In the first part of this three-part series we looked at some advice on how to foster a better, more intelligent, educated and respectful image when you travel abroad. In part 2 of this series, we looked at what to say and how to say it when traveling abroad. In this final part of the series, we’ll go to some sites to see just how to get preview information on speech and conduct before traveling abroad.
References for Business and Cultural Information
An excellent starting reference site for business and cultural information is the Doing Business Guide website with business and cultural information online for 36 Countries at:
http://www.executiveplanet.com/
Topics included at this site address such areas as:
Let's Make a Deal!
What you should know before negotiating
Prosperous Entertaining
Entertaining for business success
Appointment Alert!
Making appointments
Gift Giving
Selecting and presenting an appropriate business gift
First Name or Title?
Respectfully addressing others
Public Behavior
Acceptable public conduct
Business Dress
Guidelines for business dress
Conversation
Welcome topics of conversation
At this site extensive business and cultural information are available for Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, England France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United States, and Venezuela.
If the country you’re interested in does not appear here try the country’s Embassy site online or go to the CIA’s information site for in-depth country information and profiles at:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/index.html
So when traveling, whether for business, pleasure or vacation, it truly pays to mind your manners. Don’t contribute to an ugly American stereotype or add fuel to increasing anti-American sentiments. You have the opportunity to promote yourself, your business or company and provide a positive influence while abroad if you keep these aspects in mind before, during and after your business or vacation travel abroad.
Please feel free to contact me with comments or questions at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com
Friday, April 14, 2006
Mind Your Manners When Traveling Abroad Part 2: Religion is Taboo, Politics are Out
In part 1 of this three-part series we looked at some advice on how to foster a better, more intelligent, educated and respectful image when you travel abroad. In this article, part 2 of a three-part series, we’ll look at what to say and how to say it when traveling abroad.
Watch what and how you speak
Your speech is reflective of who and what you are. It can be a useful tool for the melding of cultures or a battering ram of discontent. Don’t create resentment by continuous babbling about your “affluence”, power, business or social status. People don’t care to hear how “inferior” their way of life may appear to be to you. Dale Carnegie in his classic book “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, said, “If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive”. While you’re at it, remember to lower your tone and volume. A loud, overbearing voice is considered to be inappropriate or boisterous in many cultures which favor a calmed, controlled form of speech. Control your tone. You want to avoid coming off as a braggart or imperialist.
Absolutely avoid the use of vulgarity, profanity, ethnic or stereotypical jokes of any kind. Refrain from any derogatory remarks or insults as well no matter how “harmless” you may think they might be. “Humor” can be a quick-sand-laden area for the business or casual traveler. Be wary of it.
Slow down
In France, people often eat half the food Americans do, and the French may take nearly twice as long to do it. Many Latin countries too, operate at a much more leisurely pace. True, life is short. But that doesn’t mean you should do everything at breakneck speed. “See 10 countries in only 14 days” the ads claim. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Americans, in particular, may eat, speak and even live at an accelerated rate, but many cultures do not. In France, to wolf down your food can be a great insult to the cook or family. In effect you might be saying something like, “The food was so bad that you hurried up and got rid of it so you could get away.” Slow down and enjoy the foreign cultural offerings. Smell the flowers. Taste the food. Chat leisurely with the locals. Really take some time to learn how others live. Remember, you can always “speed back up” when you get home.
Religion is Taboo, Politics are out
You know the old saw about avoiding religion and politics as conversation topics. Well it’s still true. Today, more than ever before, religion is not a suitable topic of conversation in public. It’s all too easy to stir up trouble much too quickly. To be on the “safe” side, avoid this topic with all but close associates. Another “land mine” topic area is politics. “Do you agree with what your president is doing?” These and other similar “hot button” questions will invariably come up. Avoid an argument at all costs. You can say that you don’t agree with their point of view without getting into dramatics or an unsightly “firefight”. Change the subject and move on. When I’m asked, “Do you agree to the extradition of drug traffickers from Colombia?”, I give a brief explanation of the effects of drug trafficking in major U.S. inner cities and move on to other topics before things ever get out of hand.
