Incorporating the Ethnographic Interviews into Taiwan s College EFL Classes. Abstract

Transcription

1 Incorporating the Ethnographic Interviews into Taiwan s College EFL Classes 蘇 雅 珍 Ya-Chen Su Department of Applied English Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology yasandy2002@yahoo.com Abstract Learning about foreign language (FL) cultures is becoming the national standard of FL curriculum in Taiwan. The purposes of this study were to discuss how to incorporate the ethnographic interviews into Taiwan s EFL college classes and how students viewpoints about native English speakers and their cultures have been changed after the use of the ethnocentric interviews. Three research questions were posed: (1) How does the instructor incorporate the ethnographic interviews into classes? (2) What knowledge of target cultures do students develop through the use of the ethnographic interviews? (3) How do students views about target cultures have been changed after the course of the study? Data were collected by oral and written report and interview. Results found that students experienced culture as a process of creating meaning through direct interaction and communication with target language speakers. They thus gained insight into the values of target cultures and expand their understanding of similarities and differences between the target cultures and their own. Keywords: EFL learning, intercultural understanding, cultural studies, college student 35

2 Introduction Learning about FL cultures is becoming an important objective in the FL curricula and national standards around the world. For example, The Standards for Foreign Language Learning for the 21 st Century (National Standards, 1999) in the U.S. establish five objectives (communication, culture, connections, comparisons, and communities) for K-12 foreign language learners. The description of the culture objective specifies that students should not only demonstrate an awareness of the relationship between the practices, products, and perspectives of the target culture as well as an understanding of the concept of culture developed through comparisons of the target culture and their own but actually participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world (p. 9). The emergence of the incorporation of culture into EFL education can also be seen in Taiwan. In 1998, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that English instruction would begin in elementary school rather than in high school. In1999, the grade 1-9 (also called Nine-Year Joint Curriculum Plan) curriculum guide included as objectives in English helping students gain knowledge and appreciation of cultural and ethnic diversity. The incorporating of culture classes becomes the current trend of FL and EFL education. Thus, it is important to determine which teaching methods help students explore and understand other cultural perspectives. Literature Review Target Language and Culture Learning Traditional methodologies have tended to view culture as a relatively uniform and static entity composed of accumulated, classifiable, and observable phenomena which therefore can be learned as facts (Brooks, 1975; Nostrand, 1974). More recent approaches have subordinated the memorization of cultural facts to the acquisition of intercultural competence (e.g., Kramsch, 1999) or intercultural communication (e.g., Hall, 1959). Culture is viewed as an interpersonal process of meaning construction (see Kramsch, 2003, p. 21) in which meaning is continuously being constructed through human interaction and communication (Paige, Jorstad, Siaya, Klein, & Colby, 2003, p. 176). Most human interaction is based not on people having shared intimate knowledge of each other, but rather on their having an understanding of the context in which the communication is taking place. Understanding the context requires knowing the cultural meanings associated with time, place, person, and circumstance. This understanding, in turn, prescribes language behavior appropriate to a given set of circumstances (Heath, 1986). This assumption is consistent with Hall s proposal of intercultural communication (1959): culture is communication and 36

3 communication is culture (p. 169). Culture and communication are forever engaged in an interdependent and mutually supportive dynamic process. Robinson-Stuart and Nocon (1996) stress that target language speakers and language learners participate in an ongoing process of culture, which can help them make meaning and contribute to lived, developing culture. Bennett (1993) conclude that the process of cultural learning through intercultural and interpersonal communication can help learners progress from an ethnocentric worldview to one in which they learn to accept and respect cultural differences These studies raise questions as to how the process of learning to understand cultural viewpoints (the culture-as-process theory) can help EFL learners strengthen their understanding of their own culture and position in relation to the world. Ethnographic Interviews and Cross-Cultural Learning Ethnography, especially ethnographic interviews, is recommended for use both in and outside of the FL classroom because, as Jurasek (1995) explains, the product of the ethnography is considered less important than the process of observing, participating, describing, analyzing, and interpreting (p. 225). Ethnography is the work of describing a culture.... from the native point of view (Spradley, 1979, p. 3). Ethnographic interview techniques can be used to provide an insider perspective which means that students see through their own rather than another s eyes (Robinson-Stuart & Nocon, 1996, see p. 437). According to Robin-Stuart and Nocon (1996) and Spradley (1979), an ethnographic interview usually begins with global, open-ended questions and is flexible in following the conservational interests and directions of the interviewee rather than starting with a preplanned agenda or lists of questions. The interviewer builds subsequent questions on the interviewee s responses. Because its goal is to probe in depth the interviewee s perceptions and beliefs, an interviewer often conducts several interviews with the same person. Batman (2002) and Robinson-Stuart & Nocon (1996) have conducted the studies to examine the effect on the ethnocentric interview project on university students attitudes and feelings about the study of Spanish and Spanish-speaking people. The results of pre-post survey data show that the interview project positively affected students attitudes toward the target language and its speakers and enhanced their understanding of their own culture and the culture of local Spanish speakers. Batman (2005) conducted other study with university students of Spanish as they participated in an ethnographic interview project. The results indicated that students developed 37

