1. 02 The Meaning of Culture Lecturer: H. Cindy Lee Intercultural Communication & English Education

2. ICEE / Cindy Lee Conceptualizing ‘ Culture ’ ‘Big C’ Culture –Achievement Culture/ Objective Culture/ Elite Culture/ High Culture / Formal Culture –e.g. geographical monument, history, arts, literature, political system, religion, education, customs, etc.

3. ICEE / Cindy Lee ‘little C’ Culture –Behavior Culture / Subjective Culture / Daily Culture –e.g. worldview, a shared system of attitudes, values, beliefs and behavior, ‘collective mental programming’, ‘software of the mind’, etc. Conceptualizing ‘ Culture ’

4. ICEE / Cindy Lee Characteristics of Culture Culture is learned –Enculturation –Conscious Learning / Unconscious Learning –We learn our culture through: proverbs traditional literature art mass media elders, parents…

5. ICEE / Cindy Lee Culture is subject to change through: –Innovation –Diffusion –Acculturation Culture is integrated Culture is ethnocentric Characteristics of Culture

6. ICEE / Cindy Lee Culture in Language Education (Conventional Views) Culture as element of pragmatics and semantics –e.g. the cultural history of lexis, particular usage of vocabulary Culture as Macro-context for language use –e.g. politeness in context

7. ICEE / Cindy Lee Culture as thematic content –e.g. topical issues for reading texts or lecture such as human rights, environmental problems, festivals, etc. Culture in Language Education (Conventional Views)

8. ICEE / Cindy Lee Subjective Culture in learning of language: –Language use (social context of language) –Nonverbal behaviors (e.g. body language) –Communication style (patterns of discourse) –Cognitive style (e.g. preferred forms of logic) –Cultural values (e.g. judgment of behaviors) Culture in Language Education (Communicative View)

9. ICEE / Cindy Lee Note of Culture in Language Education In current English teaching and learning materials, there are more or less culturally relevant content. All kinds of culturally relevant content contribute to IC teaching and learning to a certain degree. The effect depends on how you interpret and teach it in class.

10. ICEE / Cindy Lee The Focus of This Course We concern about what drives people to do things in a certain way (cultural root). We will also look at various cultural patterns in different communicative contexts. The way people communicate is the way they live. It is their culture.

11. ICEE / Cindy Lee behavior clothing food meanings, beliefs, attitudes, values cultural roots cultural patterns, products, life style The Focus of This Course

12. ICEE / Cindy Lee The Aim of This Course Intercultural Concept Intercultural Knowledge Intercultural Understanding Intercultural Competence Intercultural Communication

13. ICEE / Cindy Lee Reflection Describe a typical day from morning to night in terms of the cultural values that govern your actions. For example: Action Brush teeth (Do you take shower in the morning?) Eat breakfast (sandwiches, porridge/bun? ) Culture Values Hygiene is part of basic manner. (Most Taiwanese people take shower at night, but you may find many Westerners take shower in the morning to avoid odors.) Breakfast often reflects the origin of one’s family and cultural influence. For example, families from North of China may prefer 燒餅, 油條, 饅頭, those from the South may have 稀飯. If you live on your own, probably you buy a bread or whatever the vendor next to your school sells to you!? Isn’t this like western-style ‘fast-food’?

14. ICEE / Cindy Lee Reference Smith, A. G. (ed.) 1966. Communication and Culture: Readings in the Codes of Human Interaction. Now York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Gibson, R. 2002. Intercultural Business Communication. Oxford University Press.

15. ICEE / Cindy Lee Discussion & Assignment Please go on the section of Discussion and Assignment. -End- See you in next unit!