An excellent reference site with business and cultural information for 36 Countries is available online. If the country you’re interested in does not appear here try one of the other sites listed. In the final, part 3 of this series, we’ll go to some sites to see just how to get preview in-depth information on speech and conduct before traveling abroad in: “Mind Your Manners When Traveling Abroad Part 3: References for Business and Cultural Information”.
For the free download to read highly informative part 3, E-mail me at your convenience at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com
Watch what and how you speak
Your speech is reflective of who and what you are. It can be a useful tool for the melding of cultures or a battering ram of discontent. Don’t create resentment by continuous babbling about your “affluence”, power, business or social status. People don’t care to hear how “inferior” their way of life may appear to be to you. Dale Carnegie in his classic book “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, said, “If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive”. While you’re at it, remember to lower your tone and volume. A loud, overbearing voice is considered to be inappropriate or boisterous in many cultures which favor a calmed, controlled form of speech. Control your tone. You want to avoid coming off as a braggart or imperialist.
Absolutely avoid the use of vulgarity, profanity, ethnic or stereotypical jokes of any kind. Refrain from any derogatory remarks or insults as well no matter how “harmless” you may think they might be. “Humor” can be a quick-sand-laden area for the business or casual traveler. Be wary of it.
Slow down
In France, people often eat half the food Americans do, and the French may take nearly twice as long to do it. Many Latin countries too, operate at a much more leisurely pace. True, life is short. But that doesn’t mean you should do everything at breakneck speed. “See 10 countries in only 14 days” the ads claim. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Americans, in particular, may eat, speak and even live at an accelerated rate, but many cultures do not. In France, to wolf down your food can be a great insult to the cook or family. In effect you might be saying something like, “The food was so bad that you hurried up and got rid of it so you could get away.” Slow down and enjoy the foreign cultural offerings. Smell the flowers. Taste the food. Chat leisurely with the locals. Really take some time to learn how others live. Remember, you can always “speed back up” when you get home.
Religion is Taboo, Politics are out
You know the old saw about avoiding religion and politics as conversation topics. Well it’s still true. Today, more than ever before, religion is not a suitable topic of conversation in public. It’s all too easy to stir up trouble much too quickly. To be on the “safe” side, avoid this topic with all but close associates. Another “land mine” topic area is politics. “Do you agree with what your president is doing?” These and other similar “hot button” questions will invariably come up. Avoid an argument at all costs. You can say that you don’t agree with their point of view without getting into dramatics or an unsightly “firefight”. Change the subject and move on. When I’m asked, “Do you agree to the extradition of drug traffickers from Colombia?”, I give a brief explanation of the effects of drug trafficking in major U.S. inner cities and move on to other topics before things ever get out of hand.
An excellent reference site with business and cultural information for 36 Countries is available online. If the country you’re interested in does not appear here try one of the other sites listed. In the final, part 3 of this series, we’ll go to some sites to see just how to get preview in-depth information on speech and conduct before traveling abroad in: “Mind Your Manners When Traveling Abroad Part 3: References for Business and Cultural Information”.
For the free download to read highly informative part 3, E-mail me at your convenience at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com
If You Think English is Difficult Try Mandarin – Part 2
… continued from part 1 …
A couple of students confuse a pronunciation with the name of a Kung Fu TV series actor. The teacher doesn’t get it. They talk about Jackie Chan as the mood of the class lightens. We try a few numbers that are simple to write in Chinese. One, two, three, four, ten, one thousand. Not bad at all, but I’ll definitely need those flash cards and a pronunciation tape. Then comes five, six, seven, eight, nine. We continue with eleven, twelve and twenty. Twenty one and creating multiples of numbers follow. Actually, it’s not difficult at all. Some of the higher numbers are childishly simple to create in both speaking and writing. The class continues creating more numbers by combining characters in Chinese. I glance at my watch. My fist Mandarin class will end in twenty five more minutes. The final number is one thousand three hundred million – the population of China.
