ETF 51-4 Raising Cultural Awareness in the English Language Classroom

Jerrold Frank U k r a i n e

Raising Cultural Awareness in the English Language Classroom

t could be argued that an integral approach, though, would be to adapt part of learning a foreign language Michael Paige’s (in Cohen et al. 2003, is acquiring some familiarity with 53) dimensions of culture learning Ithe culture associated with it. For model. Paige groups culture learning teachers of English as a foreign lan- into categories: guage (EFL), the question is, “How • the self as cultural can we incorporate cultural knowledge • the elements of culture and understanding within the context • intercultural phenomena (cul- of our English language classes?” Sim- ture-general learning) ply having an acquaintance with the • particular cultures (culture-spe- grammar, syntax, phonetics, and some cific learning) of the social conventions associated • acquiring strategies for culture with English will not give learners real learning insights into the nuances of the daily By exploring these dimensions, lives of the people whose language teachers can help students connect to they hope to speak. Increasingly, lan- the target culture, raise their awareness guage teachers are recognizing the of cultural differences, and improve their “intercultural communicative need to incorporate sociocultural fac- competence” (Byram 1997). tors into their classrooms (Palmer and Sharifian 2007); however, there is a The self as cultural lack of consensus on how to introduce All people are members of at least cultural elements into the lessons. one culture. Whether or not we realize One challenge a teacher faces is it, the culture we belong to affects how what approach to take. Many EFL we think, interact, communicate, and teachers have had no formal training transmit knowledge from one genera- in incorporating cultural elements, tion to another. The ability to ask and and there is no universally accepted answer questions based on our own cul- set of criteria that instructors can ture facilitates the process of making con- use as a guide (Byrnes 2008). One nections across cultures. English teachers

2 2 0 1 3 N u m b e r 4 | E n g l i s h T e a c h i n g F o r u m can help students activate their “cultural anten- communication styles of a given culture or nas” by making them aware of important ele- society (Cohen et al. 2003). The Standards for ments of their own culture and helping them Foreign Language Learning (NSFLEP 1999) understand how their culture has shaped them provides a framework for students to integrate (Byram 1997; NSFLEP 1999, 9). Kramsch “the philosophical perspectives, the behavioral (1993) calls this learning process establishing a practices, and the products—both tangible “sphere of interculturality.” and intangible—of a society” (47). This has When people think of culture, they often become known as the 3P model of culture: think of artifacts such as food, clothing, music, • Perspectives (what members of a cul- art, or literature. Others may associate culture ture think, feel, and value) with conventions such as social interaction • Practices (how members communicate patterns, values, ideas, and attitudes. Cer- and interact with one another) tainly many definitions of culture exist, and • Products (technology, music, art, food, teachers need to define what culture is before literature, etc.; the things members of a students can engage in interactive cultural group create, share, and transmit to the discussions. Anthropologist John H. Bodley next generation) (1994, 22) describes culture simply as “what people think, make, and do.” Bodley sees While products may be easy to identify culture as a socially transmitted set of com- because we can often see, touch, taste, or hear mon beliefs that include symbolic, mental, them, perspectives and practices are not as easily behavioral, and material aspects patterned to recognized because they tend to be ingrained provide a model for behavior and create a com- in a society. Brooks (1968, 1997) makes a dis- mon framework for human society. Teachers tinction between “formal culture” (literature, can guide students to think about what people fine arts, history, etc.) and “deep culture” (pat- “think, make, and do” in their own cultures by terns of social interactions, values, attitudes, asking them to consider questions like these: etc.). Like products in the 3P model, the elements of formal culture are easily observable • What behaviors reflect our culture, and across cultures. However, as the label suggests, how are they learned and shared? elements of deep culture are often difficult to • What important factors (social, reli- identify, as they tend to be value-based and gious, and economic) influence our deeply rooted in the psyches of individuals culture? who make up a specific culture. • What are some important traditions A tool that can help EFL students con- that are unique to our country? ceptualize elements of culture is Edward T. • What ideals and values bind our culture Hall’s (1976) “cultural iceberg” analogy. Hall together? developed the analogy to illustrate differences • How does culture in our country func- between what we readily see when we enter tion as a way for humans to live with a new culture (the tip of the iceberg) and the one another? imbedded aspects of the culture not readily vis- • What symbols are prevalent in our ible (the submerged part of the iceberg). The culture? products of a culture would be examples of Classroom discussions based on these things we can readily see—the surface culture— considerations can foster an atmosphere that while cultural practices and social perspectives— encourages EFL students to think about their the deep culture—that underlie the behavior of own culture and make connections across cul- a specific culture are difficult to observe. tures while studying English. To create a “sphere Using the iceberg analogy can be a fun of interculturality” in our classrooms, we can way for students to think about elements of encourage students to construct their own culture and make distinctions between those notions of culture instead of simply feeding that are visible and those that may be so them preformed information about these topics. ingrained that members of a culture are not aware of them. Teachers can pass out blank The elements of culture iceberg templates (see the Appendix), or draw Elements of culture refer to things like the one on the board for students to copy, and ask beliefs, values, customs, products, and the students to work in groups or individually to