4 positive attitudes toward Spanish speakers and Hispanic cultures and became more competent in relating to and communicating with people of other cultures. These two studies show that it is significant to incorporate the ethnographic interview project into EFL classes. The Purpose of the Study The purposes of this study were to discuss how to incorporate the ethnographic interviews into Taiwan s EFL college classes and how students viewpoints about native English speakers and their cultures have been changed after the use of the ethnographic interviews. Three research questions were posed: 1. How does the instructor incorporate the ethnographic interviews into classes? 2. What knowledge of target cultures do students develop through the use of the ethnographic interviews? 3. How do students views about target cultures have been changed after the course of the study? Methodology Participants The participants in the study consisted of twenty-nine undergraduate students (25 females and 4 males) enrolled in the instructor s first-year English Conversation Course (two credit hours, 100 minutes per week) at a private university in southwestern Taiwan. Data Collection Oral and Written Reports Following each of the three interviews, each group of students was asked to reflect in oral and written form on what they learned (See Appendix A for journal prompt for post-interview reflection). Photocopies of their oral and written reports were included in the data analysis. Reflection Interviews. At least two semi-structured interviews of each student were conducted at the beginning and end of the study. The interviews were conducted in Chinese, which allowed interviewees to express their feelings and ideas more fluently and fully. The aim of the interview questions was to record students perceptions of native-english speakers and their cultures. 38

5 Results The section is presented into three parts: (1) how to incorporate the ethnographic interview into classes; (2) what knowledge of target cultures students develop; and (3) how students views about native English speakers and their cultures have been changed. How to incorporate the ethnocentric interview project into classes During the two weeks, the instructor had a brief introduction to the characteristics of ethnographic interviews, such as open-ended WH-questions (who, what, when, where, why, and how). In the third week, students were asked to find a native English speaker to interview. Students who were unable to find an interviewee (three groups of students) were assisted by the researcher. The students were assigned to conduct two interviews with their native speaker over the next three weeks. In keeping with the course objective of helping students use English to communicate in meaningful contexts, the instructor asked students to conduct the interview in English and refrain from speaking Chinese. Students were asked to tape-record the interviews and submit the recording along with a one-page written reflection on what they learned following each interview. Each group also needed to prepare an oral report and deliver it to their classmates at an assigned time. What knowledge of target cultures students develop The results of students oral and written reports and interviews indicate that students developed knowledge of the target language culture through the process of conducting the ethnographic interview projects. Results found that most of the topics discussed at the first interview related to the interviewees background information, such as their habits, interests, and the length and purpose of their stay in Taiwan. In subsequent interviews, students got the interviewees to speak in depth. The topics and themes that emerged during the interviews are varied and include: food and festivals (e.g., staple food, Halloween, Thanksgivin), culturally influenced traits (e.g., independence), lifestyles (e.g., transportation, leisure activities, sport, shopping), education (e.g., student-centered instruction), and family values (e.g., the parent-children relationship, family gatherings), society (e.g., ethnic diversity). The followings are specific examples from students journal reflections from three students: 39

6 Food British people like to drink tea more than coffee. The tea is usually made with milk or is black tea. Green tea has become popular in recent years because of the influence of Asian culture. Culturally influenced traits People in English-speaking countries are encouraged to be independent and leave home when they enter college and start working. For example, my interviewee told me that most Americans are very independent because that is how children are raised. Education Students [in English-speaking countries] are encouraged to participate actively in class activities. They ask questions and discuss their ideas with their teachers and classmates. They are not afraid of expressing their opinions and feelings in front of classmates. Besides developing an understanding of the target language cultures, all students reported that their awareness of cultural similarities and differences between Taiwan and target language countries increased through participating in the ethnographic interviews, for example: Social values Parents in English-speaking countries encourage their children to be independent and achieve their goals by themselves rather than doing things for them. When their children decide to do something, most parents respect their decisions. In contrast, in Taiwan, parents often play an authoritative role. They expect their children to respect and listen to them. Sometimes they make decisions and do specific things for their children. Holidays Thanksgiving is symbolizes family union and togetherness. This reminds me that in Taiwan we have some holidays and festivals which have a meaning similar to that of Thanksgiving, such as Chinese New Year. On Chinese New Year, all family members and relatives get together to give thanks for our ancestors. The results from students interviews and oral and written reports also found 40