The class is interesting, with its musical language, and fun at times, but impractical. Where will we practice? Who is there to talk to? Is anyone, besides me, even thinking of going to China? Where in China is Mandarin spoken? What are the other principal forms of Chinese? These are only some of the questions that pop into my head during the class.
If I intend to have any success with this Mandarin class I realize that some learning and study aids are going to be needed such as:
Recordings of pronunciations
Drilling practice flash cards
Reference sheets of class work
Background information on China’s culture, history, people and geography
Focused practice with functional language (that I could use during a trip to China)
Graphics applied to the materials as a memory aid
Extra tutorials to help me over the “rough spots” in learning the language
Photos and realia for an extra added touch
Study projects on the people, culture, geography, and history of China
An idea of what motivates the other students might be interesting and helpful too. So I’ll try to chat with a couple of them before and after class. Several factors make learning Chinese a considerably more formidable task than learning another Germanic or Romance languages. It should be an interesting experience over all though. I’ll keep you posted of interesting developments. Wish me luck.
A couple of students confuse a pronunciation with the name of a Kung Fu TV series actor. The teacher doesn’t get it. They talk about Jackie Chan as the mood of the class lightens. We try a few numbers that are simple to write in Chinese. One, two, three, four, ten, one thousand. Not bad at all, but I’ll definitely need those flash cards and a pronunciation tape. Then comes five, six, seven, eight, nine. We continue with eleven, twelve and twenty. Twenty one and creating multiples of numbers follow. Actually, it’s not difficult at all. Some of the higher numbers are childishly simple to create in both speaking and writing. The class continues creating more numbers by combining characters in Chinese. I glance at my watch. My fist Mandarin class will end in twenty five more minutes. The final number is one thousand three hundred million – the population of China.
The class is interesting, with its musical language, and fun at times, but impractical. Where will we practice? Who is there to talk to? Is anyone, besides me, even thinking of going to China? Where in China is Mandarin spoken? What are the other principal forms of Chinese? These are only some of the questions that pop into my head during the class.
If I intend to have any success with this Mandarin class I realize that some learning and study aids are going to be needed such as:
Recordings of pronunciations
Drilling practice flash cards
Reference sheets of class work
Background information on China’s culture, history, people and geography
Focused practice with functional language (that I could use during a trip to China)
Graphics applied to the materials as a memory aid
Extra tutorials to help me over the “rough spots” in learning the language
Photos and realia for an extra added touch
Study projects on the people, culture, geography, and history of China
An idea of what motivates the other students might be interesting and helpful too. So I’ll try to chat with a couple of them before and after class. Several factors make learning Chinese a considerably more formidable task than learning another Germanic or Romance languages. It should be an interesting experience over all though. I’ll keep you posted of interesting developments. Wish me luck.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Mind Your Manners When Traveling Abroad Part 1: They must be Americans
They must be Americans
It was a hot day, so when the couple finished a morning stint at the beach, they opted for a little shopping – in their swim wear. Wrapping a see-through, flimsy scarf around her bikini bottom, and he in his flip flops and sloganed t-shirt, they sallied into a sheik little shop on the main thoroughfare. Onlookers gasped and stared. Mothers covered the eyes of their gawking children. Mature men and women snickered or shook their heads. “They must be Americans”, one salesclerk whispered knowingly to another. Unfortunately, she was right.
When traveling, whether for business, pleasure or vacation. It pays to mind your manners. Americans especially are becoming increasingly known for their disrespectful behavior while abroad. Did I say becoming? The image of the “Ugly American” is already far too widespread. The stereotype of the loud talking, wise-cracking, inappropriately dressed, wealth-flaunting American foreigners who flaunt their lifestyle while traveling is unfortunately, all too real in some aspects in far too many cases. With anti-American sentiments growing worldwide, international corporations from Microsoft to McDonald’s and business publications like the Wall Street Journal have addressed the theme time and again. Here is some advice on how to foster a better, more intelligent, educated and respectful image when you travel abroad.
