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Cross-Cultural Encounter in the EFL College Classroom- Taiwanese

Students and Their Native English Teachers

Presenter : Sing- Yu HuAdvisor: Dr. Chin-Ying LinDate: May 18, 2010

http://www.cyut.edu.tw/new/index.php

Page 2

Introduction

Literature Review

Methodology

Findings & Discussion

Conclusions


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Introduction

Students from different cultures tend to exhibit different learning styles and might prefer different learning approaches due to distinct cultural influences and social effects.

(Park, 2000; Richardson, 1994)

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Researchers argued that both teachers and students have their cultural expectations toward what is good learning and teaching.

(Chen, 2006; Cortazzi & Jin, 1998 & 1999; Lin, 2008)

Motivation and Background

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Researchers also argued that teachers need to be aware their students’ learning preferences in order to facilitate both teaching and learning.

(Barkhuizen, 1998; Rasekh & Valizadeh, 2004; Spratt, 1999)


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Taiwanese students’ attitudes/beliefs about learning and teaching might not match their learning experiences in American classrooms.

(Lin, 2008)


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Statement of the Problem

Many researchers have explored Asian students’ adjustments in the oversea academic setting.

(Kambutu1 & Nganga, 2008; Lin, 2008)

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However, few studies focused on EFL Taiwanese students’ cultural barriers to language learning in

the EFL classroom in Taiwan.

Statement of the Problem

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-to investigate the differences between Taiwanese students’ expectations toward the teaching content and what they were really taught in their native English teacher’s speaking course

Purpose of the Study

-to explore if the teaching approach Taiwanese students preferred matched their learning experiences in their native English teacher’s speaking course

-to examine how Taiwanese students adjusted themselves to

their NETs speaking classes

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Q1

Research Questions

What are Taiwanese college students’ perceived differences between their expectations and experiences concerning their NETs’ teaching content in English speaking courses?

Q2 What are Taiwanese college students’ perceived differences between their preferences and experiences concerning the way of their NETs’ teaching approach in English speaking courses?

Q3 How do Taiwanese college students adjust themselves into

their NET’s English speaking courses?

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Western TeacherC

Culture LearningA

Academic Culture in DistancesB

Chinese StudentD

II. Literature Review

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Culture Learning

Because learning a second language implies some degree of learning a second cultural, it is important to understand what we mean by the cultural learning.

(Brown, 2007)

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“Cultural learning” accounts for much behavior in language classroom which is set within common frameworks of expectations, attitudes, values and beliefs about what composes good learning, about how to teach and learn, and about how to ask questions.

(Martin and Lin, 1996)

Culture Learning

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Cultural obstacles might exist in the academic setting consisting of two main roles---native English-speaking teachers and ESL/EFL students, both with different cultural backgrounds.

(Han, 2005; Lin, 2008; Palfreyman & Smith, 2003; Scollon,1999)

Academic Cultural in Distances

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Five issues related to cultures were identified as the key factors causing the academic cultures in distance between Taiwanese students and their American teachers: authority in power, learner autonomy, the power issue, the face issue, and group harmony.

(Lin, 2008)

Academic Cultural in Distances

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Westerner Teacher

The Western teachers are affected by the Western culture of Socratic thinking that makes a virtue of thinking for oneself rather than following the tradition.

(Scollon, 1999)

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Teaching in a Western country is usually seen as facilitating individuals in constructing knowledge, and not as transmitting knowledge, as in China.

(Scollon, 1999)

Westerner Teacher

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Chinese Student

Chinese students were diligent, persistent, thorough, friendly and very good at memorization. On the contrary, they are weak in communication and presentation.

(Jin and Martin, 1993)

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Chinese Student

Flexibility, problem solving, critical thinking and independent learning are not considered important in the traditional Chinese academic setting.

