Communication and Culture A Workshop for International GTAs

1. Communication and Culture A Workshop for International GTAs

2. 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…

3. 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?

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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”