Lecturer: H. Cindy Lee

Creating Interculturality

Cindy Lee

Contents

• What is Interculturality? • Creating Interculturality – Step 1• Creating Interculturality – Step 2• Example 1• Example 2• Example 3• Conclusion

Cindy Lee

Preface

• This session focuses on Professor Sandra Lee McKay’s work Teaching English as an International Language.

• In this session, we will see how to create interculturality in English learning.

Cindy Lee

What is Interculturality? (I) If we are to use the words of Alexander v. Humboldt,

then the meaning of Interculturality for the human individual today is "to grasp as much of the world as possible and to connect him/herself with it as closely as possible." Although technological development and economic integration have produced a global society, it has not become easier to apply Humboldt's postulation – and yet it has become so much more vital.

Cindy Lee

Here we extend Sandra Lee Mckay’s concept of teaching English as an international language in which language learners’ own history and culture, as well as to those of the target culture, are emphasised. Students are encouraged to consider their own culture in light of foreign experience. In this sense, it also recognizes one of the important aims of learning English is to explain one’s own culture to others.

What is Interculturality? (II)

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Creating Interculturality: Step 1- Recognizing English as an ‘International Language’ (EIL)

IL is a language used by the majority of people from different nationalities or ethnical

backgrounds.

English as an international language does not ‘belong to’ any particular nation or attach to

any particular culture. It is a language spoken by people in the international society.

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Step 1- Recognizing EIL

• Main Characteristics: Cross bordersCross borders• Primary Function: Enable speakers to ‘share’ their ideas and cultural Enable speakers to ‘share’ their ideas and cultural

views views • Cultural Dimension: No longer connected to the culture of the *Inner No longer connected to the culture of the *Inner

Circle CountriesCircle Countries (*Native English speaking countries: USA, UK, Canada, Australia, etc.)

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Step 2- Learning Culture in EIL

• Cultural Learning Objectives– Have understanding of other culturesHave understanding of other cultures– Appreciate cultural differencesAppreciate cultural differences– Reflect one’s own culture while learning foreign Reflect one’s own culture while learning foreign

eventsevents– Be able to explain one’s own culture to others Be able to explain one’s own culture to others

in Englishin English

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Textbook

Teacher Student

Target CultureTarget Culture International International CultureCulture

Source CultureSource Culture

Source CultureSource Culture Source CultureSource Culture

Step 2- Learning Culture in EIL:

Types of Cultural Content

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• A textbook exercise requests students to: -Look at photos of various American scenes -Depict and Match them with different periods of American history

• A class of Korean students do the following reflective activities:– replace the photos in the text with some of various periods in

Korea– follow the format in the original English text book– learn not only American history but also review what happened

historically in their own country in the same period – learn how to describe Korean history in English

Example 1: Learning International Culture and Creating Interculturality

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• A textbook exercise asks students – to describe annual Japanese events such as Children’s Day Festival, Haiku, Noh comedy, etc.

• A class of Japanese students do the following reflective activities:– learn necessary English expressions for description – talk about what specific aspects of their culture mean to them– consider how they would explain elements of their own culture

to foreigners

Example 2: Learning Source Culture & Creating Interculturality

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• Content in a textbook:– provides cultural information of various countries, e.g. Canada,

Thailand, Japan, etc.

• A class of Taiwanese students do the following reflective activities:– Compare and contrast the how people in different countries

think about a same event– Consider how the manner of target culture (i.e. American) fits in

other countries

Example 3: Learning International Culture and Creating Interculturality

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All the examples shown above remind you as an English All the examples shown above remind you as an English learner of: learner of:

• gaining a fuller understanding of how English today serves a great variety of international purposes

• reflecting on your local and global uses of English as an International Language

• to pay attention to your own history and culture, as well as to those of the target culture, in order to explain and contrast the differences

Conclusion

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