultural understanding, social interaction and cultural adaptation, to name a few.
We could represent this growth in proficiency as an upside-down cone, with the pointed
end at the most basic level, and gradually
opening out toward the top where people
are described as proficient communicators.
Beginning at the bottom of the cone,
learners are ‘brand new’ in the situation and
basically have no ability to communicate or
participate. As they learn, they will grow in
proficiency - increasing and broadening in
their ability - toward the top of the cone
where they will be proficient communicators
and participators in their new community.
We will look briefly at each of the four
progressive levels of ability in more detail. As
you read the descriptions of each level,
imagine the lines on the pyramid, gradually
climbing upward and moving outward in all
areas of proficiency.
Basic Level
At the beginning of Basic level, a learner will be able to respond to or speak a few isolated
words – those borrowed from English, or commonly used, like gracias, ciao, etc. A learner at
Basic level might describe themselves like this:
I can say "hello" and "goodbye."
I can count to ten.
I can use courtesy words such as "Thank you" and "Excuse me."
I know a handful of words.
I am eager to begin learning my target language.
I have set some goals for my language learning.
Still in Basic level, but a little further along in learning - perhaps after a month or so - they will
be able to recognise and express very simple needs in polite language. They will mostly use
memorised words and phrases and be able to say short phrases if given time to think about
what they want to say. They might be able to recite a nursery rhyme or sing a simple song.
They will recognise that they speak in a heavy accent with many errors and confuse sounds
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that are similar, and that their speech is difficult to understand, even to teachers used to
working with beginning language students. They might describe themselves like this:
I can respond to simple commands such as "Stand up" and "Come here."
I can greet people and take my leave correctly, such as “How are you” and “I must
go.”
I can ask basic questions, using who, what, when, and where.
I can make simple statements and commands such as "It's hot" and "Turn on the light."
I can make simple requests and appropriate thank yous.
I can use at least fifty words in appropriate contexts.
I can sing one verse of a folk song or popular sing-along tune.
I have to work hard to make many of the new sounds, and I often have to pause to find
words that express my thoughts.
I frequently use circumlocution, that is, I choose words close to my intended meaning
because I don’t know the correct word I want. For example, I say “my father’s brother’s
daughter” instead of “cousin.”
I find it difficult to catch even words I know, when they are mixed with normal speech
by my instructors.
People often ask me to repeat myself; some don’t seem to realise I am speaking their
language.
Toward the top of Basic level, they will be able to ask questions and make simple
statements based on memorised sentences, and understand conversation fragments and
simple commands. They will be able to deal with simple topics of daily need though they
speak mostly in short, direct sentences. They can say some longer phrases and sentences if
given time to think about them first. Though they still make frequent errors in pronunciation
and word use, and frequently ask speakers to slow down or repeat, they can communicate
with close acquaintances (e.g., host family or co-workers) and behave considerately in
dealing with host country people. They are able to correctly understand some non-verbal
cues. They might describe their ability like this:
I can initiate and close conversations appropriately.
I understand and can make simple statements or ask simple questions about family,
age, address, weather, daily activities, time, date, and day of the week.
I understand some words when the context helps explain them, e.g., in a cafe, the
marketplace.
My vocabulary includes names of basic concepts: days, months, numbers to 1-100,
articles of clothing, body parts, and family relationships.
I can use at least one hundred nouns and verbs in appropriate contexts.
I still find it difficult to understand native speakers (in spite of my growing vocabulary).
I often have to repeat myself, particularly when I’m with new acquaintances or
strangers.
I am beginning to know what's expected of me in simple social situations.
I am motivated to build relationships, communicate and act in culturally appropriate
way, and have a genuine interest in getting to know people.
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Activity
•
Before reading the description of the next level, stop and listen to the example of a learner who is
at Basic Level in English (watch the video in the Pre-field CLA resources - Speaking examples). As
you listen, think about what the speaker can do with the language at this level - and how they
would be able to function in real life situations. Imagine yourself being at this level in another
language.
