中西方文化差異講解與練習(xí)適合初中階段

1、Communicating Across Cultures A Guide for Teachers How to include culture learning in English language classes Linell Davis January 2005 What do we mean by culture? wChinese speakers often mean characteristics of Chinese people as compared to characteristics of people from other nations wKnowledge a

2、bout culture is often expressed as generalizations The English are conservative Americans are individualistic The French are romantic wNational culture wPersonal traits of people from that nation More meanings of culture wWay of life of any group Regional culture- north/south, rural/urban Religious

3、culture- Christian, Buddhist, Moslem Ethnic culture- Han, Hui, Tibetan, Xinjiang Gender culture- male/female Economic class culture- farmer/intellectual/business Generational culture- youth/middle age/elderly Organizational culture schools, education “Way of Life” definition of culture wAssumes that

4、 people with similar life experiences share VALUES. wThey see the world in similar ways. wMembers of important groups share MEANINGS. wThey can understand one another more easily than they can understand people from other groups. wGroup membership is often more important than national culture. What

5、do I know about the NBA? wNothing at all wI am female and I am old wThe NBA is American and I am an American wIt is an experience shared by male members of the international youth culture wI am not a member of that culture wSo, dont assume that national culture is the only or best level of analysis

6、What do I know about teaching? wA lot; it is my love, my craft, my life wI share many experiences with other teachers wIt doesnt matter whether they are Americans or Chinese wWe can communicate about teaching, learning, schools, students, etc. wWe share an academic or educational culture wDifference

7、s in national culture are not necessarily significant barriers to communication Do I know how to use chopsticks? wOf course, I do. Why do people keep asking me that question? wBecause Chinese use chopsticks and Americans use knives and forks, and I am an American wThey assume that I am different fro

8、m them in every way because I am a waiguo ren wLook for similarities, not just differences wWhen you meet someone for the first time, you look for what you have in common with that person. How do Americans celebrate Christmas? wIn many different ways, some not at all Ethnic cultures Italian/Swedish/

9、German/Hispanic Religious cultures Christian/Jewish/secular Regional cultures south/north, east coast/west coast wPeople often ask me questions about Americans wThey assume all Americans are alike wThey want me to give them a generalization wGeneralizations about national cultures cause many misunde

10、rstandings in communication Do all Americans sleep late? wA Chinese friend invited me to go to a park to do morning exercises wBUT all along the way she complained about the traffic. wI asked Why do you do it if it is so unpleasant? wHer answer You are an American, so I didnt think you would want to

11、 go as early as I usually go. wI am an early-riser. wNational culture is not a good predictor of most personal habits. Are Americans more individualistic than Chinese? wThe conventional opinion is yes, they are. wThere is some truth to it, but it is an oversimplification. wThis idea alone is not a u

12、seful guide to predicting the preferences or behavior of Americans. wChinese educational culture is much more individualistic than American educational culture. American teachers collaborate more. Students do more group work. If you use American individualism to predict what Americans prefer, you wi

13、ll make many mistakes wIn international competition Americans excel at team sports while Chinese excel at individual sports. wAmericans are constantly forming groups and joining groups to meet a variety of personal and professional goals. wTypically, Americans participate in groups very differently

14、from the way Chinese people do. Pay attention to processes rather than traits wHow do people carry on a friendship? wHow do they teach; how do they learn? wHow do they show respect? wHow do they express disagreement? wHow do they apologize? wHow do they handle relationships with people of higher or

15、lower status than themselves? wHow do they participate in work groups? ICC - Intercultural communication competence wKnowledge of social groups in your own country and other countries wAttitude of openness about other cultures and people wAbility to gain new knowledge and to act on that knowledge wK

16、nowledge of processes and ability to use that knowledge wHow to communicate not just how to speak the target language Meeting, greeting, starting a conversation Expressing agreement and disagreement Asking for information Working with others Then, how do we teach culture? Three approaches are used:

17、wBig “C” Culture Important people, works, events Mark Twain, Bill Gates, “I have a dream” speech, War of Independence, Civil War wLittle “c” culture Daily life, holidays, customs wCultural awareness Culture-general rather than culture-specific Try these two approaches wCultural awareness wThe classr

18、oom as a cultural scene Stretching, expanding, destabilizing the culturally prescribed ways of teaching and learning “When a butterfly flaps its wings in the north, it produces a typhoon in the south.” It means doing small things can have big effects Cultural awareness wSensitivity to People Situati

19、ons Similarities and differences wExpanding the concept of culture beyond the idea of national culture wWorking on problems of generalization and prejudice wBuilding on what students already know about how to communicate English is a global language wPeople in many countries learn English. wDont lim

20、it culture learning to the study of countries where English is a native language. wEnglish can be used to learn about many different cultures and about culture in general. wIt is likely that in the future your students will be communicating with speakers of English as a second or foreign language. w

21、They are participants in the emerging global culture. wSo are you! Culture learning begins with awareness of the home culture wHow did you/your family come to Shenzhen? wHow does your family entertain guests? wWhat was life like for your grandparents when they were your age? wTell about an experienc

