Incorporating english cultural elements into english training with the comparing - contrasting approach: A case of tourism students at haiphong community college part 3

Incorporating english cultural elements into english training with the comparing - contrasting approach: A case of tourism students at haiphong community college

We have been concentrating on structures and forms and producing materials thatmay help our students to have perfect diphthongs or a flawless command of the thirdconditional while leaving out anything approaching real, valid, meaningful contents If ourstudents have any hope of using their language skills to communicate in the global village,cultural awareness is crucial Therefore, language teachers should realize that knowledgeof the world’s language and culture is increasingly important In order to use the languageeffectively, language learners need to have mastery of not only the language itself but alsothe culture in which the language is used Language learners need to be aware, forexample, of the culturally appropriate ways to address people, express gratitude, makerequests, and agree or disagree with someone They should know that behaviours andintonation patterns that are appropriate in their own speech community may be perceiveddifferent by members of the target language speech community They have to understandthat, in order for communication to be successful, language use must be associated withother culturally appropriate behavior.

In short, culture becomes an indispensable part in any foreign language curriculum.Tourism students at HCC are fully aware of this When being asked why culture is veryimportant, they believe that understanding culture helps them become more confident andsuccessful in communicating and that cultural information is one kind of their motivationin learning English On the contrary, many of them do not realize the importance of culturein ELL because they say that learning English is a hard work for them to master it as alanguage, and English cultural knowledge is one of their problem.

Teaching English culture is considered important by most teachers but it hasremained “insubstantial and sporadic in most language classroom” (Omaggio, 1993:357).Omaggio gives several reasons for this including lack of time, uncertainty about whichaspects of culture to teach, and lack of practical techniques Although language teachers

realize the importance of teaching English culture in EFL classes and the potential ofimproving the teaching of English culture is tremendous, the outstanding problems to besolved are still improving Among many others, I found that the biggest headache forlanguage teachers, especially the teacher of EFL, is how to integrate English cultureteaching into our language programs This is the matter I want to raise in my thesis It is anattempt to look into the matter of how to incorporate cultural elements into English trainingat HCC.

1.2 Aims of the study

With the hope to contribute a small part in working out the effective ways ofincorporating English cultural elements into English training at HCC, that is to get insightinto sociocultural problems facing Tourism students, this thesis is aimed at:

- Emphasizing the importance of cultural knowledge in foreign language teaching andlearning.

- Investigating conditions of Tourism students in learning English culture and theirexpectation on English culture

- Finding out the effective ways of incorporating English cultural elements into the Englishtraining with the Comparing- Contrasting approach.

Hopefully, with a deep insight into the situations, in terms of both theory andpractice, the study will improve current situation of English culture learning of Tourismstudents at HCC.

1.3 Scope of the study

The focus of the study is on the corporation of English cultural elements intoEnglish training in the light of the communicative approach The specific purpose of theresearch is confined to English cultural elements as the culture of the target language Thetextbook HIGH SEASON (Keith Harding & Paul Henderson, Oxford University Press,1999) is selected as a basis for the performance of the study.

The participants of the study are Tourism students of HCC The study focuses onworking out a general profile of English cultural corporation into English training at HCCso as to try out methodological activities that could improve the current situation ofEnglish culture learning of Tourism students

1.4 Research questions of the study

My study is intended to answer two following questions:

1 What are Tourism students’ attitudes towards English cultural learning?

2 How does students’ cultural understanding change through the incorporatingEnglish cultural elements into the lessons?

1.5 Methods of the study

In this research, the theoretical background mainly bases on books written by avariety of scholars on foreign language teaching and cultural teaching issues.

The thesis author employs action research to analyze the data collected Comments,remarks, comparisons and conclusions are based on factual research: observation, surveyquestionnaires, interviews, discussion, and experience.

In order to achieve the purpose of the study, survey questionnaires are utilized tosurvey the situation of learning culture being developed and administered at the beginningof a semester Tests in culture for the participants after applying the culture- teachingactivities, interviews and other survey questionnaires on the focused group are conductedin the end to gain quantitative and qualitative data of how these teaching methods takeeffect on students’ English culture learning and achievement Observations and informaldiscussion are effectively combined with them, too.

1.6 Design of the study

The study is divided into four chapters:

Chapter one presents the rationale, aims, scope, methods and design of the study Chapter two reviews the related literature that helps to give the theoretical

foundation for this study This review consists of the literature on the place of cultureknowledge in foreign language learning, goals for incorporating culture into the foreignlanguage class, and Comparing and Contrasting as activities of raising students’ cultureawareness.

Chapter three contains the study that includes three sections The first summarizes

the situation analysis The second describes the data collecting instruments The thirdprovides the data analysis.