Progressing Level
So, perhaps six months to a year after starting to learn - depending on the complexity of the
language and cultural context - a learner will be moving from Basic to Progressing level. At the
beginning of Progressing level, a learner will be able to speak on familiar topics, ask and
answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements, and carry on face-to-face
discussions. They will be able to discuss topics beyond basic survival, such as personal history
and leisure time activities. Though they often speak incorrectly, by repeating, generally native
speakers who regularly deal with foreigners can understand them. They are now frequently
able to understand native speakers if they repeat or speak more slowly, and are able to pick
out the main idea in a simple conversation. They might describe themselves like this:
I can handle more complex questions about myself, including marital status, nationality,
occupation, and place of birth.
I can read a menu, discuss food items with fellow diners, ask the waitperson about some of
the dishes, and order a meal from a restaurant menu.
I can discuss simple topics with friends and feel comfortable that I can understand and be
understood.
I am beginning to get the gist of some conversations and feel comfortable.
After a little more time, their ability will have grown further - they will be able to participate in
more complicated exchanges. They will be showing improvement in using correct basic
grammar constructions. And they will be showing more understanding of some common
cultural traditions and taboos. At this stage they might describe their ability like this:
I can travel by public transportation, asking simple directions or help as needed.
I can respond to simple directions from customs officials, policemen, or other officials.
I can handle simple business at the post office, a bank, and the chemist.
I'm beginning to speak more correctly; my subjects and verbs generally agree.
I am starting to understand and usually can behave appropriately in interactions that
involve men and women, children and adults, and employers and employees.
Toward the end of Progressing Level, a learner will be able to participate in conversations
about most survival needs, limited social conventions, and other topics. They can get the gist of
most conversations on familiar topics. Though they speak mostly in short, separate sentences,
they show occasional bursts of spontaneity. They can use most question forms, basic tenses,
pronouns, and verb inflections, though they still speak with many errors. Native speakers used to
speaking with foreigners can understand them. By repeating things, they can frequently be
understood by the general public. In dealing with local people, they are able to get along in
familiar survival situations and with native speakers accustomed to foreigners. They might
describe themselves like this:
I can introduce myself or someone else in some detail.
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I can buy my basic foodstuffs, rent a hotel room, and bargain when appropriate.
I can talk about favourite pastimes or sports.
I can give and understand directions on how to get to places like the post office, a
restaurant, or a local tourist attraction.
I can deal with and explain unexpected problems, such as losing my traveller's checks or
expiration of my visa.
I can carry on more complicated conversations with native speakers who are used to
dealing with foreigners.
I find myself thinking some words and sentences in my new language and offering them
spontaneously.
Activities
•
Now listen to the example of a learner who is at Progressing Level in English (watch the video in the
Pre-field CLA resources - Speaking examples). As you listen, think about what the speaker can do
with the language at this level - and how they would be able to function in real life situations.
•
Think about what some of your major motivations will be for you to keep going each day as you
face the challenge of culture and language learning.
Capable Level
Anywhere between a year or two years from starting to learn - or perhaps longer depending
on the language and context - a learner will be somewhere in Capable Level. At this level,
they are able to participate freely in most casual and some work conversations. They are able
to give simple directions or explanations at work, and are able to talk about past and future
events. With minimal requests for repetition, they can get the gist of normal conversation by
native speakers speaking at an advanced language level. Their vocabulary is good enough to
speak simply with only a few circumlocutions and they can speak extemporaneously and at an
advanced language level on many topics. Though their accent is clearly that of a learner, they
can generally be understood. They will have an expanding network of genuine/close
relationships, hopefully with love and respect shown and understood. They will show
appreciation, acceptance of differences and be able to connect on an emotional level. This is
how they might describe themselves:
I can describe my work in some detail and discuss with my co-workers most work-related
tasks.
I can talk comfortably about topics of general interest, such as local entertainment and
current events.
I can talk about things that happened in the past or might happen in the future.
I can take and give messages by telephone.