Know the local geography
Planning a trip abroad? First order of business – get a map and study it. Have an idea of how the city and its environs are laid out. Know important sites and landmarks. Many good travel guides provide essential information on getting around. This can be especially important if the local language uses a non-western alphabet writing system. On a recent trip in Colombia my wife and I listened in amusement as a foreigner explained to his family the compass directions – incorrectly. He had the directions of north and south reversed despite having the Pacific Ocean sunset in plain view.
Dress moderately
Not enough can be said about paying attention to local dress code and customs. In many countries it is disrespectful for women to dress casually, showing bare skin or body parts, in public. Bare hairy chests or legs on display, even for men, can be considered offensive in many cultures. If you’re not sure what’s appropriate, ask discretely or check informative websites for information on local customs. A useable rule of thumb is no bare legs, torso, back or arms when in public places. Emulate the dress of the locals to be sure you’re being respectful of their cultural norms. Embera Indian women, normally topless in their culture, cover up with a colorful wrap when they visit non-Indian towns and villages along South America’s Pacific Coast so that they are respectful of the social norms of their neighbors. Embera men, with their normal thong loin cloths, wear T-shirts and pants outside their villages for the same reasons.
Watch what and how you speak
Your speech is reflective of who and what you are. It can be a useful tool for the melding of cultures or a battering ram of discontent. Don’t create resentment by continuous babbling about your “affluence”, power, business or social status. People don’t care to hear how “inferior” their way of life may appear to be to you.
In part 2 of this three-part series, we’ll look at what to say and how to say it when traveling abroad in: “Mind Your Manners When Traveling: Religion is Taboo, Politics are Out”.
Please feel free to e-mail me with comments or questions at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com
It was a hot day, so when the couple finished a morning stint at the beach, they opted for a little shopping – in their swim wear. Wrapping a see-through, flimsy scarf around her bikini bottom, and he in his flip flops and sloganed t-shirt, they sallied into a sheik little shop on the main thoroughfare. Onlookers gasped and stared. Mothers covered the eyes of their gawking children. Mature men and women snickered or shook their heads. “They must be Americans”, one salesclerk whispered knowingly to another. Unfortunately, she was right.
When traveling, whether for business, pleasure or vacation. It pays to mind your manners. Americans especially are becoming increasingly known for their disrespectful behavior while abroad. Did I say becoming? The image of the “Ugly American” is already far too widespread. The stereotype of the loud talking, wise-cracking, inappropriately dressed, wealth-flaunting American foreigners who flaunt their lifestyle while traveling is unfortunately, all too real in some aspects in far too many cases. With anti-American sentiments growing worldwide, international corporations from Microsoft to McDonald’s and business publications like the Wall Street Journal have addressed the theme time and again. Here is some advice on how to foster a better, more intelligent, educated and respectful image when you travel abroad.
Know the local geography
Planning a trip abroad? First order of business – get a map and study it. Have an idea of how the city and its environs are laid out. Know important sites and landmarks. Many good travel guides provide essential information on getting around. This can be especially important if the local language uses a non-western alphabet writing system. On a recent trip in Colombia my wife and I listened in amusement as a foreigner explained to his family the compass directions – incorrectly. He had the directions of north and south reversed despite having the Pacific Ocean sunset in plain view.
Dress moderately
Not enough can be said about paying attention to local dress code and customs. In many countries it is disrespectful for women to dress casually, showing bare skin or body parts, in public. Bare hairy chests or legs on display, even for men, can be considered offensive in many cultures. If you’re not sure what’s appropriate, ask discretely or check informative websites for information on local customs. A useable rule of thumb is no bare legs, torso, back or arms when in public places. Emulate the dress of the locals to be sure you’re being respectful of their cultural norms. Embera Indian women, normally topless in their culture, cover up with a colorful wrap when they visit non-Indian towns and villages along South America’s Pacific Coast so that they are respectful of the social norms of their neighbors. Embera men, with their normal thong loin cloths, wear T-shirts and pants outside their villages for the same reasons.
