Spanish-American Cultura: Spanish-American Cultura: Analysing Students’ Evolving Analysing Students’ Evolving Perceptions in Intercultural Perceptions in Intercultural
ExchangeExchange
Robert O’DowdRobert O’DowdUniversity of LeónUniversity of León
Jesús SuárezJesús SuárezBarnard College, New YorkBarnard College, New York
The Original The Original CulturaCultura Model Model► On-line: Student On-line: Student
questionnaires and questionnaires and authentic materials authentic materials from C1 and C2from C1 and C2
► Classwork: Analysis of Classwork: Analysis of materialsmaterials
► On-line: Discussion of On-line: Discussion of theories and findings theories and findings between students in between students in both classesboth classes
► Classwork: Essays and Classwork: Essays and Presentations based on Presentations based on investigationsinvestigations
Spanish-American Cultura:Spanish-American Cultura:Combining On-line and Contact Combining On-line and Contact
PhasesPhases► January-March: On-line Exchange (1)January-March: On-line Exchange (1)►March: Group from New York visit LeónMarch: Group from New York visit León►April: Group from León visit New YorkApril: Group from León visit New York►April: New Materials collected/created April: New Materials collected/created
by students are added to on-line by students are added to on-line platformplatform
►April-May: On-line Exchange (2). April-May: On-line Exchange (2). Analysis of new materials Analysis of new materials
Activities during VisitsActivities during Visits►Home-staysHome-stays► Class presentations Class presentations
made to made to various various classes of learnersclasses of learners
► Ethnographic Ethnographic Interviews Interviews
►Organised tours and Organised tours and visits with visits with entire entire classclass
Feeding back to the on-line Feeding back to the on-line PlatformPlatform
► Favourite photos Favourite photos and their and their commentariescommentaries
► Videos of Videos of presentationspresentations
► Essays based on Essays based on ethnographic ethnographic interviews interviews
Areas of On-going Action Areas of On-going Action ResearchResearch
►Didactic: Do the on-line activities over-Didactic: Do the on-line activities over-emphasise difference and encourage emphasise difference and encourage over-generalisation?over-generalisation?
►Linguistic: Do the forums support Linguistic: Do the forums support vocabulary acquisition and use?vocabulary acquisition and use?
Reflecting on the aims of on-line Reflecting on the aims of on-line intercultural exchanges intercultural exchanges
► The original Cultura project: The original Cultura project: ““It offers learners…a unique It offers learners…a unique comparative, cross-comparative, cross-
cultural approachcultural approach for gradually constructing for gradually constructing knowledge of other values, attitudes, and beliefs, in knowledge of other values, attitudes, and beliefs, in an ever-widening approach to understanding the an ever-widening approach to understanding the foreign culture.”foreign culture.”
“…“…the side-by-side viewing of similar items from the side-by-side viewing of similar items from two different cultures (e.g., a newspaper ad…) two different cultures (e.g., a newspaper ad…) allows an observer to instantly allows an observer to instantly see similarities and see similarities and variationsvariations which…are usually hard to notice.” which…are usually hard to notice.”
http://llt.msu.edu/vol5num1/furstenberg/http://llt.msu.edu/vol5num1/furstenberg/default.htmldefault.html
But does the on-line exchange But does the on-line exchange lead to an over-emphasis on lead to an over-emphasis on
difference?difference?► An American student following the visit to León:An American student following the visit to León:
► ““Before the exchange, I had associated the Spanish Before the exchange, I had associated the Spanish students with their writing on the on-line forums and students with their writing on the on-line forums and I had an image of Spain as being very different I had an image of Spain as being very different from the USA and as being very exoticfrom the USA and as being very exotic. . However, during the visit to León I realised that the However, during the visit to León I realised that the Spanish students are very practical, fun and, most Spanish students are very practical, fun and, most importantly, very like ourselves. Just like American importantly, very like ourselves. Just like American students, they do fun things, they wear clothes the students, they do fun things, they wear clothes the same as ours and they have many similar ideas to same as ours and they have many similar ideas to ours about topics such as family, friends, religion ours about topics such as family, friends, religion and the government. and the government.
The constant search for The constant search for difference?difference?
►A Spanish student writes:A Spanish student writes: ““The exchange became boring at the end The exchange became boring at the end
because we were writing over and over because we were writing over and over again ‘we say less again ‘we say less pleaseplease and and thank youthank you than you do’ during a whole semester and than you do’ during a whole semester and this is not really enriching. There should this is not really enriching. There should be more varieties in the activities…”be more varieties in the activities…”
The danger of over-generalising The danger of over-generalising on-line?on-line?
►An American student writes on-line:An American student writes on-line: I also worry about our making I also worry about our making
generalizations about "Spain" and generalizations about "Spain" and "Spaniards" based on the responses of a few "Spaniards" based on the responses of a few students. Take the business of cutting in line students. Take the business of cutting in line -- does the fact that a lot of people said they -- does the fact that a lot of people said they would speak up really tell us anything about would speak up really tell us anything about Spanish or American culture? Or do we just Spanish or American culture? Or do we just happen to have a group of people here who happen to have a group of people here who are either particularly gutsy or particularly are either particularly gutsy or particularly conscious of injustice? conscious of injustice?
