Key Points Chapter Five: Part TwoShrum and GlisanSpecial Methods of Instruction ISummer 2012GRAD 210Dr. Bowles, Instructor

Integrating Cultures & Comparisons into Middle School Language

Instruction•The Cultures Goal Area—to gain

knowledge and understanding of other cultures▫Foreign language programs are in unique

positions to introduce students to new cultures and ways of viewing the world.

▫The three Ps frame the culture paradigm. Practices—patterns of behavior accepted by a society;

they represent knowledge of “what to do when and where.”

Products—things created by member f the culture, both tangible and intangible.

Perspectives—traditional ideas, attitudes, meanings, and values of members of that society.

The Cultures Goal Area•Fantini’s framework (1997):

▫Reflects the world view of a cultural group ▫Three interrelated components

Sociofacts-how people come together and for what purpose (practices)

Artifacts-things people make (products) Mentifacts-what people think or believe

(perspectives)• Teaching culture using a process-oriented

constructivist approach provides learners with the experiences they need to approach, appreciate, and bond with people of other cultures.

The Comparisons Goal Area•To develop insight into the nature of

language and culture• Kluckhohn Values Orientation Method

(2004)-a method to make cross-cultural comparisons• Five categories of basic concerns to all

people (adapted from Ortuño, 1991)• Perception of self and others• World view• Temporal orientation• Forms of activity• Social relations

The Comparisons Goal Area• Students need to learn how to use language to

bridge the gaps between Cl and C2.• Taxonomy of sociocultural strategies (Savignon &

Sysoyev, 2005)• Four strategies for initiating and sustaining contact

• Initiate and maintain intercultural contact to explain national holidays

• Anticipate sociocultural gaps that can result in misunderstandings and false stereotypes

• Avoid misunderstandings, explaining C1 and asking for explanations of C2

• Use diplomacy to redirect conversation to more neutral topics or to dissimulate personal views to avoid conflict

The Comparisons Goal Area•Students need to learn how to use language

to bridge the gaps between Cl and C2.• Taxonomy of sociocultural strategies

(Savignon & Sysoyev, 2005)• Four strategies to create accurate portraits of a

C2• Compare the facts and realities of C1 and C2 using

analogies, oppositions, and generalizations• Identify and interpret unfamiliar features of C2• Classify, compile, and generalize sociocultural

information from mass media, the Internet and other sources of information

• Review authentic cultural material

Implications for Instruction•Traditional teaching of culture:

▫Big “C” (formal culture) vs. Little “c” (daily life)▫Culture taught as imparting facts and

information▫Four common approaches (Galloway, 1985)

Frankenstein (bits and pieces) 4-F (folk dances, festivals, fairs, and food) Tour Guide (monuments, rivers, and cities) “By-the-Way” (sporadic lectures or bits of

behavior selected indiscriminately to emphasize sharp differences)

Implications for Instruction• The constructivist view

• Culture is integral to language• Culture is something people create in the living

of their daily lives• Language is the primary means by which

culture is made vibrant• Learners are put in contact with the cultural

world of the TL to enable learners to reflect on their own cultures

• Teachers are the professional mediators between the C1 and C2 to help learners understand others and otherness to acquire cultural and communicative competence

Implications for Instruction• Intercultural Communicative Competence--

ICC (Byram, 1997)▫An essential component of communicative

competence▫Five factors:

▫Knowing oneself and others (knowledge)▫Knowing how to interpret and relate (skills)▫Knowing how to engage oneself (education)▫Knowing how to discover /interact (skills)▫Knowing how to revitalize oneself and value

others (attitudes)

Implications for Instruction•Deardorff’s Process Model of Intercultural

Competence (2006)• Begins with attitudes-respect, openness,

curiosity, and discovery• Blends with personal knowledge and

comprehension of cultural self-awareness, deep cultural knowledge, and sociolinguistic awareness

• Includes skills in listening, observing, and evaluating

• Leads to changes in attitudes related to empathy, adaptability, and flexibility

Implications for Instruction• Schulz’ objectives for cultural learning and cross-

cultural awareness and understanding (2007)▫ Develop and demonstrate awareness that geographic,

historical, economic, social/religious, and political factors impact 3 Ps including language use and communication styles

▫ Develop and demonstrate awareness that situational variables shape communication interaction and behavior in important ways

▫ Recognize stereotypes/generalizations about C1 and C2 and evaluate them based on evidence

▫ Develop and demonstrate awareness of culture-conditioned images and culture-specific connotations of some words, phrases, etc.

▫ Develop and demonstrate awareness of causes for cultural misunderstanding between members of different cultures

Strategies for Integrating Language and Culture

•Visual literacy•Integration of language and culture using

realia•Semantic mapping•Authentic documents•Investigation of cultural truths•Interviews with TL speakers•Storytelling•Learning centers

Assessment• Successful assessment improves learning,

instruction, and program effectiveness• Use authentic assessments—real life tasks

and real audiences• Examples

• Performance tasks• Portfolios’• Self-assessment surveys• Peer assessments• Journals• Logs• Products• Projects

Assessment

•Self-evaluation is a means to develop a fair and realistic self-concept (NMSA 2003)

•All assessment and evaluation should emphasize individual progress instead of comparison with other students

•Middle level learners need to • Participate in assessment and evaluation• Help set individual and group goals• Help identify ways to measure progress• Evaluate their own accomplishments