Watch what and how you speak
Your speech is reflective of who and what you are. It can be a useful tool for the melding of cultures or a battering ram of discontent. Don’t create resentment by continuous babbling about your “affluence”, power, business or social status. People don’t care to hear how “inferior” their way of life may appear to be to you.
In part 2 of this three-part series, we’ll look at what to say and how to say it when traveling abroad in: “Mind Your Manners When Traveling: Religion is Taboo, Politics are Out”.
Please feel free to e-mail me with comments or questions at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com
Monday, March 27, 2006
The Tomato: An Important Tool for ELT and Foreign Language Teachers
An Important Tool? Really?
What has a tomato got to do with English or foreign language teaching? Try this. Take a tomato, display it prominently in front of your English or foreign language students. Now ask them to tell you about it. “Ask, “What things can relate?” If one of your learners asks, “Teacher, can I touch it or pick it up or handle it?” you should say “Yes”. Just don’t let them eat it. No prop, no class you see.
The idea is to generate the use of the four basic language skills using a known prop or piece of realia. With the exception of Antarctica and possibly the Himalayas, I don’t know of any other continent or geographic region where the tomato might not be known. The learners then, must come up with as much tomato-based input as they can. From some individual learners there may not be much, but collectively, the input generated could be considerable.
Brainstormed Tomato Themes
Here are some allowable input themes my learners have brainstormed using this exercise.
*Tomato dishes
*Allergies, especially food allergies
*Cooking methods used with tomatoes
*Tomatoes in songs and movies (Remember “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”?)
*Collocations with “tomato”
*Countries where tomatoes are grown or heavily used
*Chemicals and nutrients in tomatoes
*History of tomatoes
*Tomato-colored objects
*Idioms and expressions using “tomato”
*Tomato statistics and records (world’s largest, smallest, etc.)
*Famous people who liked tomatoes (like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who reportedly put catsup on everything she ate )
*Companies that feature tomato products
*Tomato stories and anecdotes
*Words that can be made using the letters in the word “tomato”
By now I’m sure you get the idea.
The Power of Your mind
Try this visualization exercise right now. Close your eyes. Picture a tomato. Can you see it? In your mind, touch it. Pick it up and move it around in your hands. What does it feel like? Is it warm or cold? Can you smell it now? Describe the fragrance of your tomato. Okay, now you can take a bite. How does it taste? Do you want another bite? Would you like to sprinkle some salt or sugar on your tomato? Go ahead. Help yourself.
If you’re getting hungry or otherwise reacting during this exercise, great, your learners will too. Even more so with a real tomato on hand.
So try this language-stimulation exercise to get your learners talking and using English or another target language to actively communicate. It’s been a great help to me with my learners in generating speech and related topics during language class or Conversation Clubs.
What has a tomato got to do with English or foreign language teaching? Try this. Take a tomato, display it prominently in front of your English or foreign language students. Now ask them to tell you about it. “Ask, “What things can relate?” If one of your learners asks, “Teacher, can I touch it or pick it up or handle it?” you should say “Yes”. Just don’t let them eat it. No prop, no class you see.
The idea is to generate the use of the four basic language skills using a known prop or piece of realia. With the exception of Antarctica and possibly the Himalayas, I don’t know of any other continent or geographic region where the tomato might not be known. The learners then, must come up with as much tomato-based input as they can. From some individual learners there may not be much, but collectively, the input generated could be considerable.
Brainstormed Tomato Themes
Here are some allowable input themes my learners have brainstormed using this exercise.