I can be understood by most native speakers, and I can follow normal conversations
involving native speakers.
Many of my thoughts about daily activities are in my new language.
After some further learning, they will still be in Capable level, but will have made more progress
and will be able to handle most work requirements and conversations on technical or work
related topics of interest. They will be able to express facts, give instructions, describe, report,
and talk about current, past, and future activities. Often they will be able to speak fluently and
easily, though occasionally they will need to pause to think of a word, and will still make some
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grammatical errors. In dealing with native speakers, they can understand common rules of
etiquette, taboos and sensitivities, and handle routine social situations when dealing with
people accustomed to foreigners. They would describe their ability like this:
I can hire an employee, discuss qualifications, duties, hours, and pay.
I can instruct a co-worker on how to perform a common task.
I can give opinions and facts, and explain points of view.
I can talk with ease about my past, my current activities, and what I hope to do in the
future.
I generally speak easily and fluently with only minor pauses.
I can make culturally acceptable requests, accept or refuse invitations, apologise, and
offer and receive gifts.
Activity
•
Before reading the description of the next level, stop and listen to the examples of a learner who is
at Capable Level in English (watch the video in the Pre-field CLA resources - Speaking examples).
As you listen, think about what the speaker can do with the language at this level - and how they
would be able to function in real life situations. When learners have reached the top of this level
they are considered to be able to teach truth and disciple people. Of course this does not mean
they will stop learning - if people continue to live and work in a cross-cultural context, they will
always be continuing to learn.
Proficient Level
At Proficient level, learners will be able to converse on most practical, social, and professional
topics. They will be able to deal with unfamiliar topics, provide explanations, resolve problems,
describe in detail, offer supported opinions, and hypothesise. They can also talk about simple
abstract ideas. They rarely have to grope for a word, and their control of grammar is good and
errors almost never seem to bother the local person listening. They are able to participate
appropriately in most social and work situations, and are able to understand most non-verbal
responses; they are even beginning to understand culture-related humour. They have an
expanding network of social relationships, and some of these are characterised by trust,
friendship and respect, because the learner has earned the right to speak. With some people
there will be friendly, relaxed, natural interaction and understanding. They might describe
themselves like this:
I can carry out most work assignments in the target language.
I can handle routine social situations with ease.
I can participate effectively in most general discussions involving native speakers.
I can handle normal and extended telephone conversations.
I can listen to a radio program, oral report, or speech and take accurate notes.
I can deal with an unexpected problem or a social blunder.
I can support my opinions in a discussion or argument.
I am beginning to understand jokes and word-play.
I seldom have to ask speakers to repeat or explain.
I can speak at a normal rate of speed, without groping for words or trying to avoid complex
grammatical structures.
I understand most body language and use it appropriately myself.
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Activity
•
Now listen to the examples of a learner who is at Proficient Level in English (watch the video in the
Pre-field CLA resources - Speaking examples). As you listen, think about what the speaker can do
with the language at this level - and how they would be able to function in real life situations.
Activities for each level
As your proficiency grows, your ability to do things culturally and linguistically increases, so the
way you learn must change as well. Let’s look at how the type of learning activities change as
proficiency grows.
Learners at Basic level would benefit from activities like these:
•
Relating to people in the common and familiar situations.
•
Learning by listening and acting (listening comprehension).
•
Learning by listening and acting with speaking - predictable speaking activities.
•
Participant Observation - being in situations and observing what is going on.
•
Listening to simple recorded material that they understand.
Learners at Progressing level would benefit from activities like these:
•
Relating to people as they go through daily routine activities - making new friends and
finding out about their normal activities.
•
Participant Observation - being in situations, observing what is going on and speaking as
they are able.
•
Working with daily routines - listening to recorded material with a helper, learning new
vocabulary, new cultural concepts and ideas.
Learners at Capable level and higher would benefit from activities like these:
•
Relating through sharing life stories with people - talking about things that have happened
to them and about their past life.