E n g l i s h T e a ching F o r u m | N u m b e r 4 2 0 1 3 3 list elements of culture that may be found in Teachers who have spent little or no each of the three levels: surface culture, sub- time outside their own countries might have surface culture, and deep culture. difficulty understanding the diversity and Examples of surface culture elements complexity of English-speaking cultures. include food, national costumes, tradition- Fortunately, the Internet is a great source al music and dance, literature, and specific of information. Conducting searches with holidays. In the sub-surface culture section, specific questions or phrases like “Why do students could list notions of courtesy, body Americans do the things they do?” or “the language, gestures, touching, eye contact, per- culture of English-speaking countries,” along sonal space, facial expressions, conversational with creative key word searches related to the patterns, and the concept of time. These are target culture (e.g., symbols, values, social orga- the behavior-based, unspoken rules of social nization), will yield data that teachers can use interaction present in all cultures but perhaps to educate both themselves and their students. not often thought about. Such rules vary Books (including titles cited in this article) are widely across cultures. Teachers can give spe- also starting points for teachers who wish to cific examples from English-speaking cultures build libraries to enhance their cultural exper- and contrast them with elements from the stu- tise. And even without buying books, teachers dents’ own culture. For instance, a teacher in can visit booksellers online and often find Japan may explain that while Americans value excerpts or online reviews of books relating to eye contact with interlocutors, it doesn’t mean these themes. It is increasingly important for that they lock eyes and stare during an entire EFL teachers to be cultural informants as well interaction. The teacher may also remind stu- as language experts. Teachers’ professional dents that if an American guest tries to enter development plans should include active, their house while wearing shoes, the guest is ongoing familiarization with the cultures asso- not necessarily rude, but simply unaware of an ciated with English speakers through indi- important unspoken rule in Japanese society. vidual research and collaboration with peers. Unconscious values and attitudes—the deep culture—may be the most difficult ele- Intercultural phenomena ments for students to identify. These can be Intercultural phenomena include culture so far ingrained that people feel these are shock, cultural adaptation, cultural adjustment, simply the “right” and “normal” way of doing and the fact that people from other cultures may things. While it might seem odd for American interpret similar situations differently (Cohen et parents to share their bed with their children, al. 2003). When we teach EFL, part of our job many cultures around the world view this as should be to prepare students for challenges they a normal practice. Other examples of uncon- may meet when they travel or move to a country scious values and attitudes relate to the nature where English is spoken. The process of adapt- of friendships, concepts of food, notions of ing to a new culture is called “acculturation.” modesty, concepts of cleanliness, gender roles, Acculturation, according to Brown (1994), has preferences for competition and cooperation, four stages: (1) excitement (about being in a and so on. Again, the idea is to raise aware- new country), (2) culture shock (feelings of ness of cultural elements in order to uncover frustration and hostility), (3) recovery (adjust- the unique values and beliefs that explain why ment and emergent comfort in the new culture), people behave differently. and (4) adaption (bridging cultural barriers and These examples, while representing only a accepting the new culture). fraction of the elements of culture that would Stage One can be much like the “honey- appear at each level, provide a starting point moon” phase of a relationship. All cultures for students to think of their own ideas. After have good and bad aspects. However, in a new students have identified elements of culture environment, we tend to overlook the negative from each level, they can brainstorm examples and see only the new, fresh, and exciting. Once from their own culture. Teachers can refer the novelty fades, individuals move into Stage to this exercise to contrast elements of the Two, culture shock. People may start to make students’ native culture and elements of unfair comparisons between their host culture English-speaking cultures. and the culture of their own country. The ten-