*Tomato dishes
*Allergies, especially food allergies
*Cooking methods used with tomatoes
*Tomatoes in songs and movies (Remember “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”?)
*Collocations with “tomato”
*Countries where tomatoes are grown or heavily used
*Chemicals and nutrients in tomatoes
*History of tomatoes
*Tomato-colored objects
*Idioms and expressions using “tomato”
*Tomato statistics and records (world’s largest, smallest, etc.)
*Famous people who liked tomatoes (like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who reportedly put catsup on everything she ate )
*Companies that feature tomato products
*Tomato stories and anecdotes
*Words that can be made using the letters in the word “tomato”
By now I’m sure you get the idea.
The Power of Your mind
Try this visualization exercise right now. Close your eyes. Picture a tomato. Can you see it? In your mind, touch it. Pick it up and move it around in your hands. What does it feel like? Is it warm or cold? Can you smell it now? Describe the fragrance of your tomato. Okay, now you can take a bite. How does it taste? Do you want another bite? Would you like to sprinkle some salt or sugar on your tomato? Go ahead. Help yourself.
If you’re getting hungry or otherwise reacting during this exercise, great, your learners will too. Even more so with a real tomato on hand.
So try this language-stimulation exercise to get your learners talking and using English or another target language to actively communicate. It’s been a great help to me with my learners in generating speech and related topics during language class or Conversation Clubs.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Use Web Quests to Promote Extensive Reading in EFL Learners
Do your language learners read enough? Do they even like to read? How can you get them to read more in English or another target language? An all too common problem in foreign language and EFL learners is a lack of extensive reading in the target language. Extensive reading has numerous benefits for language learners. Some key benefits include:
· Development of vocabulary in context
· Extensive use of grammar in context
· Exposure to authentic language
· Exposure to idioms and expressions of the target language in context
· Continuing development of learner interest in a variety of topics
To avail themselves of these and other featured benefits derived from extensive reading however, learners must in fact read – and read a lot. But learners will rarely jump into a heavy schedule of reading unless they both understand its benefits and enjoy what they read. So, stimulating their interest first is paramount to success. Here’s what you can do.
Use Web Quests
One useful and fun way to stimulate or facilitate extensive reading is by using learner-centered web quests based on topics of interest to them. An online web quest is not unlike an electronic scavenger hunt. From a starting site or page learners go successively to additional pages to read and gather facts and information. There can be comprehension questions, charts, graphs, and / or exercises at each stage and a more comprehensive evaluation at the end of the web quest. Learner responses to exercises and evaluation activities are commonly sent to the teacher by e-mail. There are online sites that can be used to facilitate the process or a web quest can be set up using a word processing program like MS Word. Two useful teaching-oriented sites online for piloting web quests are:
*Blackboard.com at: http://www.blackboard.com/
*Quintessential Instructional Archives (QUIA) at: http://www.quia.com/
Online Readings
The online readings can be any of a broad spectrum of formats or topics:
-News and sports
-Technical
-Literature
-Articles and stories
-Business
-Occupational topics
-Humorous
-Special Interest
-Travel and culture
-Food
-Nature, geography or Animals
-Technology, Computers
Topic Selection
Topics should be selected and included based on the needs and interests of the learners. With careful selection and a three to five station web quest, learners have both the opportunity and desire to do more extensive reading in English or another foreign language.
F*r*e*e Sample Available
For a sample web quest for you to try out for yourself or your learners, if you have questions or need help, e-mail the author using “web quest sample” in the subject heading. Good Luck. I look forward to hearing from you.
· Development of vocabulary in context
· Extensive use of grammar in context
· Exposure to authentic language
· Exposure to idioms and expressions of the target language in context
· Continuing development of learner interest in a variety of topics
To avail themselves of these and other featured benefits derived from extensive reading however, learners must in fact read – and read a lot. But learners will rarely jump into a heavy schedule of reading unless they both understand its benefits and enjoy what they read. So, stimulating their interest first is paramount to success. Here’s what you can do.
