Communication and Culture A Workshop for International GTAs

Educational Approach in the U.S. Balance Lecture and Interactive Activities  Too much lecture, students fall asleep  Too much interaction, students lose respect for you  Individual learning styles (Visual, Oral, Kinesthetic) You get to set the tone of the class  Remember that “friendship” is not the goal, learning is.  Give clear expectations from the very beginning The Rules of Engagement  To Raise or Not To Raise your hand to ask questions  Don’t let students interrupt you while you are speaking and - Don’t interrupt a student while he/she is speaking - unless…

When to Interrupt a Student: When you have a student who loves to dominate class discussions:  Allowing one student to dominate frustrates the other students – they expect you to provide equal opportunity for all students to share  Implement a system of calling on students by name, rather than leaving it open for anyone to answer  To interrupt, use these polite phrases:  Excuse me for interrupting, but…  I’m sorry to interrupt, but…  May I interrupt you for a moment?

Hints for Smooth Class Discussions: Validate every contribution to class discussion  If content is right, validate both student and content  If content is wrong, validate the student, but clarify the content so that the class knows the answer was wrong Use a variety of class organization plans  Content presentation – both teacher and student  Small Group (3-5) & Large Group discussion (5-10)  Pair discussions Encourage students to ask long questions after class

Grading Policies Be very clear about the grade cut-offs from the start If you are going to offer extra-credit, you must discuss that with the entire class to be fair Facilitate a clear discussion regarding late assignments – accept or not, lose points?  Post your policy in writing and be consistent

Be a Teacher and a Student Be careful to establish a clear understanding that everyone can learn from everyone Difference between factual info and worldview Focus on Content vs. Focus on Context  (Gudykunst,1993; Triandis, 1994) Hofstede’s cultural framework was originally comprised of four dimensions:  Individualism/ Collectivism  Uncertainty Avoidance  Masculinity/Femininity  Power Distance

Individualism/Collectivism Individualists value independence and tend to believe that personal goals and interests are more important than group interests. Collectivists tend to view themselves as members of an extended family or organization and place group interests ahead of individual needs. U.S. ranked #1 of 39 countries – High Individualism

Uncertainty Avoidance Societies with higher levels of uncertainty avoidance feel a greater need for consensus and written rules intolerant of deviations from the norm. Societies characterized by low uncertainty avoidance rely less on written rules more risk tolerant. U.S. ranked 31 of 39 – Low Uncertainty Avoidance

Masculine/Feminine In a society which tends more toward “masculine” characteristics  individuals are more aggressive, ambitious, and competitive Individuals in more feminine societies  more modest, humble, and nurturing. U.S. ranked 13 of 39 – Moderate Masculinity

Power Distance Individuals in societies characterized by higher levels of power distance  tend to follow formal codes of conduct  are reluctant to disagree with superiors Individuals in societies that are lower in power distance  do not feel as constrained by perceived or actual differences in status, power, or position. U.S. ranked 25 of 39 – Moderate Power Distance

Remember that words are “culture bound” Examples of verbs  Mention vs. Clarify vs. Emphasize Examples of adjectives  Positive, negative, and neutral connotations Idiomatic expressions  Better to ask rather than pretend to understand

Nonverbal Communication Eye Contact  International students from Asian cultures may avoid prolonged eye contact – this is a sign that they highly respect you. Hand gestures  Try to avoid pointing directly at someone and also avoid the “OK” hand gesture (very rude in some cultures)

Promoting Cultural Diversity Be intentional about asking questions like:  What might the impact of this business marketing strategy be like in Japan vs. the U.S.?  Has anyone experienced this concept from a different cultural perspective?  How would someone from an individualistic society like the U.S. respond to this sports advertisement differently than someone from a collective society, like Saudi Arabia?  Be careful not to use good/bad – but show uniqueness

Final Notes Strong preparation & organization Be Yourself! – American students enjoy learning the perspectives of people from other cultures Be flexible with your lesson plans  Pay attention to what’s working & what’s not Use Blackboard to post your lecture notes  But balance with required in-class activities (60/40 rule) Confidence, with a touch of humility  What to do if you don’t know the answer to a question… Work hard to correct your pronunciation  Free CIE tutors can help with this  Computer Software in CIE lab “Pronunciation Power”