4 2 0 1 3 N u m b e r 4 | E n g l i s h T e a ching F o r u m sion of being in an unfamiliar culture can take fer group harmony and consensus over indi- its toll, and people may want to withdraw. vidual achievement. Words are less important Stage Two is perhaps the most difficult than a speaker’s intent. People from high-con- stage of the acculturation process. Teach- text cultures generally share a high degree of ers preparing students for work, travel, or commonality of knowledge and viewpoints. exchange programs abroad may wish to raise There is little need to spell things out, and their students’ awareness of this phenomenon meanings tend to be implicit or can be com- and emphasize that these stages are real; every- municated in indirect ways. High-context body who enters a new culture will encounter cultures are typified by long-lasting social at least some challenges. An awareness of these relationships, spoken agreements, and mutual stages can prepare travelers to understand that trust (Guffey and Loewy 2009). feelings of frustration and hostility they may On the other hand, low-context cultures experience during Stage Two are due to diffi- tend to be individualistic and goal-orient- culties they are having adjusting, not deficien- ed; people from low-context cultures tend to cies related to the host culture. value directness with discussions resulting in As individuals become more familiar with actions. Interlocutors from low-context cultures their new environments, they gradually move are expected to be straightforward and concise, into Stage Three. They make friends, feel while those from high-context cultures depend more comfortable using the target language, less on language precision and may come across and appreciate the differences between their as ambiguous to people from low-context cul- own culture and the new one. Ultimately, tures. Because of these differences, interactions in Stage Four, the newcomer will adapt and between members of high- and low-context cul- accept the new culture. tures can cause problems. In certain situations, The activities presented in this article can someone from a high-context culture may find develop self-awareness of the impact our per- someone from a low-context culture to be overly sonal perspectives have on how we view other blunt. At the same time, people from low-con- cultures and perhaps lead to less stress in the text cultures may feel that high-context people acculturation process. If students understand are secretive or unforthcoming. Communica- and anticipate the stages of acculturation, they tion breakdowns can occur because people from may be able to reduce the time they spend in different types of cultures may have an assump- the less desirable stages. tion of shared knowledge that is not there. Most native English-speaking countries Particular cultures are typically classified as low-context cultures, When we define specific cultural commu- while many Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin nities, we focus on the elements of a particular American cultures are classified as high-con- culture. These elements can include history, text cultures (Copeland and Griggs 1985). geography, and political systems, but more Elashmawi and Harris (1993) describe ways importantly, an understanding of the par- that low-context American culture differs ticular characteristics of a society (Cohen et from high-context Japanese culture. While al. 2003). Again we can look to Hall (1976) Americans tend to value independence, self- when we try to characterize ways that mem- reliance, and equality, Japanese often prefer bers of differing cultures perceive reality. The group harmony, collectiveness, and coopera- key factor is Hall’s notion of “context.” This tion. In addition, Americans tend to be open refers to the cultural background in which and direct, while Japanese pay more attention communication takes place. When people to the context in which the communication from different backgrounds interact, com- is taking place than to the explicit message. munication can break down if they do not Japanese speakers anticipate others’ needs share similar cultural contexts. Hall’s theory through facial expressions, behavior, and ges- of high- and low-context cultures helps us tures rather than verbal messages. Japanese understand how characteristics of a given cul- students of English wishing to live, study, or ture affect communication. do business in the United States would be In high-context cultures, people tend to well served by understanding not only the lan- emphasize interpersonal relationships and pre- guage spoken by Americans but also the cul-

