Week #5 Rebeca R. Hill Cultural Persons and Learning Outcomes Assignment: Complete a t o!

!page rite up o" #our impressions o" t$e sites #ou $a%e %isited o%er t$e last t o eeks. &n $at a#s is t$is material rele%ant "or #ou as a teac$er and "or toda#'s students( &nclude an# reactions #ou $a%e to #our readings to date "rom )oran it$ regard to rein"orcing t$e ne in"ormation #ou are learning about *eac$ing Culture. +ites %isited: In what ways is this material relevant for you as a teacher and for todays students? & "ound it interesting to note $o t$e di""erent countries %ie eac$ ot$er. &t is reall# irrele%ant eat$er it is ,rance- t$e ..+.- +pain- etc/pre0udices are still a learned be$a%ior. &t is not somet$ing t$at is geneticall# in$erent. *$e opinions o" parents1societ#1educators- etc/are $anded do n "rom generation to generation and "or some- it is a mantra t$e# c$ant. &t is un"ortunate t$at )r. Romne# came under attack "or speaking ,renc$. Ho e%er- t$is is an election #ear and politics is an ugl# business. ,or me personall#- & don't take it to $eart because t$e issue is not eat$er )r. Romne# speaks ,renc$ or 8erman or +panis$- t$e issues at $and are about $et$er $e can address t$e issues t$at a""ect t$is countr# t$e $ig$ unemplo#ment rate- $ig$ cost o" insurance- etc/ *$e article- 9&ntercultural Communication Applications: touc$ed on t$is aspect o" communication. &t said on page 455- 9American political campaigns are 0udged e""ecti%e i" t$e candidates can put t$eir opponents on t$e de"ensi%e b# labeling t$em as supporting a rong polic# or $a%ing somet$ing rong it$ t$eir c$aracter.: W$et$er )r. 8ingric$ slams Romne# "or speaking ,renc$ or not ould not s a# an# %oter in m# opinion. *$e issues are "ar more comple; t$an t$at. & belie%e t$e American public is not so easil# s a#ed.

.understand"rance.org

)itt Romne# 2rig$t3 spent more t$an t o #ears as a )ormon missionar# in ,rance in t$e 4567s

.bbc.co.uk

.democrac#no .org

*$is article s$o s t$e s$i"t "rom to ard a closed societ# in $ic$ ot$er people's cultural backgrounds1customs1languages are seen as a t$reat rat$er t$an t$e back bone o" $at made t$is countr# $at it is toda#. & am not sure $at t$e go%ernment o" Ari<ona is a"raid o" but it ill be interesting to see $o t$e "ederal go%ernment $andles t$is situation. *$is "orm o" et$nocentrism as & %ie t$is issue ill continue to deteriorate negotiations it$ t$e Hispanic communit# 9unless intercultural communicators are a are o" t$e processes =$o people in di""erent cultures %ie t$emsel%es and ot$ers' "ace to "ace interaction is not likel# to impro%e a areness o" and tolerance "or cultural di""erences: 2+te art- >ennett- page 46?3 &" our leaders are not open to $o ot$er cultures communicate and see t$emsel%es and t$e orld around t$e- it ill set t$e tone "or generations to come. 98et #our "acts- rig$t- control #our "eelingsand gi%e it to t$em straig$t: is $o Americans approac$ communication according to t$e American Cultural Patterns book. 2p. 45@3. & en0o#ed t$is article %er# muc$ because & t$oug$t o" m# $usband. He is American born and bred. & am Hispanic born and bred. *$e a# e approac$ communication is at times %er# c$allenging. *$is article touc$ed on some o" t$e di""erent a#s t$at e as Americans communicate. )# $usband is an engineer and most de"initel# approac$es communication it$ t$e statement pre%iousl# mentioned. &being Latin- tend to si"t t$roug$ in"ormation more emotionall# based. *$e articles talked about approac$ing communication based on 9precise A tec$nical %s. metap$ors1allusions.: 2p.