(Wang, 2007)

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InstrumentC

Research Design A

ParticipantsB

Data AnalysisD

Methodology

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Research Procedures

Pilot study

Formal study

617 questionnaire copiesfrom six target schools

Data analysis

Formal questionnaireEnglish

Teaching Content

English Teaching Approach

Students’ Adjustments

1 American teacher37 College students

Data collection

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617 College Students

Taichung City Taichung County

Ling Tung University of Technology (14.1%)

Overseas Chinese University of Technology (14.4%)

National Taichung Institute of Technology (13.8%)

Chaoyang University of Technology (13.8%)

Hungkuang University of Technology (23.6%)

Hsiuping Institute of Technology (20.3%)

English Majors

Participants

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Participants

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Participants

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Questionnaire

Teaching ContentStudents’ Expectations Section 1

Students’ Experiences Section 2

Teaching ApproachStudents’ Preferences Section 3

Students’ Experiences Section4

Students’ Adjustments in class Section 5

Personal Information Section 6

Instrument

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Questionnaire Construction

Teaching Content

Teaching Approach

Bloom’s taxonomy of learning domain(1956)—cognitive, affective and psychomotor

Traditional teaching methodCommunicative teaching methodCooperative teaching methodTeachers’ personality

Instrument

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Data Analysis

SPSS13.0

95%

Q1, Q2

Q1, Q2

Item ReliabilityReliability Analysis (Cronbach α)

Confidence Interval

Paired Sample - T test

Descriptive Statistics

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Open-ended QuestionsOpen-ended Questions

searching for alternative explanations Text 3testing

emergent understandings

organizing the datacoding

the data generating generating categories categories

searching for alternative explanations writing the

report

Data Analysis

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Analysis of Research Question 2

C

Reliability and ValidityA


B


D

Findings & Discussion

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Table 1KMO and Bartlett's Test of the Questionnaire

Validity

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of

Sampling Adequacy.

Bartlett's Test of Sphericity

Approx. Chi-Square df Sig.

Teaching Content LE .906 5575.79 190 .00

EOC .916 6019.46 190 .00

Teaching Approach LP .908 5445.36 210 .00

EOI .916 5784.06 210 .00

Good for Research

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Table 2Reliability Statistics of the Questionnaire

M Mini Maxi SD Cronbach's Alpha

N of Items

Teaching Content LE 4.02 3.08 4.52 .45 .90 20

EOC 3.67 2.76 4.19 .50 .91 20

Instruction Way LP 3.87 2.52 4.42 .44 .87 21

EOI 3.65 2.68 4.25 .50 .89 21

Reliability

Good for Research

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Q1 What are Taiwanese college students’ perceived differences between their expectations and experiences concerning their NETs’ teaching content in English speaking courses?

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Table 3Results of Paired Samples t-Test in Teaching Content Domain

t Sig.M SD

Teaching

Content

Students’ expectations 4.02 .45

Students’ experiences 3.67 .50 18.37 .00**

Note. *p <.05, two-tailed. **p < .01, two-tailed; n=617. There is significant difference between Taiwanese college students’ learning expectations (LE) and experiences (EOC) concerning their native English

teachers’ teaching content in the English speaking course.


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Chen, 2006Cortazzi & Jin, 1998 & 1999 Lin, 2008

There is significant difference between Taiwanese college students’ learning expectations (LE) and experiences (EOC) concerning their native English

teachers’ teaching content in the English speaking course.


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Q2 What are Taiwanese college students’ perceived differences between their preferences and experiences concerning the way of their NETs’ teaching approach in English speaking courses?

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Table 9Results of Paired Samples t-Test in Teaching Approach Domain

M SD Sig.

Teaching Approach

Students’ preferences 3.87 .44

Students’ experiences 3.65 .50 .00**

Note. *P <.05, two-tailed. **P < .01, two-tailed; n=617.

Hypothesis 2: H0: LP=EOA ; H1: LP≠ EOA

There is significant difference between Taiwanese college students’ learning preferences (LP) and experiences (EOI)

concerning their native English teachers’ teaching approach in the English speaking course.


