Developing an intercultural approach in your classroom

1. Developing an intercultural approach in your classroom Dr Robyn Moloney Macquarie University robyn.moloney@mq.edu.au

2. Overview What is an intercultural approach? The key players: teachers and students: identity and skills

3. An intercultural approach ? understanding of their own language(s) and culture(s) in relation to an additional language and culture… communicating using multiple perspectives to understand and create meaning. (Liddicoat, 2003)

4. Its about… • preparing students for meaningful communication with Japanese people, with understanding • moving beyond the idea of learning about Japanese culture from the outside- focus is on students developing personal engagement with Japan’s language and culture. • opportunities to reflect on how Japanese ideas, values and way of life differ from their own A. J. Liddicoat (2010)

5. Teachers: the great importance of us… The single biggest influence on kids’ intercultural learning “You just want to be like that” Babel 42, 3, April 2008. Our experiences and background- what skills do we have? How do we model our curiosity and skills?

6. Who is the self that teaches? To educate is to guide students on an inner journey toward more truthful ways of seeing and being in the world. How can schools perform their mission without encouraging the guides to scout out that inner terrain? (Parker Palmer 1998) What do we bring to an intercultural approach?

7. What has your interaction with Australia / Japan / another culture shown you about yourself?

8. Robyn: From W. Armour’s study (2001) I think I need to be in Japan to realise that I am really Western... I am the only person in the Tokyo train that wears a loud parka and sits clumsily and has a bag that is shabby. …. I laugh more loudly than a Japanese woman does and I want to use superlatives the way we do in English. I think I am still reasonably authentically myself even though I’m moderating that to some extent.

9. There is some obvious tension between this display of herself and the demands to be appropriate when interacting in Japanese. She commented that • you feel the need to understand behaviour and how your behaviour can fit in better. Not to the point of mimicry or diverting from your own self but unconsciously you adapt. …I think you feel an obligation to understand Japanese people and to expose yourself to experiences that help you understand better. (Armour, 2004)

10. Robyn…another experience Travelled in Europe, Asia, but not WA Learnt 3 languages but no knowledge about Aboriginal languages

11. I am an East coast, white, Australian, first lang English I have middle class values, house, education I expect to be treated well by justice, health, education I know very little about the bush, the Dreaming, kinship systems, Aboriginal languages…

12. What have been the experiences in which you have “noticed” yourself? The other? What do you spend time/money on? (values) Do I show my curiosity in languages and cultures in class?

13. What skills have we developed in these processes?

14. Decentering Critiquing Analysing Different perspectives How is this connected to the concepts of intercultural language learning???...

15. What we need… Skills in promoting an atmosphere which allows learners to take risks in their thinking and feeling... best developed in practice and in reflection on experience... common ground with teachers of other subjects and in taking part themselves in learning experiences which involve risk and reflection Teachers should see this work as significant in their professional development. (Byram, Gribkova, Starkey,2002 )

16. I could think about…. My own subconscious prejudices, stereotypes My classroom remarks, how I respond to kids’ views Question the basis on which kids make judgements about others, (why do I think what I think?) Think how others might see an issue- point of view

17. Suggestionsfor development… question asking?- some reflective notes from discussions? a blog for teacher intercultural interchange? write them into your program Noticing skills? Visual literacy skills?

18. What is a garden?

19. Some new signals? Flagging conduct of discussions (metacognitive)- develop rules in TL: listen to each other; respect when commenting on cultural difference “yuk” responsibility to challenge stereotypes

20. 2. Students:“It’s nice that the girls do the lovely Japanese culture, because, of course, we don’t have any” Students recognising …. what my family does as special, unique, culture? what we eat, spend money/time on, have in our backyard, how we speak? how this is shaped by our climate, geography, history?

21. Example: Year 8 Spanish: a dinner party • A rich language lesson • What do you notice? … no one in the dialogue says “thankyou”. • Why? • the guests stay at the hosts’ home very late • they reciprocate the invitation, • These 2 things indicate appreciation.

22. The reflection….making Australian culture visible • Student CG: … you don’t really need to say please and thank you as much in Spain. Like we say it almost unnecessarily • Student SW: Yeah, it was strange because we say it so much, so it seemed kind of odd • Student CG: It was just kind of a habit for us to say it, but for them they only say it when it’s absolutely necessary, which is probably because then it’s more meaningful. The less you say it, the more significant it is.

23. de-centre from their own way of expressing gratitude, and perceive the meaning and value in the Spanish way. • critique own practice and suggest that the Spanish practice may be more meaningful than their own. …..a transformation of their perception • One student described her perception of this process as: when you learn other languages, you learn so much about your own, you begin to understand both. (Student JO)

24. An intercultural approach… • value in allowing time for reflective questions and answers, connect language study with the students’ own experience. • is achievable in short English discussions • and in Japanese, in tasks where students make comparisons, problem-solve and express opinions.

25. Intercultural language learning outcomes are visible, in students… Using Japanese and English to express real opinions, problem solve Using their prior knowledge, expectations Analysing cultural difference, Thinking about their identity and life as students showing that they know small details of social etiquette in their use of Japanese

26. Making it assessable: knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes (Board of Studies, NSW 2003) Recording new knowledge (discoveries) creating tasks where it can be used criteria re demonstration of intercultural knowledge (etiquette, language) in performances, SLRW, interpretation text.. variety of formative assessment and evidence

27. I measure intercultural learning, not so much by what language they are using, but by the language they are not using. not including “thankyou”, not translating an idea from English direct into Spanish. I am listening (or reading) for the use of idiom and “real” sounding Spanish, for attempting to include little typical scenarios like being offered more food, resisting, offering again. Or the guest trying to depart, but being persuaded to stay longer. These little details represent a lot of knowledge, they make a big difference…. (Teacher, I. Braun, 2009)

28. They are proud of knowing these little invisible “secrets” which open the door to the real Spain. It also makes them aware of the little invisible “secrets” that operate in Australian life too. (teacher, I. Braun, 2009) An intercultural communicator…

29. Claire Kramsch (2010) If you want to diversify your picture of the world, listen to your students… multiple perspectives… its not a lecture, its being open to small opportunities… its about great language learning

30. Intercultural language learning for both teachers and students is … • Simple • Do-able in both English and Japanese • Valuable • Visible and assessable