•
Participant Observation - taking part in life with people, observing and speaking. Noticing
what motivates people, what they think and feel.
•
Sharing life stories - listening to recorded material from their conversations with people,
learning new vocabulary, and new cultural concepts and ideas.
•
Relating through conversations with people - talking about what people think and feel.
What kind of proficiency evaluation?
Because cross-cultural roles require abilities in language, cultural understanding and also in the
area of relationships, an evaluation should cover all of these areas. It should evaluate what a
person can do - their functional ability in real situations - not just what they know.
Because of the complexity of second-language acquisition, no method of evaluation is
foolproof. But, if an evaluation is based on sound principles, it should give the learner a good
idea of the level they are at and what they need to do to reach their goal of being an
effective communicator in their context. As well as letting the learner know their level of
proficiency, one of the major goals of an evaluation should be to motivate the learner to
continue to learn and give them a clear idea of where they should focus and how to
overcome challenges.
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Oral Proficiency Interviews
One element that is an effective part of a proficiency evaluation is an oral proficiency
interview. This is in the form of a carefully structured conversation between a trained interviewer
and the person whose speaking proficiency is being assessed. The interview is interactive and
continuously adapts to the speaking abilities of the person being tested. The topics that are
discussed during the interview are based on the interests and experiences of the person, plus
the culture that they are learning about. Through a series of personalized questions, the
interviewer gets a good idea of the learner’s ability to handle communication tasks specified
for each level of proficiency. The interviewer can then establish a clear 'floor' and 'ceiling' of
consistent functional ability. Often people are asked to take part in several role-play situations
as well. These tasks provide the opportunity for the learner to demonstrate other linguistic
functions and cultural understanding. An example of a role-play task is:
The learner has a health problem (allow them to think up something appropriate) and
calls the local clinic to make an appointment. The ‘nurse/doctor/receptionist’ (helper)
asks them to describe their symptoms. Then they make an arrangement of the date,
time and place for the appointment.
The four videos you watched as Speaking examples for the different levels are examples of oral
proficiency interviews. They are usually around half an hour to one hour long. When the
interviewer is not a native speaker of the language, a local native speaker of the language
takes part in the conversation and role play scenarios with the learner and gives help in
correcting and suggesting more correct or natural ways to speak or act - the conversation is
still guided by a trained evaluator. An oral proficiency interview can give insights into the
learner’s ability in many areas, including:
o
Vocabulary
o
Grammar
o
Pronunciation
o
Fluency
o
Linguistic tasks
o
Socio-linguistic/cultural awareness
Other elements of an evaluation
As well as an oral proficiency interview, an evaluation can include a social activity, where the
learner can demonstrate their ability in a real situation with local people. This might be a visit to
a friend’s home, a local community event or site, or a meal at a local restaurant - any place
where the evaluator can see the learner interacting in a natural way in a local setting.
An evaluation can also include a discussion with the learner about:
o
their procedure, time schedule, and any challenges they are facing,
o
specific areas of culture, to find out how much they know and understand,
o
their personal involvement in the community, how many people they know, the
amount of time spent with them and in which activities, what they talk about, etc.
Benefits of proficiency evaluation
One of the obvious benefits of an evaluation is finding out if you are ready to function
effectively in the role you desire to do, or if you need to spend more time learning first.
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Evaluations are often very encouraging for a learner who has been working hard to make
progress, but who is not necessarily seeing how much they have gradually improved over time
- regular evaluations can help them to see the progress they are making.
Evaluation also gives an opportunity for targeted input from someone with experience, to get a
learner through ‘roadblocks’ and to help them to move on to more effective learning. Finally, it
should provide the learner with a “snapshot” of how they are doing in every area and give
them a clear idea of their areas of strength and weakness. A thorough evaluation will help the
learner to adjust anything necessary in his learning process and to encourage him to continue
in profitable activities - not just in language acquisition and culture understanding, but in his
relationships with people.
