22
A Comparison of Power A Comparison of Power Distance of English Distance of English Teachers and Non-English Teachers and Non-English Teachers in Classroom Teachers in Classroom Communication Communication -----------A Case Study o -----------A Case Study o f f Guangxi Normal University Guangxi Normal University Presenter: Li Dongmei

-----------A Case Study of Guangxi Normal University

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

A Comparison of Power Distance of English Teachers and Non-English Teachers in Classroom Communication. -----------A Case Study of Guangxi Normal University. Presenter: Li Dongmei. Research Background. The relationship between language and culture. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Citation preview

A Comparison of Power A Comparison of Power Distance of English Distance of English Teachers and Non-English Teachers and Non-English Teachers in Classroom Teachers in Classroom Communication Communication

-----------A Case Study of -----------A Case Study of Guangxi Normal UniversityGuangxi Normal University

Presenter: Li Dongmei

Research BackgroundResearch Background

The relationship between language The relationship between language and culture.and culture.

Language functions not only to Language functions not only to report information but can actually report information but can actually shape the language users’ shape the language users’ thoughts and values (Whorf, 1956) thoughts and values (Whorf, 1956)

Two Research Two Research QuestionsQuestions 1. If people learn or use a foreign 1. If people learn or use a foreign

language for a long time, do their language for a long time, do their cultural values change? cultural values change?

2. Will the change be reflected in 2. Will the change be reflected in their daily communication their daily communication behaviors? behaviors?

Comparing GroupsComparing Groups

College English teachers and College English teachers and Non-English teachers.Non-English teachers.

In Guangxi Normal UniversityIn Guangxi Normal University

What to Compare?What to Compare?

Value-------(Value-------(power distancepower distance)) Classroom communication style---Classroom communication style---

by observationby observation

Why Power Distance?Why Power Distance?

Hofstede’s culture dimension theoHofstede’s culture dimension theoryry

Chinese culture as a high power distChinese culture as a high power distance cultureance culture

Value may be changed Value may be changed

How to Measure Power How to Measure Power Distance?Distance?

According to Hofstede, power distance is thAccording to Hofstede, power distance is the acceptable degree of the less powerful soe acceptable degree of the less powerful social members toward power inequality in ocial members toward power inequality in one social group or organization. So the best ne social group or organization. So the best way to measure power distance is to ask thway to measure power distance is to ask the less powerful ones’ perception toward te less powerful ones’ perception toward the more powerful ones. As a result, College he more powerful ones. As a result, College English and non- English teachers’ power English and non- English teachers’ power distance tendencies should better be measdistance tendencies should better be measured through the students’ answers. ured through the students’ answers.

Observing Teacher’s Observing Teacher’s Communication Style Communication Style teachers request strategies, teachers request strategies, discourse,discourse, students participation, students participation, humor use humor use non-verbal languagenon-verbal language

Data Collection-Data Collection-samplingsampling Why Guangxi Normal University?Why Guangxi Normal University?

College of Foreign Studies--College of Foreign Studies--English TeachersEnglish Teachers

College of Chinese linguistics and literature , CollCollege of Chinese linguistics and literature , College of Politics and Administration, College of Matege of Politics and Administration, College of Mathematics and College of Chemistry & Chemical Ehematics and College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering –ngineering –Non-English TeachersNon-English Teachers

Gender, professional titleGender, professional title

Table 5 : Teachers Sampling( N=26)

MajorTitle/Gender

English teacher Non-English teacher

male female male female

Professor 1 4

Associate Professor

1 3 2 2

Lecturer 2 7 1 3

Table 1: Teachers Sampling N=26

Table 6 : Questionnaires Distribution( N=1172)English Major

College of Politics and

Administration

College of Liberal Arts

College of Chemistry &

Chemical Engineering

College of Mathematics

CE MC CEC MC CEC MC CEC MC

Questionnaire Distributed ( 1195)

113 72 148 52 138

120

175

162 210

Questionnaire Returned( 1172)

113 70 144 52 135

118

171

160 209

(CEC = College English Courses; MC=Major Courses)

Table 2: Questionnaires Distribution ( N=1172 )

Data TreatmentData Treatment

The data collected from the teachers’ poThe data collected from the teachers’ power distance questionnaire are first testifiwer distance questionnaire are first testified through homogeneity reliability analysied through homogeneity reliability analysis to prove the reliability of the questionnais to prove the reliability of the questionnaire. Then they are analyzed through Univarire. Then they are analyzed through Univariate Analysis of Variance in SPSS 10.0 to deate Analysis of Variance in SPSS 10.0 to determine the effects of three independent vtermine the effects of three independent variables (major, gender and professional tiariables (major, gender and professional titles) to the dependent variable: teachers' tles) to the dependent variable: teachers' power distance.power distance.

Data TreatmentData Treatment

The observation scales are The observation scales are analyzed by classification and analyzed by classification and computation of the data computation of the data manually. manually.

Table 8: Mean Scores of Non-English Teachers and English TeachersMajor

Mean Std. Error

95% Confidence Interval

Lower Bound

Upper Bound

Non-English Teachers

44.752 .302 44.112 45.392

English Teachers

41.361 .324 40.674 42.048

Table 3: Mean Score on Power Distance of English Teachers and Non-English Teachers

Table 4: Summary of Results of ANOVA on Data from Teachers' Power Distance Questionnaire

Mean SquareF Sig. Eta. Squ

ared

Major 55.474 62.880 .000* .797

Professional Titles

1.900 2.154 .149 .212

Genders 1.855 2.103 .166 .116

﹡significant at the 95% level

Observation ResultObservation Result

1. English teachers’ requests are 1. English teachers’ requests are more indirect and soft than that more indirect and soft than that of non-English teachers.of non-English teachers.

2. English teachers begin lessons 2. English teachers begin lessons by prompting some questions, by prompting some questions, while non-English teachers while non-English teachers usually begin lessons directly.usually begin lessons directly.

Observation ResultObservation Result

English Class English Class

Teacher talk Teacher talk 50%50%

Student talk Student talk 50%50%

Non-English Non-English ClassClass

Teacher talk Teacher talk 67%67%

Student talk Student talk 33%33%

Observation ResultObservation Result

4. Among 12 non-English 4. Among 12 non-English teachers, only 3 teachers use teachers, only 3 teachers use humors or jokes during a class humors or jokes during a class hour. While among the 14 English hour. While among the 14 English teachers, 6 of them use humors teachers, 6 of them use humors or jokes.or jokes.

Observation ResultObservation Result

5. In non-English class, the teachers 5. In non-English class, the teachers stand in front of the class or behind the stand in front of the class or behind the platform most of the time. The distance platform most of the time. The distance between teachers and students is kept between teachers and students is kept within the public distance/zone. within the public distance/zone.

But in the English classes, the English But in the English classes, the English teachers try to approach to the students teachers try to approach to the students 2-3 times in 40 minutes from public 2-3 times in 40 minutes from public distance to social distance/ zone or even distance to social distance/ zone or even personal distance. personal distance.

ConclusionConclusion

The English teacher’s power The English teacher’s power distance is significantly lower distance is significantly lower than that of the non-English than that of the non-English teachers.teachers.

This difference is mainly caused This difference is mainly caused by the different time of learning by the different time of learning and using English language.and using English language.

Conclusion Conclusion

The research strongly proves that The research strongly proves that learning and using a language for learning and using a language for a long time, people will be a long time, people will be influenced by the value contained influenced by the value contained in that language.in that language.