Subject: RE: [IFETS-Discuss] Digest for ifets-discuss@topica.com, issue 15
bt.s@ip.pt
Date: Mon 12 Jun 2000 - 00:28:29 MEST
From: bt.s@ip.pt Subject: RE: [IFETS-Discuss] Digest for ifets-discuss@topica.com, issue 15 Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 15:28:29 -0700
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From: Beverly Trayner
Subject: A critical approach to cross-cultural issues
I'm very much in agreement with Alan Holzl's metaphor of the fire triangle
where "equal, integrated and coordinated investment of all three elements"
are needed. It also relates to my thinking about the question put to us:
Which methodologies should be used in order to overcome the language barrier
problem, and promoting intercultural communication?
I wonder if this kind of question that was put to us isn't too simple,
implying that there are some possible universal solutions to definable
problems? Language and intercultural communication are not elements in
themselves. Rather, they represent value systems, mindsets and politics at
every level from the micro and local to the macro and international. Our
approach should be less about having to "overcome" problems and "promote"
solutions and more with concerning ourselves with the ongoing process of
developing integrated approaches to learning and communication.
Interesting and relevant for me is Wenger's analysis (1998) which places
identity and the negotiation of meaning as the primary focus of learning,
the dynamics of which become much more complex when talking about
international learning communities.
My question would be this: What happens when participants with different
first languages coming from numerous different contexts, and with different
historic, socio-cultural and professional identities, meet for moments of a
learning experience where they will be negotiating meaning that will become
further material for creating their ongoing identity?
I see an international learning project as involving new relations of
identification, new forms of membership and ownership of meaning and thus
changing positions within communities. This clearly needs careful
consideration and planning if it is to include all types of students from
different cultural learning backgrounds.
My initial suggestions for going about this are partly practical and partly
about developing an approach to course design which considers these factors:
1. View language and intercultural issues as an integral and dynamic part of
the whole learning process and not as something separate or add-on
representing different methodologies and approaches.
2. View language and intercultural issues as identity factors representing
the socio-educational contexts of the course participants which will be
interacting and changing throughout a course.
3. View language and intercultural issues as important factors in the
ongoing process of negotiating meaning throughout the course.
4. Value and include participants' socio-cultural and educational identities
and histories in the course trajectory. The methodologies and approaches
that people are accustomed to will help shape their interpretation of and
performance on the course. How people have learned will affect what they
learn. This needs to be acknowledged (and reflected on).
5. Be very explicit about all parts of the learning process and structure
regular reflection about it. Never assume that understanding the words
means that someone understands the conceptual thinking behind them.
6. Structure reflection about international and intercultural communication
throughout the course.
As an example of no. 6 - on an online Education and Training course with the
University of London we (some of the participants) developed some
international communication guidelines. An example of one of the guidelines
was that native English speakers should use more English Latinate vocabulary
(rather than phrasal verbs) which are generally more accessible. Another
example was that non-English speakers should consider using translations of
key words in the text to give an international dimension to the meaning and
to include a different perspective. There was very positive reflection on
the process of working out these guidelines by all the participants involved
who came from a number of different countries.
7. Consider pre-course language tests to alert students to possible
difficulties in participating in the types of discourse of online learning
discussions.
8. Account for and make explicit the different discourses (and from
different cultures) of a wide range of communities of practice.
This whole area is one that endlessly interests me - I'm very interested to
hear more views about it.
Beverly Trayner
Escola Superior de Ciências Empresariais
Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal
Portugal
e-mail: btrayer@esce.ips.pt <mailto:btrayer@esce.ips.pt>
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