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Paired Differences (LP-EOA)

Instruction way M SD t Sig(two-tailed)1.Teachers’ teaching ways are humorous .50 .97 12.82 .00**

2.Teachers carry out syllabus consistently -.04 .98 -1.07 .2863.Teachers have empathy for students .42 .91 11.37 .00**4.Teachers use medias to teach (ex:

projector).21 .81 6.58 .00**

5.Teachers give students enough time to think and answer questions

.24 .79 7.67 .00**

Table 11Results of Paired Sample T-test of Items of Teaching Approach

There is no significant difference between Taiwanese college students’ learning preferences (LP) and experiences (EOI)

concerning how the NETs carry out the syllabus.


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Barkhuizen, 1998Rasekh & Valizadeh, 2004

Spratt, 1999

There is significant difference between Taiwanese college students’ learning preferences (LP) and experiences (EOA) concerning their native English teachers’ teaching approach in

the English speaking course.


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There is no significant difference between Taiwanese college students’ learning preferences (LP) and experiences (EOA)

concerning how the NETs carry out the syllabus.

Lin, 2007


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Five Open-Ended Questions

1. In your personal opinion, what’s the difference between Taiwanese teacher and foreign teacher’s teaching way?

3. According to question 2, how do you adjust yourself to the class?

2. In what aspect that you can’t well fit into the native English teachers’ class? How do you adjust yourself to the class?

4. Do the native English teachers’ way of teaching effect your learning attitude and strategies? If yes, please give a examples.

5. Do you have any suggestion for your foreign teachers?

Q3 How do Taiwanese college students adjust themselves into

their NET’s English speaking courses?


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Q1 In your personal opinion, what’s the difference between Taiwanese teacher and foreign teacher’s teaching approach?

CulturalDifferences Taiwanese Teachers Native English Teachers

1 Thinking logical smooth and by order go stride2 Personality serious humorous/emotional3 Empathy more less

4 English proverb use less more

5 Misunderstanding few/ Chinese translation more/joke6 Communication

barrierless/ same learning

backgroundmore/ different

learning background


Supported

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In your personal opinion, what’s the difference between Taiwanese teacher and foreign teacher’s teaching approach?

Communication

Differences Taiwanese Teachers Native English Teachers

1 Language usage English and Chinese English only

2 Pronunciation common better

3 Speaking speed slower faster

4 Body language few more


Supported

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In your personal opinion, what’s the difference between Taiwanese teacher and foreign teacher’s teaching approach?

Language TeachingDifferences Taiwanese Teachers Native English Teachers

1 Teaching Method Traditional CLT2 Language focus accuracy fluency3 Grammar focus more less4 Error correction more /direct less5 Language practice

opportunitiesmore less

7 Media usage more less8 Assessments have criteria and stander

formvariable and flexible


Supported

New

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Q2 In what aspect that you can’t well fit into the native English teachers’ class?

CulturalUnaccommodating Aspects

1 Need more time to get use to English only in the speaking class2 NETs use some idiom that we don’t know3 Certain accent interfere the communication4 Don’t know how to response NET’s punctuate question.5 Students need to ask questions actively.6 The misunderstanding caused by fail communication7 NET unconsciously tease at students8 The go astride speaking way, sometimes makes students uncomfortable9 Don’t understand NET’s joke/ American humorous

10 Feel shy to explain their own idea11 Some NET have less empathy for us 12 Some NET don’t identify themselves with us


Supported

Supported

New

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In what aspect that you can’t well fit into the native English teachers’ class?

Communication

Unaccommodating Aspects 1 Hard to communicate clearly and exactly

2 NETs don’t know what we want to explain

3 NETs use difficult words

4 NET can’t understand Chinese so that they are hard to realize teachers’ meaning and catch up the class.


New

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In what aspect that you can’t well fit into the native English teachers’ class?

Language Teaching

Unaccommodating Aspects

1 Pay less attention on the language accuracy

2 Learning anxiety -fear to ask questions in English

3 Not use to speak English in front of classmate.

4 NET pouch on time

5 Too nervous to miss some important information


Supported

Supported

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Cultural

Q3 How do you adjust yourself to the class?