Chapter four focuses on conclusion, which includes the summary of the study,

limitations of the study, and recommendations for the further study.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter the researcher will provide a discussion of findings from previousresearchers on the topic of cultural knowledge’s roles to Tourism students at HCC Thischapter is divided into three sections: 1 The place of culture knowledge in foreignlanguage learning, 2 Goals for incorporating culture into the foreign language class, 3.Comparing and Contrasting as activities of raising students’ culture awareness.

2.1 The place of culture knowledge in foreign language learning

2.1.1 Definition of Culture

Culture may mean different things to different people Therefore, it can be definedin many ways Some depict it as the art, literature, and music of people, their architecture,history, religion, and their traditions The others focus more on the customs and specific

behaviours of the people Anthropologists define culture as “ the whole way of life of apeople or group In this context, culture includes all the social practices that bond a groupof people together and distinguish them from others” (Montgomery and Reid- Thomas,

1994: 5) Based on this definition, it is my opinion that culture is all the accepted andpatterned ways of behaviour of a person The ways of thinking, feeling and acting are thereminder of a certain community Besides, this concept of culture also includes thephysical manifestations of a group as exhibited in their achievements and contributions tocivilization Culture has a certain influence on our lives at every moment.

Nowadays, some researchers claim that cultural learning positively affects students’linguistic success in foreign learning Others state that culture can be used as an instrumentin the processes of communication when culturally- determined behavioural conventionsare taught (Byram et al 1994) These two conceptions are far too narrow for our purposeshere, however We believe that culture should not be seen as a support to languageteaching but that it should be placed on an equal footing with foreign language teaching.

“Culture” may be explained “the ideas, customs, skills, arts, and tools whichcharacterize a given group of people in a given period of time ” (Brown, 1987 :122).Besides, “ what is important in culture is what one is expected is think, believe, say, do,eat, wear, pay, ensure, recent, honor, laugh at, fight for, and worship, in typical lifesituation” (Brooks, 1968: 218, cited in Oxford, 1996: ix) The concept of culture, therefore,

involves the way people from a particular cultural background think, make friends,worship and behave in a society No single individual can live without sharing a culture

with others Put in other words, culture is derived from a community and a community, inturn, reflects its culture

In this paper, I takes Nguyen Quang’s view of culture (2006: 24) as the workingdefinition:

“ Culture is the whole complex of tangible and intangible expressions that arecreated and adapted by a society or a social group as well as the ways it functionsand reacts in given situations” Based on this definition, in my point of view,culture helps distinguish one society or social group from another not only o termsof the availability of those expressions and behaviour, but also in terms of theirproportionality and manifest ability”

In short, these above opinion of culture show that culture is a deeply ingrained partof people’s life However, language- the means for communication among members of aculture- is the most visible and available expression of that culture And so a person’sworld view, self- identity, and system of thinking, acting, feeling, and communicating canbe disrupted by a change from one culture to another Therefore, when we learn a languagewe can not separate it from culture Culture should be taught with the language untiladvanced level, and teachers should make students aware of the cultural features in relationto the language which will be presented in the next part.

2.1.2 Culture knowledge and foreign language learning

In the field of foreign language teaching, one aspect that occasionally emerges as atopic of discussion is the relationship between knowledge of a foreign language andknowledge of the culture It is likely that the question of “culture” is often regulated to theend of a language teaching plan It seems as if it is always something of a bonus if theteacher manages to find time to introduce a bit of the culture of the foreign language intothe classroom- some music perhaps, or a traditional dance, in the final lesson of the course.

In learning a second language, culture becomes highly important because it is “aningrained set of behavior modes of perception” (Brown, 2000: 118) As Vietnamese sayinggoes, “language and culture are two sides of a coin”, one cannot exist without the existenceof the other Since language is used to reflect culture, there is a close relationship betweenthe two According to Brown (1987: 123), a language is a part of a culture and a culture is

part of language; the two are intricately interwove such that one can not separate the twowithout losing the significance of either language or culture Language, then, is the trace ofthe development process of civilization The language is contained in the culture and thelanguage itself contains almost everything that one says about the culture Without theform- language, the culture can not be explicit Obviously, language can not exist outsidethe social context, so the relationship between culture and language must be put into thatsocial context This relationship is expressed in the following diagram (Nguyen Van Do,1999 : 9):

CULTURE SOCIETY

It can not be denied that the words utter refer to common experience They expressfacts, ideas or events that are communicable because they refer to a stock of knowledgeabout the world that other people share Words also reflect their authors’ attitudes andbeliefs, their points of view, which are also those of others In both cases, languageexpresses cultural reality.