7 that students not only expand their understanding of target cultures and speakers but also develop an awareness of their own misunderstanding, for example: Food Before the interview, I thought that the most popular and favorite foods in the United States were pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers and fried chicken. Not everyone likes it. My interview also told me that a lot of ethnic foods such as are also found in the U. S. because it is a country of immigration. Holidays Before I did this project, I thought hat Halloween was originally from the U.S. It was the most important holiday in the U.S. However, talking with my interviewee helped me realize that it originally came from ancient Europe. All students concluded that speaking with native-english speakers helped them reevaluate misconceptions they had previously accepted as facts. Discussion and Conclusion The ethnographic interviews enabled students to interact personally with representatives of English-speaking cultures and practice EFL skills outside of the classroom. The result of the study indicated that the project helped facilitate both EFL and intercultural learning. Instead of memorization of cultural facts, students experienced culture as a process of creating meaning through direct communication with target language speakers. Interpersonal and intercultural communication inform learners knowledge of cultural boundaries in a process of joint production of meaning and acquisition of living culture (Robinson-Stuart & Nocon, 1996, p. 437). Second, the result found that students gained insight into the values of target language speakers, explored the similarities and differences between cultures and revised their prior misconceptions of target language speakers and their cultures. These findings confirm those of Byram and Morgan (1994), suggesting that through involvement in interpersonal communication, learners become aware of stereotypes they have accepted as true and actively confront them, evaluating their validity and revising or discarding them (Byram & Morgan, 1994). The study hopes to serve as a starting point for further studies of the incorporation of ethnographic interviews in EFL classes in Taiwan and other countries where English is taught as a second or foreign language. 41

8 References Bateman, B. E. (2002). Promoting openness toward learning: Ethnographic interviews for students of Spanish. Modern Language Journal, 86(3), Bennett, J. M. (1993). Towards ethnorelativism: A development model of intercultural sensitivity. In R. M. Paige (Eds.), Education for the intercultural experience (2 nd ed., pp 21-71). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. Brooks, N. (1975). The analysis of language and familiar cultures. In R. Lafayette (Eds.), The Cultural revolution in foreign language teaching (pp ). Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook. Byram, M., & Morgan, C. (1994). Teaching-and-learning-language-and-culture. (Multilingual Matters No. 100). Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters. Hall, E. (1959). The Silent Language. New York: Doubleday/Fawcett. Heath, S. B. (1986). Beyond language: social and cultural factors in schooling language minority students. Sacramento: California State Department of Education. Jurasek, R. (1995). Using ethnography to bridge the gap between study abroad and the one-campus language and cultural curriculum. In C. J. Kramsch (Eds.), Redefining the boundaries of language study (pp ). Boston: Heinle & Heinle. Kramsch, C. (2003). Teaching along the cultural faultline. In D. L. Lange. & R. M. Paige (Eds.), Culture as the core: Perspectives on culture in second language le learning (pp ). Greenwich. CT: Information Age Publishing Inc. Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ministry of Education. (1999). Nine-Year joint curriculum plan. Taipei: Ministry of Education. National Standards in Foreign Language Project. (1999). Standards for foreign language learning in the 21 st century. Yonkers, NY: Author. Norstrand, H. L. (1974). Empathy for a second culture: Motivations and techniques. In G. A. Jarvis (Eds.), Responding to new realities (pp ). The ACTEFL Foreign Language Education Series. Skoki, IL: National Textbook. Paige, M. R., Jorstad, H. L., Siaya, L. Klein, F., & Colby, J. (2003). Culture learning in language education. In D. L. Lange. & R. M. Paige (Eds.), Culture as the core: Perspectives on culture in second language learning (pp ). Greenwich. CT: Information Age Publishing Inc. Robinson-Stuart, G., & Nocon, H. (1996). Second cultural acquisition: Ethnography in 42

9 the foreign language classroom. Modern Language Journal, 80(4), Spradley, J. (1979). The ethnographic onterview. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Appendix A Journal Prompt for Post-Interview Reflection Part I: Please reflect upon your experience in conducting your three interviews. You might wish to consider the following questions: What did you talk about in the interview? What did you learn about your interviewee s culture? What do you plan to ask about in the next interview? Please list the location and the length of your interview. Part II: Please reflect upon your person opinions and feelings after completing these three interviews. After completing these interviews, what differences between target cultures and your own? After completing these interviews, how do the views about target cultures change? 43

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