E n g l i s h T e a ching F o r u m | N u m b e r 4 2 0 1 3 5 tural characteristics associated with that coun- If students answer “yes” to six or more try. For example, a Japanese speaker using his questions, odds are they are from a low- or her own cultural framework may tell an context culture. After taking the quiz, stu- American what he or she thinks that person dents can use their knowledge of high- and “wants” to hear when answering a question as low-context cultures to reflect on how these opposed to a direct answer. In contrast, when questions differentiate between the two and an American answers a question with a “yes,” develop quizzes of their own. With their it may indicate understanding but not neces- new grasp of high- and low-context cultures, sarily agreement. students can think of scenarios where commu- People from different cultures might not nication might break down based on cultural only communicate in different ways but also differences. Students can also develop presen- experience a situation differently. By contrasting tations on how misunderstanding stemming cultural values, we can examine how to success- from different cultural contexts could cause fully negotiate these differences and consider problems. In their presentations, students can how people from different cultural backgrounds include strategies to avoid potential conflict; might respond in certain situations. An interest- some suggestions are given in the next section. ing activity is to have students reflect on Hall’s classifications to determine whether theirs is a Acquiring strategies for culture learning high- or low-context culture. Students can be The final dimension in Paige’s (in Cohen challenged individually or through group work et al. 2003) cultural learning model deals to identify aspects from high- and low-context with specific strategies for becoming more cultures that align with their own culture and culturally competent. Strategies include hav- provide support for their reasoning. One way ing students learn about a culture from native to determine whether a student’s native culture informants, develop their cultural observation resembles a high- or low-context culture is skills, and learn about the culture through through the following quiz. authentic materials associated with that culture. Teachers need to provide students oppor- Are You from a High-Context or tunities to explore and recognize cultural Low-Context Culture? differences. That means raising their aware- Answer “Yes” or “No” to the following questions. ness not only of the target culture but of their own as well. 1. In your culture, is it okay to call your Byram (1997) suggests that people who teacher or boss by his or her first name? are “interculturally competent” have a solid 2. Do you feel frustrated when people do not understanding of their own culture and how answer your questions directly? it has shaped them, and make connections 3. Is it important to you that many people between how cultural elements manifest know about your personal accomplish- in behaviors across cultures. According to ments? Byram, intercultural competence includes 4. Do you feel comfortable with short-term these features: casual friendships? 5. Do you rely more on words than nonverbal • a curiosity and openness to other cultures means to express yourself? • an understanding of social practices 6. Do you seek rational solutions to problems and products in both one’s own culture or personal ones? and the target culture 7. Do you prefer an individual approach over • the ability to relate something from group decision-making processes for learn- another culture and make it compre- ing and problem solving? hensible to members of one’s own 8. Are results just as important as personal • the ability to use new knowledge of a relationships in terms of achieving goals? culture in authentic situations 9. Is your identity strongly defined outside of • the ability to critically evaluate the group associations (family, work, culture)? cultural practices and products of one’s 10. Do you feel conflict is a necessary part own culture and that of other countries of human relations and should not be English teachers hoping to help their stu- avoided? dents become interculturally competent can

