Culture as DifferenceEnglish as an International

Language

School 281 KyivJanuary 16, 2012

ETRC Kyiv Mohyla AcademyCarol Haddaway, Sr. ELF

Martin Luther King, Jr.1/15/29 – 4/4/68

Dimensions of Culture

Three fundamental aspects of human experience acquired through interaction outside the classroom.

What people do (cultural behavior)What people know (cultural knowledge)What things people make and use (cultural artifacts)

Sphere of Interculturality (KRAMSCH,

1993)In this sphere…

Learners need to acquire knowledge about another culture

Learners need to reflect on their own culture in relation to others

“Third culture” of the language classroom – a neutral space that learners can create and use to explore and reflect on their own and the target culture and language

Kramsch emphasizes teaching culture as difference.

Cultural Materials

Source culture (home culture)

Target culture (inner circle countries)

International target culture (outer/expanding circle)

See the next slide for a visualization of cultural materials.

(McKay 2002)

Inner Circle

Outer Circle

Expanding Circle

e.g. USA, UK, Australia

320-380 million

e.g. India, Singapore150-300 million

e.g. China, Germany100-1000 million

Kachru (1989)

TARGETCULTUREMATERIAL

INT’L TARGETCULTUREMATERIAL

SOURCECULTURE MATERIAL(for most E-Teacher countries)

McKay (2002)

Cultural Content

Consider source culture in relation to another and learn the language needed to explain these cultural elements in English

Culture as difference. Within each culture there exists variety related to age, gender, regional origin, ethnic background, and social class. (McKay 2002)

Let’s look at examples of target and source culture materials and try to compare the concepts and discuss differences..

If you are American…If you are Ukranian….In groups of 4Are you Ukranian or American?Discuss similarities and differencesHow might some of these cultural values relate to international culture?

CarpoolingWhat does that mean to you?

How will carpooling benefit me? The benefits of carpooling are many. If you are currently driving every day, you’re going to save money on your commute costs by carpooling. In some cases, depending on the length

of your commute and the number of days you don’t drive, the savings can be significant. You’ll also enjoy less wear and tear on your vehicle because you’ll be driving it less. You’ll

endure less stress on your commute. Finally, by driving less you’ll be helping to keep the air clean.

PotluckDoggie bag

Potluck

A potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group of people contributes a dish of food to be shared among the group. Synonyms include: potluck dinner, spread, Jacob's supper, faith supper, covered dish supper, pitch-in, carry-in, bring-a-plate, smorgasbord. The term potluck is not often used in the southern U.S. to mean a meal of this sort since spelled as two words it has the older meaning of what an unexpected guest will have (whatever is already in the pot).

The sale begins at 8:00.  By 6:00 am we’ll have people driving by like the paparazzi, real slow with their windows rolled down, carefully scanning our

merchandise.  Before we even get a chance to get everything organized in the driveway (there’s no way it will all fit in the garage) we’ll have the regulars (the same people I see every time we have a garage sale) asking us if we’ll settle for half of our asking price. 

This makes my blood temperature rise every time.

Garage Sale

A garage sale is a sale of items you no longer want or need. People have these sales in their homes, yards, or garages. It is a way for sellers to make money by getting rid of old items. It is also a way for buyers to get secondhand items, or used items, cheaply.

New or Used?

Look at the list below. With a partner decide which items you would want to buy new and which items you wouldn’t mind buying secondhand.

Cell phone, TV, mattress, children’s toys, chairs, sheets, blanket, pillow, pictures in frames, tablecloth, toaster, rug, underwear, winter coat, garden tools, add your own.

Cultural topics

Time

Eating habits/ Food

Greetings/ Social Interactions

Male/female roles/ home life

Dating / night life

Discuss in groups (3-4)

Which aspects of your culture might people from other cultures find interesting.

Which aspects might they find strange and hard to understand?

Share with your group one aspect of your culture that you are passionate about. Why? .

What are some family traditions you enjoy most? Why?

Thank you!How can you use your English to showcase your country in Euro 2012?