Cultivating Passion for Cultural Competence: Practical Strategies and Models

1. Cultivating Passion for Cultural Competence: Practical Strategies and Models Pablo Muirhead, Ph.D. ACTFL November 23rd, 2013 muirheap@matc.edu http://losmuirhead.wikispaces.com

2. THE PERSONAL Connection between Language & Culture Conceptualization of Culture THE PROFESSIONAL Intercultural Communicative Competence

3. Culture as an iceberg What do you see? And now?

5. Culture is… … tantamount to perspective … intertwined with issues of power … products and practices

6. In other words… “Culture is a fluctuating embodiment of a group’s products, practices and perspectives. Inseparable from language, culture is also impacted by issues of power as it can be used to marginalize or privilege.” Muirhead, P. (2009). Rethinking culture: Toward a pedagogy of possibility in world language education. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, 6(4), 243-268. Pablo Muirhead

7. How is culture integrated into the teaching of languages?

8. AVOID BEING CULTURE BOUND Having a single cultural perspective. Not being able to adopt different points of view.

9. CULTURE POWER Perspectives Products Practices Pablo Muirhead

10. PERSPECTIVES What can we gain? the 3 Ps PRODUCTS Family meal PRACTICES Sobremesa Pablo Muirhead

11. PRACTICE: Gemütlichkeit PRODUCTS: What products do you associate with this? PERSPECTIVES: Whatperspectives do youassociatewiththis?

12. Unspoken Rules • Read the unspoken rules of behavior associated with your culture. • Take on the role of someone from this culture when speaking to others but DO NOT share this information with others. THEN, get to know several people by… Introducing yourselves. Talking about your roles as language educators. Sharing the impact of your intercultural immersion experiences.

13. (INTERCULTURAL) COMMUNICATION To study another language and culture gives one the powerful key to successful communication: knowing how, when,and why to say what to whom.

14. CULTUR E INTEGRATIVE MOTIVATION INSTRUMENTAL MOTIVATION LANGUAG

15. First impressions • Our subconscious acts on its own and we often make assumptions as a result. These can often be completely innocuous but sometimes they can be very detrimental. • You are about to view a series of images. Share your first impression with a neighbor.

16. Young or old woman?

17. Man Playing Horn... or Woman's Silhouette? Hint: woman's right eye is the black speck in front of horn handle

18. Woman in vanity... or Skull? Hint: move farther a bit from screen and blink to see the skull or the woman (looking at the mirror)

19. Two Faces... or One? Hint: two faces side profile or one face front view

20. A Rabbit... or a Duck? Hint: the duck is looking left, the rabbit is looking right

21. Reflections… Fact is… …impressions and decisions are made very quickly. …we will gain a bigger picture of issues if we can first suspend judgment. Chances are… …you and your partner didn’t see the same thing at first. …you may have struggled to see both representations all the time.

22. Harvard Hidden-Bias Tests Excellent resource for self-reflection. Multiple tests are available to measure your subconscious. Find at http://hvrd.me/Wgh2pm

23. Bennett ModelExperience of DifferenceDevelopment of Intercultural Sensitivity Denial Defense Minimization Acceptance Adaptation Integration ETHNOCENTRIC STAGES ETHNORELATIVE STAGES Lange, D. L. (1999). Planning for and using the new national culture standards. In J. K. Phillips & R. K. Terry (Eds.), Foreign language standards: Linking research, theories, and practices (pp. 57 135). Lincolnwood, Illinois: National Textbook Company.

24. I haven’t left my little bubble yet… DENIAL Individual does not perceive cultural differences, or avoids them. Focus on PRODUCTS ETHNOCENTRIC STAGES

25. There “they” go speaking Spanish again. DEFENSE Reflect on own cultures Individual demonstrates intolerance toward differences. ETHNOCENTRIC STAGES

26. I like to think of myself as color blind. I don’t see a person’s race. MINIMIZATION Individual downplays differences and takes on belief that everyone is the same. ETHNOCENTRIC STAGES increase contact with cultures studied

27. I don’t understand but I’m okay with that and am open to learning. comparisons & contrasts ACCEPTANCE Individual begins to value the richness that cultures offer. ETHNORELATIVE STAGES

28. I see things differently now and can better understand why others feel the way they do. ADAPTATION Individual begins to develop other perspectives and skills to get along better with “others”. tolerate greater ambiguity ETHNORELATIVE STAGES

29. I have acquired various lenses through which to understand the world. INTEGRATION • \ Individual is able to view the world from multiple perspectives. challenge societal injustices ETHNORELATIVE STAGES

30. Reflecting on these stages, prepare to answer some questions. Denial Defense Minimization Acceptance Adaptation Integration ETHNOCENTRIC STAGES ETHNORELATIVE STAGES Pull out your phones and text your responses to...

31. Reflecting on these stages, prepare to answer some questions. Denial Defense Minimization Acceptance Adaptation Integration ETHNOCENTRIC STAGES ETHNORELATIVE STAGES And now respond to…

32. Developing ICC • It’s a gradual process • Move from seeing cultures from the OUTSIDE  IN to the INSIDE  OUT

33. To seamlessly weave culture and language, we need to… • Make relevant to students’ lives. • Reclaim curriculum by developing standards-based thematic units and using the text as a resource. • Develop multiple perspectives.

34. Useful Strategies • Write from a different perspective. • Weather from different parts. • Interview community members. • Activities in the community. • Listen to and work with music. • Reenact an event. • Noticias del mundohispanohablante. • Thematic Units: Immigration, Chicano Civil Rights, U.S. in Latin America, Identity • 10 Chairs of Wealth

35. p. 13 Language Exchange Objective: Create an opportunity for Spanish-dominant English-language learners and Spanish learners to interact on an even playing field. Suggestions: Create the least structure possible so that the exchange flows organically from students. Suggest they bring pictures, scrapbooks, etc. to share with one another. Divide time evenly between English and Spanish. Results: Students are motivated to practice because of the realness factor and perspectives can be gained from one another.

36. Build it into your RUBRICS Write a letter to the host family you are about to go stay. Include the following: • introduce yourself, • tell them about your interests, • where you’re from (describe city, weather, etc.), • your family/friends, • what you’d like to do while you’re in Mexico, and • make sure to ask them a question, or two, as well. (24 puntos)

38. Letter to Hosts – ICC

39. EL CORREO ELECTRÓNICO DE MARIA Take on the role of María and write an email home to your mother and sister in Colombia. Help them understand what you are experiencing by comparing and contrasting both your U.S. and your Colombian experiences. Include the following information: • What the weather in December is like, • What the people are like, • What the food is like, • Whether they should come live with you in the U.S., and • What your hopes are for your immediate future (Esperoque…).

41. Carta de María - ICC

42. Namaste,Pablo Muirheadmuirheap@matc.edu I hope you were able to reflect today on the integration of culture and language. Feel free to contact me to keep the dialogue going. https://losmuirhead.wikispaces.com/