6 2 0 1 3 N u m b e r 4 | E n g l i s h T e a ching F o r u m build a “culturally friendly” classroom. Strate- is a great way to promote cultural aware- gies for doing that are described below. ness. EFL teachers can create their own cultural awareness web quest by following these Cultural collections instructions: One way to foster curiosity and openness 1. Decide which aspects of culture you to English-speaking cultures is to establish a would like your students to explore. “collection” of cultural information in a vari- Take an in-class survey of your stu- ety of formats. These could include popular dents, or give them directed assign- movies, music, literature, online sites, and ments that might include these topics: everyday items like stamps, currency, toys, musical instruments, menus, travel brochures, • etiquette and manners magazines, and newspapers from English- • food and cuisine speaking countries—or from a specific coun- • religion try, depending on student needs and course • music goals. By offering students the chance to • customs and traditions smell, touch, see, use, and listen to “real” • clothing and costumes things from a different culture, we can con- • games and pastimes nect concepts beyond ideas and help students The point is not simply to gather understand the realities of life in that culture. information and make reports, but to It is one thing to tell students how Halloween think and make connections about is celebrated in the United States—but just how this information can lead to a solid imagine how excited they will be to dress up understanding of the culture under in ghoulish costumes while bobbing for apples study: Why do people do the things and carving jack-o-lanterns. they do? Authentic materials are rich sources for 2. As the facilitator, you will need to con- a wide range of assignments and activities duct research on the sites available for that heighten awareness of the target culture. the topics you choose. Remember, not Students can research the target culture and all sites on the Internet are appropri- report to the class on specific elements or ate. If you assign links, be sure they are characteristics. They can ask questions and active. compare insights to identify cultural patterns 3. Familiarize yourself with how to navi- and expand the entire class’s general under- gate the sites you choose and identify standing of the English-speaking culture. For the types of information you hope your a descriptive writing assignment, students can students will find. describe items from the collection. Or they 4. Design questions that will direct your can classify items by use, function, or criteria students to various websites. You may of their own choosing. To encourage higher- also want to have students design their order thinking, teachers can ask students how own questions. Example questions the artifacts fit into the levels of the “cultural include: iceberg” described earlier. Meanwhile, teachers • What traditional dishes are can raise students’ awareness of their own cul- served in the United States on ture by asking them to bring authentic materi- Thanksgiving, and what is the als to class, and then, using English, describe history behind them? the items and explain how they “represent” the • What are the popular sports of students’ culture. It is important to remember, Australia, and how do they reflect however, that teachers need to identify specific the culture of that country? goals they hope to achieve when incorporating • How is the government struc- culture into their lessons and use artifacts from tured in England? their “collections” to create specific lesson plans • What is the typical school day to achieve their objectives. like for a student in Canada, and Web quests how is it different from yours? For classrooms with reliable Internet con- a. Have your students work in pairs or nection and access to computers, a web quest small groups to collect information.

E n g l i s h T e a ching F o r u m | N u m b e r 4 2 0 1 3 7 b. Students present their findings to the mants, but creative teachers can use Internet class. While a simple oral report can sources to find news or interviews that provide be informative, students can also: students with insight into the cultures they • create a skit incorporating the are studying. Students can also find pen pals costumes, music, and food of the or key pals from different countries; not only culture they are demonstrating can students make friends with people from • use PowerPoint or other formats another culture and learn about them, they can that contain pictures or video clips also reflect on and teach others about their own (from YouTube or another source) culture, lifestyle, and traditions. to demonstrate aspects of the cul- Role plays ture they feel are important One goal in developing cultural observa- • make posters or collages dem- tion skills is to help students continually con- onstrating aspects of the target sider what constitutes culture. We want our culture students to be able to describe how the con- • brainstorm their own ideas on cept of culture relates to their own experience: the types of presentations they would like to give and consult • What is important to human beings? with you for approval • Why are some things in a particular culture the same as ours, while others These tasks develop students’ cultural are different? observation skills by tying concepts to real- • Why don’t all people think and act the world materials. Aside from the cultural same way? awareness value, the assignments provide • Why do we have rules, and how are plenty of opportunities for students to develop they learned? English skills. They can focus on vocabulary • What factors shape how we see the building, for example, or work on specific world and other people? skills like skimming, scanning, note-taking, and summarizing. A strategy to encourage students to explore these questions and use new knowledge of Cultural “informants” a culture to simulate authentic situations is Another strategy is to invite native speakers the use of role plays. Role plays get students or proficient non-native speakers of English to involved interactively in a lesson to allow come to class and speak on a specific aspect them to empathize with members of other of their own culture. These “informants” cultures and practice making “mistakes” with- can be a resource to confirm (or disconfirm) out serious consequences. Students can act ideas, impressions, or textbook information out instances of breakdowns that result from that students have learned. Students should misunderstandings of cultural differences. For prepare questions in advance of their visitor’s example, students can think of ways com- arrival. While it may be interesting to know munication may fail between people from if a foreigner in their country likes a local high- and low-context cultures and invent dish or sports team, more profitable questions scenarios to illustrate how problems arise. would revolve around how behavior may vary Other students in the class can observe these across cultures: Is it okay in your country to role plays and point out why the miscom- ______? Why do people in your country munication took place. The class can discuss ______? This is also an opportunity for how these situations can be avoided, and students to teach the guest about their culture students can generate solutions in a follow- or answer questions about it. up role play. Ideally there would be a variety of infor- Teachers should take careful steps to pre- mants to avoid getting the viewpoints of just pare to examine issues that may arise in cross- one social class, ethnic group, or gender. It is cultural role plays so that students gain the also important that speakers be able to distin- desired perspectives: guish between their personal experience and • Make a clear outline of the issues you what is true of their culture in general. In some want your students to explore (pos- countries, it may be difficult to find these infor- sibilities include cultural behavior pat-