Consequences of over-Consequences of over-generalising on-line?generalising on-line?
► Another American student writes on-line Another American student writes on-line before her visit:before her visit: In the articles we read about Spain, it seemed that the acts
which are considered polite in America, saying "please" and "thank you" all the time, for example, are looked at as somewhat rude in Spain, because people generally do not use these courtesies as often in everyday conversation. Is this true?I am coming to visit Spain next week, and after reading all of these articles I am so worried about offending people by acting the way I do everyday in America without thinking about it!
How can the stay-abroad element How can the stay-abroad element counter-act the emphasis on counter-act the emphasis on
difference and over-generalisation?difference and over-generalisation?► Differences in travel /non-travel group essays: Differences in travel /non-travel group essays:
Non-travel groups were ‘forced’ to deal with Non-travel groups were ‘forced’ to deal with the chosen themes on the platform (religion the chosen themes on the platform (religion etc.). The travel group found their own topics etc.). The travel group found their own topics of interest and focussed on them…of interest and focussed on them…
► Travel group carried out other activities – Travel group carried out other activities – ethnographic interviews, cultural observation – ethnographic interviews, cultural observation – which do not necessarily emphasise difference which do not necessarily emphasise difference and which allow for exceptions and which allow for exceptions
Concordance analysis of lexical Concordance analysis of lexical use in use in Cultura Cultura forumsforums
► The on-line exchanges that take place in Cultura The on-line exchanges that take place in Cultura forums, although not directed by the forums, although not directed by the teacher/professor, provide a favorable setting to teacher/professor, provide a favorable setting to read and to use new vocabulary, particularly read and to use new vocabulary, particularly vocabulary related to the topics, and not only the vocabulary related to the topics, and not only the usual more general vocabulary: ‘yo creo’, ‘en mi usual more general vocabulary: ‘yo creo’, ‘en mi opinión’, etc.opinión’, etc.
► In the forums of Cultura the students use a good In the forums of Cultura the students use a good deal of topic-related vocabulary, some of it new and deal of topic-related vocabulary, some of it new and low frequency vocabulary.low frequency vocabulary.
► The analysis of the corpora shows that this The analysis of the corpora shows that this vocabulary is used in the vast majority of the cases vocabulary is used in the vast majority of the cases correctly/appropriately.correctly/appropriately.
Religion and moral behaviour (vocabulary exclusive to this topic)
amoralantepasadosateoateísmocatolicismocatólicochivatocompetitivoconflictocontroversiacorrupcióncreationismcreenciacreenciascristianismocristianos
cruzadacínicosdarwinismdecadenciadiosengañarermitañosescandalizadosesperanzaespiritualespiritualidadevangélicosfanatismofefelicidadhomosexuales
iglesiaintegridadintolerenciajudiosjuiciojustoslegítimoslibertadlimosnasmalignamatrimoniomisamoralmoralidadmoralidadesnavidad
noviospascuapiedadpuritanosredimirsereligiosoreligiónsecularsexoteologíatodopoderosotoleranciatolerantevirtuosoéticaéticas
Examples of use by Barnard students- Ellos creían que la holgazanería es la debilidad, y anima comportamiento amoral.- El ateísmo no es muy raro, en hecho, es algo muy común.- En los EEUU, muchas estudiantes creen que ser “chivato” ES juego limpio.- La comunidad no es específica a una religión; incluye sentimientos de todas creencias.- Yo creo que es interesante que esto occurió en un tiempo en que la gente de potencia en
el gobierno está en una cruzada religiosa y “moral” para defender la gente de cosas malas y contra-religiosas.
- En los Estados Unidos todos tienen la decisión con que quiere hacer. Algunos quieren ser ermitaños.
Politeness and social behaviour (vocabulary exclusive to this topic)
afectoamablesamigoamistososapropiadaatraccióncapacidadcigarillocompartircompañeroscomportarseconductaconfianzaconscientecortesíacostumbres
desconocidosdistanciadistantedivertirsedivorcioeducacioneducativaespacioestresestrictosextranjerosextrañosfamiliaresfamiliasfelicesformales
fríosgeneracionesgroseroshermanoshijosindependenciaintuitivomajospuritanaracionalreglasrelajanterelajarsereservadosrespectarrespetar
respetorespetuosorudorutinasimpáticossocialessuperficialtabutelevisiontradicionesuniversales
Examples of use- Pero aquí, no somos amistosos a los extraños.- siento que los hispanos generalmente compartir mas de sus vidas con personas
desconocidas que los americanos.- Nuestros padres y maestros nos han enseñado que comportarse bien es muy
importante.- me dí cuenta que la familia es muy importante a la conducta social.