9&ntercultural communication applications: "rom t$e book 9American Cultural Patterns:

4553. Americans tend to be more 9problem!oriented- direct- e;plicit- personal and in"ormal.: 2p. 4553. According to t$is article- 9t$e basis o" relations$ip "or Americans is commonalit# o" action and e;perience not commonalit# o" t$inking 2nor o" "eeling3.: 2p. 4553. & also "ind interesting t$at all cultures su""er "rom et$nocentrism or stereot#pes. We are seen as great salesmen1 omen b# man# cultures. Ho e%er- our a# o" li"e is not t$e onl# a# o" li"e. Ha%ing empat$# not 0ust "or oursel%es but "or ot$ers $o do not $a%e common core %alues as e do is ere t$e real c$allenge comes in to pla#. *$e statement on page 46@ $ic$ sa#s- 9*$e realities o" et$nocentrism and o" limited in"ormation obstruct t$e de%elopment o" ob0ecti%e assessment o" cultural di""erences: is true. We can still agree to disagree as long as t$e person "eels t$ere is mutual respect. Bno ing $at t$at looks like takes in"ormation about t$e culture it$ $ic$ #ou are tr#ing to communicate. &t also takes a sense o" $umilit# to ackno ledge t$at e as Americans don't kno e%er#t$ing and $a%e a great deal to learn "rom t$ose around us. &n reading )oran- & "ound interesting t$at culture- "or $im- is broken do n into perspecti%es. *$ese can eit$er be e;plicit or tactical. He states in page C6 t$at9Perspecti%es are t$us e;plicit- but at t$e same time t$e# can be tacit- or outside a areness.: *$is made me t$ink o" t$e iceberg and $at is seen on t$e outside is 0ust t$e tip o" t$e di""erent perspecti%es underneat$ t$e ater. *$ose perspecti%es t$at are on t$e tip o" t$e iceberg are reall# dri%en or tacit are dri%en to become e;plicit. Dou see t$e mani"estation o" t$e belie"s sur"ace in a culture or indi%iduals. )oran also mentions belie"s and $o t$e# are linked to %alues. W$at #ou belie%e ill be displa#ed in $o #ou li%e #our li"e. *$ese are almost al a#s abo%e t$e tip o" t$e iceberg because t$e# are o%ert actions t$at are displa#ed in a communit#. & also "ound interesting t$at $e mentions on page CE t$at- 9+trong emotional reactions generall# signal t$at an important cultural perspecti%e $as been touc$ed- called into Fuestion- or t$reatened in some a#.: & $a%e seen t$is in m# o n classroom.

Got to long ago- & as s$o ing a %ideo on Peru. *$e %ideo "ocused on t$e &nca Hmpire and a ritual t$at as particularl# signi"icant "or t$em &nti Ra#mi. *$e# sacri"iced an animal- a llama- and read t$e entrails to determine $at t$e ne;t #ear ould bring. )an# o" m# students ere outraged at suc$ a t$ing. +ome "ound it interesting and #et ot$ers t$oug$t t$at it as I eird.' Got understanding a culture can cripple an# "orm o" communication. ,or )oran- cultural perspecti%es are deri%ed "rom in ardl# and out ardl# e;pressions1belie"s. Hac$ culture $as its o n set o" belie"s t$at are e;pressed among t$at cultureJ but also- eac$ culture $as ot$er people $o $a%e t$eir o n set o" rules to assess t$at ot$er culture. &n looking at an unkno n culture- people tend to use t$eir o n set perspecti%es 2 $et$er t$e# are deep rooted or out ardl#3 to make comparisons and to consider similarities. )oran stresses t$at t$e cru; o" t$e matter is $o to 9make tacit perspecti%es e;plicit: 2p. EK3. &n C$apter eig$t- )oran talks about t$e ide perspecti%e or 9*$e Gational Culture Communit#.: As a teac$er- & see t$is perspecti%e more o"ten t$an not $en dealing it$ culture and t$e curriculum. & "ound it "ascinating t$at $e cited Lames 8ee 245573 and $is %ie o" discourses. *$ese are sub!cultures t$at demonstrate communal be$a%ior. As an undergrad- & read Lames 8ee and "ound $is ork on discourses. *$ere are man# di""erent t#pes o" discourses and na%igating t$em is a real ke# in an# societ#. As a "oreign language teac$er- & "ound all o" t$is in"ormation re"res$ing because it does point to a large problem t$at e encounter in t$e classroom. We $a%e man# attitudes t$at are embedded $en it comes to di""erent cultures. ,irst- e $a%e to e;amine oursel%es and see $at e reall# belie%e about t$at speci"ic culture and t$eir practices or t$eir discourse. *$en- e need to understand t$e culture t$at our students come "rom. Ge;t comes t$e $ard part. &t is presenting t$at ot$er culture in a a# t$at is not 0ust super"icial but deep rooted and substantial. We can al a#s atc$ a tra%el %ideo but do e reall# learn about t$e culture and it's people in a substanti%e a#( *$ere in lies our c$allenge.