8 2 0 1 3 N u m b e r 4 | E n g l i s h T e a ching F o r u m terns, social and economic influences, Scenario 1B: You want to marry your important traditions, values that bind girlfriend/boyfriend from a low-context a culture together, etc.). Keep it simple culture and move away with her/him, but but define the specific situation and your parents want you to marry someone motivations. from your high-context country. Explain • Try to involve all your students in the to your mother/father why you should process. Give as many students as pos- be permitted to marry your low-context- sible the opportunity to play a variety culture girlfriend/boyfriend. of parts. Even if you can’t give roles to Scenario 2A: You are from a high-context everyone, make sure everyone is involved culture, and you just moved to a low-context in pre- and post-role-play activities, asks country. You meet your new neighbor, who questions, and gives feedback. tells you to “drop by” anytime. You don’t • Ask your students to “freeze” when they have many friends yet, so you decide to say or do something that you or other accept the invitation, and you show up at his/ students find interesting and would like her door unannounced. Your neighbor, who to give advice on or discuss. seemed so friendly before, seems surprised • Get relevant feedback. Don’t allow your to see you and tells you he/she is busy now students to criticize their classmates. and doesn’t invite you in. How do you react? You want their constructive thoughts Scenario 2B: You live in a low-context on the situation being played out. culture and have a new neighbor who just • Design a short checklist that encour- moved in from a high-context culture. You ages observers to look for key cultural ele- met her/him once, and to be friendly you ments in the role play to use in follow-up told her/him to “drop by” anytime. Much discussions. Observers must be as atten- to your surprise, she/he comes to your tive as those involved in the role play. house unannounced with the expectation The following directions and scenarios of spending some time with you. You had can be used in a role play to explore problems plans to relax today and enjoy your pri- that may occur when high- and low-context vacy. What do you do? cultures collide. Again, teachers can tell the role players to Directions: “freeze” if communication breaks down or they say or do something particularly interest- • Choose a partner. Partner A reads Sce- ing and worth discussing. Teachers might even nario A, and Partner B reads Scenario B. divide students into low- and high-context • Anticipate what you might say or do and teams that can substitute players during the how you can respond to your partner. “freeze” or give their teammates advice on • Predict what you think your partner what to say or do. The role play may or may might say or do and how you can not come to a natural conclusion. As the respond. facilitator, the teacher can judge when to con- • Plan ways to support and defend your clude the role play and put students in groups point of view. to discuss their impressions. What went well? • Think of what language (vocabulary What didn’t? Were there any surprises? Did and phrases) you may need for the the role play elicit examples of potential conversation. cross-cultural conflict? Can these conflicts be • Use your knowledge of high- and low- resolved, and if so, how? After discussing the context cultures as you plan for and role plays, students can create their own sce- play your role. narios for their classmates to act out. Scenario 1A: Your daughter/son has a boy- From an English teaching perspective, friend/girlfriend from a low-context culture. teachers can also introduce strategies for effec- She/he wants to get married and move tive communication such as turn taking, giv- to the country the boyfriend/girlfriend is ing opinions, keeping a conversation going, from. Tell your daughter/son why you think disagreeing politely, persuading, and so on. she/he should find a husband/wife from These elements of communication can vary your high-context country instead. cross-culturally, and teachers can use scenarios