Activity
•
Read the excerpt on Proficiency Evaluation (in the Pre-field CLA Resources) from the Culture
Language Evaluation Handbook, 2013, (an evaluation handbook developed for cross-cultural
culture/language evaluation). The excerpt will give you an idea of an evaluation schedule and
outline of the evaluation tasks.
3. BEC (Becoming Equipped to Communicate)
Introduction
There are many different kinds of language learning programs and
courses, but, because we have specific goals in mind for the
outcome of our learning, we need a specific program that is
suited to those goals. Becoming Equipped to Communicate (BEC)
has been designed with our specific long-term goals in mind. It is a
relationship-centred program that takes people to a high level of
proficiency in culture and language, while encouraging the
development of friendships as an integral part of the learning
process.
You can download the latest copy of BEC now (in the Pre-field
CLA Resources) and have it available for reading and reference.
Activity
•
Read BEC Preface and Pages 1-3
Page 1 of BEC includes a description of the underlying principles that shaped the program and
how it works:
-­‐
Relationship-centered
-­‐
Culture-derived
-­‐
Experience-oriented
-­‐
Comprehension-based
-­‐
Communication-focused
-­‐
Proficiency-measured
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These principles were used to frame the program because they are generally accepted as
being the most effective ways to learn language and understand culture. Once you have
finished your reading, look again at the list of principles above and describe what each one
means in your own words (no need to write anything, just think it through).
Activity
•
Read BEC Pages 4-7
Pages 4-6 explain some of the principles in setting up a routine for yourself as you begin to
learn. BEC is not like most language programs where you go to a class and then go back to the
rest of your life once class is over. It is designed to make the most of your normal life activities including work, social activities and other things that you enjoy doing - so that they are all part
of the learning experience. In a new cultural setting, these kinds of activities will take time and
planning to become established, and eventually to become a routine part of your life. It is
important to plan and think carefully from the beginning as your routine develops because it
has a profound effect on how you will learn.
Page 7 describes the four different levels of the program - each level is designed to build on
the skills and abilities learned in the level before, in the areas of language, culture and depth of
relationships. The note at the end of page 7 touches on an important learning principle; listen
first, speak later. This is something that doesn’t come naturally to people learning a language,
because most of us want to try say the words we are hearing straight away. It is generally
agreed that people who are able to listen much more than they speak in the beginning stages
of learning, have a much better chance of learning the natural intonation and pronunciation
of the language, and that listening builds a solid foundation for speaking later on. As you will
see, the first Level 1 activities do not require you to speak at all - only to listen.
Activities
•
Read BEC Pages 8-14
•
Watch the video introducing Learning Activities in Pre-field CLA Resources.
Level 1: Relating through the common and familiar
Pages 8-12 give an introduction to the three learning activities used during Level 1:
-­‐
Participant Observation,
-­‐
Listen and Point (listening comprehension),
-­‐
Listen and Point (listening comprehension and speaking).
Participant Observation during Level 1 is simply joining in, or just being there, with people when
they are doing the normal activities of life. Showing an interest in them and their lives and
letting them know that you want to learn their language and culture by being a part of the
things they are doing. This is easier in the beginning if you find one of two people who are
willing to have you accompany them as they do various activities - shopping, leisure activities,
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visits, sports, work, family times, visit their home, paying bills, getting their car fixed, going to a
wedding or funeral - then you can gradually meet more people through them.
So, Participant Observation is as much about you getting to know people and interacting with
them, as it is about gathering language and cultural material from an objective point of view.
But, you do have to be intentional in the situation, not just cruise along, but be purposefully
observing, listening, jotting down questions or notes, and responding to the people there as
you are able.
Listen and Act
The Listen and Act learning activities used in Level 1 are based on a learning method called
‘TPR’ (Total Physical Response).
What will you learn during Level 1?
On pages 75 - 77 of the BEC is a ‘Self-evaluation for Level 1’. A learner who has completed all
of the daily learning plans for Level 1 should be able to fill out the self-evaluation by answering
either ‘adequately well’ or ‘extremely well’ to each question. Read through the Self-evaluation
to get an idea of the type of language someone should be able to use at the end of Level 1.