Use Web Quests
One useful and fun way to stimulate or facilitate extensive reading is by using learner-centered web quests based on topics of interest to them. An online web quest is not unlike an electronic scavenger hunt. From a starting site or page learners go successively to additional pages to read and gather facts and information. There can be comprehension questions, charts, graphs, and / or exercises at each stage and a more comprehensive evaluation at the end of the web quest. Learner responses to exercises and evaluation activities are commonly sent to the teacher by e-mail. There are online sites that can be used to facilitate the process or a web quest can be set up using a word processing program like MS Word. Two useful teaching-oriented sites online for piloting web quests are:
*Blackboard.com at: http://www.blackboard.com/
*Quintessential Instructional Archives (QUIA) at: http://www.quia.com/
Online Readings
The online readings can be any of a broad spectrum of formats or topics:
-News and sports
-Technical
-Literature
-Articles and stories
-Business
-Occupational topics
-Humorous
-Special Interest
-Travel and culture
-Food
-Nature, geography or Animals
-Technology, Computers
Topic Selection
Topics should be selected and included based on the needs and interests of the learners. With careful selection and a three to five station web quest, learners have both the opportunity and desire to do more extensive reading in English or another foreign language.
F*r*e*e Sample Available
For a sample web quest for you to try out for yourself or your learners, if you have questions or need help, e-mail the author using “web quest sample” in the subject heading. Good Luck. I look forward to hearing from you.
Monday, March 20, 2006
If You Think English is Difficult Try Mandarin – Part 1
Several factors make learning Chinese a considerably more formidable task than learning another Germanic or Romance languages. Studying a foreign language is an excellent way for English and other language teachers to improve their own teaching. It also forces you into the role of a student so you can experience first hand the problems, difficulties and challenges your EFL learners face in your classes. Don't believe me? Then look at what happened to me …
Greeting the language learning students with a cheerful “Ni Hao” (Hello), our teacher, Shutzng Zhang begins the second class session of the Santiago de Cali University’s first – ever course in Mandarin. The spartan class room contains a map of China – in Chinese of course, tacked to one side wall, desks, a small table, and white board. There are two worksheets with the vocabulary of greetings written in Chinese characters on her desk. We greet the teacher in return. She wishes to be called “Susana” to spare us the tongue-twisting pronunciation of her Chinese first name. She speaks Spanish fairly well but her English is considerably more advanced. Explanations are done in Spanish to accommodate the class majority.
Practice with vowels follows:
a, o, e, i, u, u
There are 11 Spanish-speaking adult students in the first week of the group. Each in turn tries their hand at getting their pronunciation of vowels and greetings phrases to an acceptable level. Then some consonants follow:
n, t, h, m, x, j, z
As I’d expected, there are more than a few problems in teaching the tonal sounds of Mandarin to speakers of a non-tonal language. Yiu Wing Fung, a Chinese man, has more trouble than others in the group. “Why is he here”, I wonder?
A series of common greetings is written on the white board with the Spanish transcribed underneath. I instantly want to make up (or have the teacher make) flash cards to give me something to study and practice. I make a mental note to ask later. I do ask for and get copies of two key pages of the phrases written on the board. I’ll make flash cards from these later on. That’ll do for a start at least.
Next, the pronouns are written on the board in singular and plural. They’re remarkably similar:
Wu, ni, ta - then ta, ta, nin
There are differences in the pronunciation tones to distinguish them, but I produce my own little chart in singular and plural.
Then the other shoe drops. We get to the tones in earnest. It’s like doing the musical scales. High, low, short, long, up and down. There are going to be three tonal values I think; high, medium and low. I’m wrong. There are five: first tone, second tone, third tone, fourth tone and no tone. Each student runs through their “version” of the pronunciation. Sometimes our young teacher giggles. Other times she simply shakes her head and has the student try again. From the look on her face, we know our speech is bad. We’ll need a tape recording of the pronunciations. Without it there’s no way to check, practice and mimic the tonal sounds. It’s a time-consuming but necessary process.