Students adjustments in NET’ Speaking Class1 Force ourselves to get use to NET’s teaching style2 Adjust our way of thinking and attitude3 Have more contact with NET after class4 Forget it when they are offended by NET5 Improve the cultural awareness by watching English movies6 Regard it is a culture differences and don’t care to much7 Avoiding to speak controversial questions8 With times go by, we were get use to9 Regard the NET as a friend

10 Open-mind to accept the differences


Support

New

New

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How do you adjust yourself to the class?

CommunicationStudents adjustments in NET’ Speaking Class

1 Pretending understand and then asking classmates2 Asking classmates when don’t understand what NET mean3 Asking classmates or Taiwanese English teachers after classes4 Asking NETs to repeat again5 Pay more attention when NET speak6 Guessing the meaning by certain curls revealed in NET’s talk7 Asking NET to write down the new/ difficult words8 Giving more information to NET to improve the communication9 Use body language to facilitate communication

10 Try again and again


Supported

New

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How do you adjust yourself to the class?

Language LeachingStudents adjustments in NET’ Speaking Class

1 Improve our English proficiency especially listening and speaking by listening to the radio or practicing with classmates

2 Checking the dictionary at times3 Discuss with classmates when we don’t understand NET’s talk4 Increase the quantity of our vocabulary5 Asking NET after class6 Come to class earlier7 Try to catch up with teacher8 Continuously to use English


Supported

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Q4 Do the native English teachers’ way of teaching effect your learning attitude and strategies? If yes, please give a examples.

Culture


NET’s Effect Toward Taiwanese Students1 Our creativity and thinking ability were improved2 NET often give us example that effect me to think more flexible3 Learn to self-management4 Punch on time5 Become more active and have more interaction with teachers in the

class6 Learn to appreciate their strength 7 Like to watch English movies8 Admire teacher and seldom absent9 Learn to think more independently and become more willing to

find answer by ourselves10 Listen to the English radio more

New

New

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Do the native English teachers’ way of teaching effect your learning attitude and strategies? If yes, please give a examples.

CommunicationNET’s Effect Toward Taiwanese Students

1 Like to use English to communicate with others2 Learning to use English to thinking

3 Have more confidence to speak English4 Feel free to speak English

5 Feel free to use body language to communicate6 Our English pronunciation improved7 Put more attention on the conversation detail


New

New

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Do the native English teachers’ way of teaching effect your learning attitude and strategies? If yes, please give a examples.

Language LeachingNET’s Effect Toward Taiwanese Students

1 Perceive that leaning can be easy and relax2 Preview the text book especially the vocabulary3 Learn to pay attention in the class4 Speak English more5 Have higher motivation to learn English6 Become more diligent7 Get use to surf the English web side8 Group study help me more understand the teaching content9 Like to cheat in English


New

Supported

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Cultural

Q5 Do you have any suggestion for your foreign teachers?

Taiwanese Students’ Suggestions for the NET1 Share more about their living experiences in their country2 Have more empathy for us3 Let us know more about the culture difference4 Need more patient to the students since we are more shy5 Don’t be too much emotion and subjective6 Teach us more practical and thoughtful material7 To know more about our cultural8 Don’t to be too direct because sometimes that make us feel hurt


Supported

New

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Do you have any suggestion for your foreign teachers?

Communication

Taiwanese Students’ Suggestions for the NET

1 Hope NET can understand some Chinese

2 Use some Chinese to explain certain difficult words or idea

3 Learn some Chinese


New

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Do you have any suggestion for your foreign teachers?

Language Leaching

Taiwanese Students’ Suggestions for the NET1 Need more understand our learning need

2 Use more practical and thoughtful teaching material

3 Use more challenge material

4 Pay attention to all the student’s participation in the class activities

5 Pay more attention to the students who seldom speak in the class

6 Pay attention to students grammar error


Support

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Pedagogical ImplicationsA

4

Conclusion

Limitations & SuggestionsB

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Pedagogical Implications

Native English–speaking teachers should recognize ESL/EFL students’ expectations/preferences in the classroom.

Both native English-speaking teachers and ESL/EFL students need to recognize the academic cultures in distance between them.

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Limitations & Suggestions

Specific departments located in Taichung city and county

Deeper Explore Taiwanese Students’ perspective

Further Explore NETs’ perspective


Education

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