E n g l i s h T e a ching F o r u m | N u m b e r 4 2 0 1 3 9 such as these to introduce pragmatic conven- clip from their own culture, describe it, and tions of English-speaking cultures. explain what it shows about their culture. Stu- dents can also compare and contrast images or Cultural observations objects from their own culture and from the To help students critically evaluate the English-speaking culture and make presenta- cultural practices and products of their own tions to the class on the cultural significance culture and those of another country, teachers of both. can gather books, poetry, newspapers, magazines, radio clips, television shows, movies, Culture journals video clips, or music—or have students gather Keeping a “culture journal” allows students them. Students can describe the behaviors and to reflect on what they experience and discuss products they read about, see, or hear, then in class. A journal can be a way for teachers discuss differences and similarities between and students to communicate privately, or it their own culture and the culture they are can be something for students to share with observing. classmates. In the journal, students—writing Students can consider these questions in English—reflect on their cultural learn- when watching television shows, movies, or ing experiences and on their feelings as they video clips: become more aware of their own culture and the one being studied. Teachers should • How and where do people live? give students class time (perhaps five to ten • How do people spend their time? minutes at the end of class) to reflect after • How do people dress? they complete culturally related activities. • What and how do people eat? Students can be assigned to reflect on specific • What side of the road do people drive classroom activities or write about out-of- on? Do people seem to follow traffic class cultural insights they might have had. rules? Over time the journal becomes a record of • What gestures or superstitions did you the students’ deepening cultural awareness notice? and the changes in how they view themselves • How do people greet one another? Do and other cultures. These journals need not they hug? Shake hands? be masterpieces of literature. The journal is • What is the polite thing to do in certain meant to be a recording of thoughts, emo- situations? tions, and reactions to the activities in the When using resources like the Internet, classroom and serve as a record of experiences newspapers, magazines, and books, students that can help students reflect on their growth can find answers to questions like these: toward becoming interculturally competent. The strategies outlined above are by no • What are some important family means an exhaustive list. They are simply sug- traditions? gestions that teachers can adapt and expand • What issues are important to the peo- upon to raise students’ awareness and under- ple in this culture? standing of the culture “used” in English and • What influences and shapes the way the to help students become interculturally com- people think and act? petent. Teachers can use these examples and • Is the educational system similar to that similar activities to make explicit the cultural of your country? features associated with English. • What roles do different genders and generations play in society? Conclusion • What is the health care system like? Cultural learning can be difficult to address • How and why do people celebrate cer- in the English language classroom. Simple tain holidays? mastery of the linguistic forms of a language Teachers can ask students to work in is not enough for learners to be considered groups to discuss elements of culture they competent in the target language (Krasner observed and how people relate to each other 1999). Students cannot be considered to in different societal roles. A follow-up step have mastered a foreign language until they is to have students select a photo or video understand the cultural contexts in which the