How do you ask, “Do you love me?” one of the ladies asks. In response, the answer; “I love you” along with “I love you too.” Are written and practiced by the class next. The five ladies in the class are thrilled and amused, blushing as they practice the phrases. “This isn’t foe me”, I think, but decide to stick it out another couple of weeks. Maybe with some practice and help I’ll make some progress and develop more enthusiasm.
Some photocopied sheets with the words and phrases on them would help. So would a practice tape recording of the sounds, pronunciation and tones. The spoken language and its related listening comprehension development need more than the cursory “twice a week” class attendance sessions to practice. We need much more exposure than that to internalize elements of the language.
A description with drawings of how Chinese characters are derived proves more interesting for us. For example, the character “sun” plus the character “moon” means “light” or “illumination”. Now we’re getting somewhere.
… Continued in Part 2 …
Greeting the language learning students with a cheerful “Ni Hao” (Hello), our teacher, Shutzng Zhang begins the second class session of the Santiago de Cali University’s first – ever course in Mandarin. The spartan class room contains a map of China – in Chinese of course, tacked to one side wall, desks, a small table, and white board. There are two worksheets with the vocabulary of greetings written in Chinese characters on her desk. We greet the teacher in return. She wishes to be called “Susana” to spare us the tongue-twisting pronunciation of her Chinese first name. She speaks Spanish fairly well but her English is considerably more advanced. Explanations are done in Spanish to accommodate the class majority.
Practice with vowels follows:
a, o, e, i, u, u
There are 11 Spanish-speaking adult students in the first week of the group. Each in turn tries their hand at getting their pronunciation of vowels and greetings phrases to an acceptable level. Then some consonants follow:
n, t, h, m, x, j, z
As I’d expected, there are more than a few problems in teaching the tonal sounds of Mandarin to speakers of a non-tonal language. Yiu Wing Fung, a Chinese man, has more trouble than others in the group. “Why is he here”, I wonder?
A series of common greetings is written on the white board with the Spanish transcribed underneath. I instantly want to make up (or have the teacher make) flash cards to give me something to study and practice. I make a mental note to ask later. I do ask for and get copies of two key pages of the phrases written on the board. I’ll make flash cards from these later on. That’ll do for a start at least.
Next, the pronouns are written on the board in singular and plural. They’re remarkably similar:
Wu, ni, ta - then ta, ta, nin
There are differences in the pronunciation tones to distinguish them, but I produce my own little chart in singular and plural.
Then the other shoe drops. We get to the tones in earnest. It’s like doing the musical scales. High, low, short, long, up and down. There are going to be three tonal values I think; high, medium and low. I’m wrong. There are five: first tone, second tone, third tone, fourth tone and no tone. Each student runs through their “version” of the pronunciation. Sometimes our young teacher giggles. Other times she simply shakes her head and has the student try again. From the look on her face, we know our speech is bad. We’ll need a tape recording of the pronunciations. Without it there’s no way to check, practice and mimic the tonal sounds. It’s a time-consuming but necessary process.
How do you ask, “Do you love me?” one of the ladies asks. In response, the answer; “I love you” along with “I love you too.” Are written and practiced by the class next. The five ladies in the class are thrilled and amused, blushing as they practice the phrases. “This isn’t foe me”, I think, but decide to stick it out another couple of weeks. Maybe with some practice and help I’ll make some progress and develop more enthusiasm.
Some photocopied sheets with the words and phrases on them would help. So would a practice tape recording of the sounds, pronunciation and tones. The spoken language and its related listening comprehension development need more than the cursory “twice a week” class attendance sessions to practice. We need much more exposure than that to internalize elements of the language.
A description with drawings of how Chinese characters are derived proves more interesting for us. For example, the character “sun” plus the character “moon” means “light” or “illumination”. Now we’re getting somewhere.
… Continued in Part 2 …
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