22、e in which someone judged you based on a single characteristic. wTell about an experience in which you communicated with someone different from you. Your class is full of cultural diversity wA microcosm of our global village wThrough these activities you teach how to deal with differences wRespect d

23、ifferences, appreciate them and learn from them wLook for similarities as a basis for building relationships wNotice that these learning activities are inductive and student- centered. wUsing them you are doing culture, not just learning about a specific culture wYou are modeling social practices fr

24、om the global culture. Bring new experiences into the classroom wLook at the organizational culture of the school and the classroom. wTake steps to stretch that culture a little to move it closer to the ways of the target culture. wThis is the best way to teach culture. wIt is the way for you and yo

25、ur students to gain intercultural competence. Similarities in classroom cultures wStudents study similar subjects wThey usually live at home and attend school five days a week wThey have homework; they take exams wThey are sensitive to the approval/disapproval of their teachers and classmates wFrom

26、the classroom culture they are learning how to participate in the larger culture Differences in classroom cultures wAmerican Chinese Student-centeredTeacher - centered Knowledge is sometimes discovered by students Inductive Knowledge is given by the teacher Deductive More than one answer is acceptab

27、le; uncertainty stimulates discovery Students prefer definite answers; uncomfortable with ambiguity, uncertainty Learning through problem- solving thinking, acting Learning through reading - visualizing Relationships based on hierarchy wThe teacher is at the top of the hierarchy, the leader of the c

28、lass wRelationships between teacher and students somewhat distant because students owe respect and obedience wRelationships are reciprocal or complementary wThe pattern is one of mutual dependence Respect, service and obedience Direction, care and protection Communication flow wThe classroom leader,

29、 the teacher, belongs to other hierarchies. wTeacher owes respect, service and obedience to those above wCommunication flows from the top down wTeachers communicate with one student at a time or with the group as a whole wStudents can communicate freely with each other unless they are competing for

30、the approval of the leader. Teacher - Student Interaction wTeachers are likely to give very precise instructions wThe students job is to produce the correct answer wThis process is endlessly repeated and elaborated wIt produces the examination system What am I supposed to do? I hope I dont make a mi

31、stake I better tell them exactly what to do I dont want any mistakes Bring the new close to the familiar wDevelop your intercultural competence by stretching the system a little. wIntroduce activities in which students learn inductively cultural awareness activities. wEncourage student inquiry. wEnc

32、ourage them to ask questions that do not have definite or fixed answers. Western style groups wShort term time limited group learning projects wBelong to many groups classes and a variety of extra-curricular groups such as sports teams and music groups wLess emotionally involved in each group wPrefe

33、r equal relationships teacher is not as socially distant, not as elevated in status wThe teacher is more like the coach of a team Recreation groups Group identity and personal identity are separate wIn the West groups have less influence over the individuals behavior wThe person forms and breaks tie

34、s easily wThe person looks for groups that are useful in achieving personal goals Professional groups Community groups Work groups person Group leadership is dispersed wVarious members take leadership roles wLeaders win their roles by convincing members of their effectiveness wMembers expect to cont

35、ribute in different ways to the group wTheir rewards will be different too. Formal leader Process leader Resource leader Task leader Emotional leader Members cooperate and compete wMembers may compete with one another for recognition, leadership, allies, etc. wThey also cooperate within the group an

36、d outside the group wLinking the group with other groups is an essential function wThe group boundary is relatively open wThese complex patterns of competition and cooperation are made orderly by rules of process called “fair play rules” Examples of fair play rules wEveryone should have an equal opp

37、ortunity to participate no one should dominate or be left out wDecision-making is shared not the exclusive responsibility of the leader whether that is the teacher or any other member wMembers should give honest feedback students freely say what they like and dont like; they make suggestions wEveryo

38、ne should focus on the task at hand wSome tasks are individual; others are completed by the group wKnow the difference and dont cheat wThese process rules are often more important than reaching a specific outcome Personal motivation is critical wBecause group membership is voluntary, members must be

39、 motivated to devote energy to the group wIf a person must be in a group, it is still necessary to build motivation to create energy for the groups work wChinese classroom groups depend more on extrinsic motivation passing exams If I do a great job Ill move up in the organization I like working with

40、 the people in this group I can learn some new skills from this group I really believe in the purpose of this group My goals are the same as the groups goals Comparing group behaviors wWestern wlittle difference between ingroup and outgroup behaviors wless associative with ingroups; less hostile to

41、outgroups winformal and direct w insensitive to hierarchical relations among members wChinese wgreat difference between ingroup and outgroup behaviors wmore associative with ingroups; more hostile to outgroups wmay be motivated by loyalty to ingroups wexpect all members to be rewarded equally Questions for teachers who want to stretch the classroom culture wWhat motivates me and others? Do I respond to extrinsic or intrinsic motivation? wWhat roles do I play in the groups I participate in? A directive leader in some and passive fol