By the end of Level 1, a learner will have also spent around 200 hours doing Participant
Observation in the community - taking part in, and observing community activities with people.
They will also have spent around 300 hours doing Listen and Act activities with a number of
local people who have been willing to spend regular time with them. If you imagine yourself in
this situation, it is a lot of potential time to have begun to develop some relationships with a
variety of people in the community, and for local people to start to get to know you. You will
also be starting to get an idea of how things work - the polite ways to greet people, the
interesting places to visit, the things that are important to people, who your neighbours are and
the common activities in the community. You will begin to understand what it means to people
for you to show an interest in them and to take the time to learn their language.
Activity
•
Familiarize yourself with the rest of BEC. Particularly note the four different Levels and the five
different learning activities (see the summaries of Levels 2, 3 and 4 below).
Level 2: Relating through daily routines
Learning activities used during level 2:
-­‐
Participant Observation,
-­‐
Working with daily routines.
Participant Observation continues to be a foundational part of learning for Level 2 - it is the
time when you will be in real-life situations with people in the community, and in a sense it is
where all of your learning comes together and solidifies into real functional ability. This is the
time when your language and culture learning will be put into the pressure-cooker of life - and
it is an essential part of the whole learning process. In the time schedule for Level 2 learners, on
page 80 of the BEC, you will see that most of your time during this stage is spent in Participant
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Observation and the Working with daily routines activities.
Many learners have found video to be a useful tool for Level 2 - you can read the procedure
for making and using videos during the Working with Daily Routines activity beginning on page
84. There are some examples of videos learners have made available for you to view in the Prefield CLA Resources - BEC Level 2 video examples.
Level 3: Relating through sharing life stories
BEC pages 94-103 give an introduction to the learning activities used during level 3:
-­‐
Participant Observation,
-­‐
Sharing life stories.
Participant Observation continues to be a part of the learning process during Level 3, but less
time is spent on it during this stage. Because learners at level 3 have already spent many hours
in participating in activities in the community, they should now be looking for new things to do
that they have not taken part in before, so that they can continue to learn and broaden their
understanding and ability to engage in community life.
Learners at Level 3 are able to participate with people on a deeper level, and the Sharing life
stories activity gives them a helpful framework to do that and to continue learning at the same
time. The focus during the first part of Level 3 is on hearing stories from local people and
learning to understand them. During the second half of Level 3, the learner will tell life stories
themselves, both from their own experience and also experiences they have heard told to
them by others. This stage follows a natural progression in the learning process, culturally,
linguistically and relationally.
Level 4: Relating through lifeview conversation
On page 123 of the BEC is a description of the proficiency level you can expect to reach in
your language ability and cultural understanding by the end of level 4. Hopefully as you read
that description you can imagine yourself at that place - where you feel a part of the
community and can interact fairly naturally with people around you. It will be a lot of work to
get there, but it is possible; many people have made that effort and have become functional
members of a new community. It is an exciting privilege to have the opportunity to come from
the outside and to gradually become an ‘insider’ into another culture and group of people. It
is something that will change you and your perspective on the world around you forever.
Language and culture helpers
You will notice that the time schedule for Level 3 includes four hours per day in the Sharing Life
stories activity. The BEC (p102) says, “This is because at this point in your learning, you want to
spend most of your time listening to others as they share stories with you about their lives. But,
four hours is a lot of time each day. It is unreasonable to expect that you will be able to spend
four hours with a single person every day in your sharing life stories learning exercise. You should
try to include lots of others in helping you to learn at this level. This is a great way to get to know
them. The daily learning plans for level 3 will be divided into parts to help you involve more than
one person each day.”