10 2 0 1 3 N u m b e r 4 | E n g l i s h T e a ching F o r u m target language is spoken (NSFLEP 1996, References 27). While the idea of teaching culture in the Bodley, J. H. 1994. Cultural anthropology: Tribes, EFL classroom is not new, teachers need to states, and the global system. Palo Alto, CA: go beyond introducing traditional holidays, Mayfield. Brooks, N. 1968. Teaching culture in the foreign food, and folk songs of the target culture language classroom. Foreign Language Annals 1 and incorporate a framework that enables (3): 204–217. students to understand the social aspects of –––. 1997. Teaching culture in the foreign language the culture as well. Culture study must be classroom. In Pathways to culture: Readings on fully integrated into what Kramsch (1993) teaching culture in the foreign language class, ed. calls the “third culture” of the classroom. P. R. Heusinkveld, 11–38. Yarmouth, ME: Inter- cultural Press. Opportunities must be created for teachers Brown, D. 1994. Principles of language learning and and students to examine and reflect on the teaching. San Francisco: Prentice Hall Regents. target culture and that of their own country. Byram, M. 1997. Teaching and assessing intercultural It is hoped that the aspects of culture explored communicative competence. Clevedon, UK: Mul- in this article will provide a starting point for tilingual Matters. teachers to create “third cultures” in their own Byrnes, H. 2008. Articulating a foreign language sequence through content: A look at the culture classrooms. And it should be remembered that standards. Language Teaching 41 (1): 103–118. the concepts discussed here can be generalized Cohen, A. D., R. M. Paige, B. Kappler, M. Dem- to all cultures—opportunities for students to messie, S. J. Weaver, J. C. Chi, and J. P. Lasse- speak English may come not only with native gard. 2003. Maximizing study abroad: A language speakers of the language but with non-native instructor’s guide to strategies for language and culture learning and use. Minneapolis: Center speakers of English from a variety of cultural for Advanced Research in Language Acquisition, backgrounds. University of Minnesota. Students who may never travel outside Copeland, L., and L. Griggs. 1985. Going interna- their country or even meet an English lan- tional: How to make friends and deal effectively guage speaker might question why they need in the global marketplace. New York: Random to study culture. However, as the world House. Elashmawi, F., and P. R. Harris. 1993. Multicultural becomes more interconnected, we must help management: New skills for global success. Hous- our students understand that it is more impor- ton: Gulf. tant than ever for them to be able to activate Guffey, M. E., and D. Loewy. 2009. Essentials of their “cultural antennas” to understand not business communication. Mason, OH: South- only other cultures, but their own as well. Western/Cengage Learning. In doing so, they will be better prepared to Hall, E. T. 1976. Beyond culture. New York: Anchor Press. participate more fully in the global commu- Kramsch, C. 1993. Context and culture in language nity—of which their local community is a teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. part. We must also stress that culture is just Krasner, I. 1999. The role of culture in language one of the many aspects of human behavior. teaching. Dialog on Language Instruction 13 We all differ from one another in a number (1–2): 79–88. NSFLEP (National Standards in Foreign Language of ways. Because of our gender, age, personal- Education Project). 1996. Standards for foreign ity, or abilities, all human beings are unique language learning in the 21st century. Yonkers, individuals. We must be careful not to make NY: NSFLEP. generalizations like “He’s an American, so –––. 1999. Standards for foreign language learning in that’s why … ”; even if students in a particular the 21st century. Yonkers, NY: NSFLEP. Palmer, G. B., and F. Sharifian. 2007. Applied class share a culture, they can easily iden- cultural linguistics: An emerging paradigm. In tify individual differences among themselves. Applied cultural linguistics: Implications for second Certainly cultural groups share common char- language learning and intercultural communica- acteristics, but we need to remind students tion, ed. F. Sharifian and G. B. Palmer, 1–14. that within each group there is a wide range Philadelphia: John Benjamins. of individual differences. Incorporating the activities discussed in this article is a strong Jerrold Frank is the Regional English start to helping our students become more Language Officer in Kyiv. Previously he culturally aware. lived and taught in Sapporo, Japan, for 22 years. He has also taught and trained teachers in the United States and Korea. continued on page 35

E n g l i s h T e a ching F o r u m | N u m b e r 4 2 0 1 3 11 The Cultural Iceberg Template (continued from page 11) Raising Cultural Awareness in the English Language Classroom • Jerrold Frank

Surface Culture

Sub-Surface Culture

Deep Culture

Directions: Have students think about the iceberg analogy of culture and list elements of culture that might appear at each level. • What things from a culture can we readily observe (surface culture)? • What are some unspoken rules of social interaction (sub-surface culture) that we tend to take for granted? • What are our unconscious values and attitudes (deep culture) that are so ingrained in us that we simply judge them to be “right” or “wrong”? Have students work individually or in groups to list as many elements from each level as they can. Students should be encouraged to think of specific examples from their own culture to support their answers and be challenged to think about how elements of culture may differ cross-culturally.

E n g l i s h T e a ching F o r u m | N u m b e r 4 2 0 1 3 35