Intercultural Awareness

Comment

Comment by Roger M. Christian on December 14, 2009 at 10:44am

Hello,

Please be advised that I am look for those whose expertise can be placed on a Speakers Bureau Listings for the following academic topics:

International InterCultural Communications and Conflict Resolution
InterCultural Communications and Personal Self-Discovery
International InterCultural Communications programs, IE. International Cultural Fiestas
International InterCultural Communications and International Students and Scholars
InterCultural Communications and Arab - Israeli Reconciliations.
InterCultural Communications and US Military Civil Actions and the Afghani Peoples.

Please email you topic ---- topic abstract --- photos and bio ---- and speakers fees to euro-quest@lycos.com

Have wonderful holidays [ Christmas - Channukah ] and a very prosperous New Year of 2010.

Mr. Roger M. Christian
Ithaca, New York

Comment by Bob Zenhausern on December 4, 2009 at 6:54am

The Enabling Support Foundation has initiated an international collaboration for classrooms throughout. We will match classes and provide ongoing support for projects ranging from general cultural exchange to specific projects to meet specific needs or for special needs students. Right now at least 15 classes from Morocco are interested in improving the English proficiency of students and classes in the Caribbean are being formed. You can see the initial development of the project and Register you class to become involved at www.enabling.org/drupal/teleeducation

Comment by Leslie MacKay on October 12, 2009 at 8:54am

Thank you everyone for all your suggestions.
Iceberg metaphor provided the base.
Re: language level - I am keeping all directions, material etc. at an Intermediate level.
Re: the ethnocentric thinking, stereotyping and prejudice. I intend to use images to teach these.
The problem with online teaching/learning is the isolation so it has been very beneficial to me to toss around ideas.
Thanks again.

Comment by Linda Fitzgibbon on October 10, 2009 at 7:49pm

I hear you, I wonder if these language students would have enough English to do something like this????

Comment by Bob Zenhausern on October 10, 2009 at 7:39pm

Suppose you explored the mythology of the various Canadian cultures and compared them with the mythologies of their native culture. There is a wonderful site for Native American myth and music at intertribalmusic.ning.org

Comment by Linda Fitzgibbon on October 10, 2009 at 7:30pm

I train teachers (certifiacte + MA level + intensive inservice for English teachers. here in South Korea. I teach methods and SLA. Pragmatics is common to both courses. These days (as we are coming up to pragmatics i suddenly SEE examples everywhere. I also teach a culture class in a MA.

My position is that one cannot learn about another culture without learnng about their own (and themselves).

Why not begin with the metaphor that 'culture is an iceberg'?
Identify similarities between own culture and C culture.
Identify differences ditto

These students will (in my exerience) need to learn about ethnocentric thinking, sterotyping and prejudice. The idea of macro and micro cultures might be of relevance. Most tend to see OTHERS as being the all the same. So, the idea of not generalising might be useful.
Hope this helps.

Comment by Leslie MacKay on October 10, 2009 at 7:18pm

I only have 8 online modules, a module a wk. In f2f class: listening, speaking, reading and writing
My section is an introduction to online learning and Canadian Culture.
Yes including First Nations, Inu and French.
The learners are in Canada for summer school so they will have a first hand experience with some aspects of C. culture.

Comment by Linda Fitzgibbon on October 10, 2009 at 7:06pm

Leslie,
The let's start at the beginning. What are the goals and objectives of this course?

Language + culture
Idioms
Forms of address
Taboo words

Comment by Bob Zenhausern on October 10, 2009 at 12:21pm

When you say Canadian Culture are you limiting it to the English language culture of Canada? There is also French, Native American, and Inuit...if not more. A comparison of the various cultures might expand their ideas a bit.

Comment by Leslie MacKay on October 10, 2009 at 12:01pm

Interesting article on teaching culture

"http://radicalpedagogy.icaap.org/content/issue3_3/7-thanasoulas.html"

Radical Pedagogy (2001)
ISSN: 1524-6345
The Importance Of Teaching Culture In The Foreign Language Classroom
Dimitrios Thanasoulas

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