This point is a key one that sometimes gets lost in practice when learners are in a cross-cultural
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situation. It isn’t a simple task to find people in the community with regular time to spend with
you, and it is something you will have to actively and continually pursue in order to see it
happen. There are often people in the community who do have time on their hands and
would be very happy to have someone sit and spend time with them and listen to their life
stories; older retired people, bored shopkeepers, mothers at a play group, a work mate or
colleague, a neighbour during their recreational time, someone wanting to learn some English
as an exchange, a person you are helping with garden work or voluntary work, people in
hospital, etc. - if you think actively and creatively you will find people to spend time with. The
key is to keep challenging yourself and not settling for one language helper or tutor as your
main conversation partner. Remember that He has people already prepared for you, but you
have to be willing to make the effort to meet them.
Look at the Self-evaluation for Level 3 (page 121) noting the numbers of people mentioned in
the questions that the learner must have spent time with, hearing and telling life stories. This
feature of getting to know and spending time with a number of people in the community is an
integral part of the program, based on the eventual goal of speaking into that community with
truth.
Activity
•
Read the write-up called Community Sketch (in the Pre-field CLA Resources). This will give you a
helpful way to frame your learning around the major areas of interest in the culture and
community.
4. Other CLA Resources
Introduction
There are many resources available for language and culture learning, and you will probably
find some good specific helps in the particular context where you are going - relating
specifically to the language and culture there. Some of your best resources may be found by
speaking to others who have successfully learned the language and integrated into the culture
and community. The links we have mentioned here are general or language/culture specific
learning materials and articles, and they are included because they are based on some, or all,
of the same learning principles we value (below), and so might give you extra ideas or help.
Relationship-Centered
Learning means getting to know people! It
takes place in the context of relationships as you spend time interacting with people.
Learning means getting exposure to real
Culture-Derived
life—to significant amounts of culture
and language as they happen naturally.
Experience-Oriented
The most valuable learning will come as
you personally observe, experience and
participate in life with people.
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You learn language through trying to
Comprehension-Based
understand, and comprehension will
come before speaking ability.
You will learn more—and better—if you are
really trying to communicate something to
Communication-Focused
someone and get a response.
‘Proficiency’ is what you are able to do
Proficiency-Measured
with language and how you are able to
function in activities in the community.
The Growing Participator Approach
This is a language-learning program developed by Greg Thompson, a language learner and
language coach based in the USA. The Growing Participator Approach is a systematic sixphase program - you can read about it on the GPA website. Have a look at the variety of
articles and other materials in the Resources section as well:
http://growingparticipatorapproach.wordpress.com/
Greg Thompson also has a Blog Spot for those using his approach, where you will find some
helpful posts about various aspects of language learning.
http://growingparticipatorapproach.blogspot.com.au/
Access Truth Curriculum
Here you will find materials and resources specifically designed to equip cross-cultural workers
with our goals - you can access and download materials specifically for CLA in the
Communication Foundations Modules, which include tutorials on all areas of culture,
worldview, linguistics, language learning and communication:
http://accesstruth.com/
The Everyday Language Learner
This is a very helpful hub website with a number of resources; posts, ideas, videos, programs,
books, and tips for learning language:
http://www.everydaylanguagelearner.com/
Summer Institute of Linguistics Language Learning Pages
Although some of the methods suggested in these pages represent a more grammar-driven
approach to learning (rather than a relationship-centered, culture-driven approach), there are
many useful resources and tools included here as well as links to other libraries of materials:
http://www-01.sil.org/lglearning/
CARLA (Centre for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition)
Although this site is for language teachers in the USA, it has some resources and links on
integrating culture with language learning:
http://www.carla.umn.edu/culture/resources/
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Cultural Bridge Productions
This page includes travelogues of various countries in Asia and interviews with people from
those countries and/or people who have traveled there. It might give you a quick introduction
to some aspects of culture and context.
http://www.johnsheaodonnell.com/CulturalBridgeProductions/index.htm
I Love Languages Page
A comprehensive catalog of language related links and websites related to a large number of
specific languages.
http://www.ilovelanguages.com/
Ethnologue
Ethnologue is a site owned by SIL International, where you can find many resources to help you
with general research of the world's languages.
http://www.ethnologue.com/
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