In addition, Kramsch (1993: 93) points out: “If language is seen as social practice,culture becomes the core of language teaching Cultural awareness must then be viewedas enabling language proficiency Culture in language teaching is not an expendable fifthskill, tacked on, to the teaching of speaking, listening, reading and writing” She explains

that language is inextricably connected to culture We can not be competed in the languageif we do not understand the culture that has shaped, and how that culture relates to our ownfirst language/ first culture Thus, foreign language teaching and learning must equipstudents with the tools they need to be effective world citizens Their increased ability toappreciate the complexities, similarities and differences that exits in our world will leadthem toward careers and service related to activities based on this substantive knowledge

and experience Cultural understanding prepares the ability to acknowledge and respectcultural differences.

As language teachers, we need to be interested in the study about culture in order toteach the culture of another country because we have to teach it Robert Politzer (cited inValdes, 1994: 123) remarks that if we teach a language without teaching, at the same time,the culture in which the students may attach wrong meanings, they will receive cultureinstructions Besides, cultural learning has previously been seen as something for advancedlearners, an extension exercise that can be taken on to an ordinary lesson This is partly dueto the frequent error of assuming that students with a low level of English also have a low

intellect generally Kramsch (1992: 125) states “intercultural awareness, as a fundamentalfeature of language and an integral part of language learning, is important at all level.”

Briefly, regardless of different points of view, the study of culture takes animportant place in language teaching and learning studies in order to facilitate the processof learning and avoid culture shocks The process of foreign language learning involvesnot only perceiving the similarities and differences in other cultures but also recognizingthe native culture Thus, the question “ What are the cultural topics in foreign languagelearning ? ” good for teachers’ thought

2.1.3.Cultural elements in foreign language learning

This is the conclusion of Robert Politzer, who says in the Georgetown UniversityReport of the Fifth Annual Round Table Meeting on Linguistics and Language Teaching:

“As language teachers we must be interested in the study of culture not because wenecessarily want to teach culture of the other country but because we have to teachit.”

This point of view make me consider one question : “ How much of the culture of acountry should be taught along the language?” It is the fact that many successful languageteachers habitually begin their classes with a five- minute presentation in the foreignlanguage of a subject that has not been previously announced The content for this simpleand effective device may often be a topic that brings out identity, similarity, or sharpdifferences in comparable patterns of culture

Some topics can be presented within the course are suggested by Ismail Cakir(2006: 155) below:

Besides, the following list of topics ( Roseanne Tavares and Ildney Cavalcanti,1996: 19) may consider all properties that are included in the definition of the word“culture”:

* Social identity: Groups characterized by social class; Ethnic minorities.* Social interaction at different levels of familiarity

* Belief and Behaviour: Patterns of everyday life, usually taken for granted.

* Socio- political institutions: Institutions of the state and of socialization such asceremonies, local government.

* National history and geography: Historical events; Geographical places.* Media: TV; Newspaper; Radio.

* Arts: Literature; Cenima.

* Language variation: Cockney ( Here the main focus is on how language is presented)To sum up, the above cultural elements to be used to teach the target languageshould be presented in the contexts accompanying the native ones with the aim ofincreasing students’ awareness and developing their curiosity towards the target culture,helping them to make comparisons among cultures The comparisons are not meant tounderestimate any of the cultures being analyzed, but to enrich students’ experience and tomake the aware that although some culture elements are being globalized, there is stilldiversity among cultures In order to do this, it is necessary for teachers to be aware ofgoals for incorporating culture into the foreign language class.

2.2 Goals for incorporating culture into the foreign language class

According to Seelye (1994 : 154), the following goals should be achieved to teachculture for understanding:

* Goal 1 = Interest- The student demonstrates curiosity about the target culture andempathy toward its people.

* Goal 2 = Who- The student recognizes that role expectations and other social variablessuch as age, sex, social, class, ethnicity, and place of residence affect the way people speakand behave.

* Goal 3 = What- The student realizes that effective communication requires discoveringthe culturally conditioned images that are evoked in the minds of people when they think,act, and react to the world around them.

* Goal 4 = Where and When- The student finds that situational variables and conventionshape behavior are important ways (s/ he needs to know how people in the target cultureact in common mundane and crisis situations)

* Goal 5 = Why- The student understands that people generally act the way they dobecause they are using options society that allows for satisfying basic physical andpsychological needs, and that cultural patterns are interrelated and tended mutually tosupport need satisfaction.

* Goal 6 = Exploration- The student can evaluate a generalization about the target culturein terms of the amount of evidence substantiating it, and has the skills needed to locate andorganize information about the target culture from the library, the mass media, people, andpersonal observation.

Additionally, Nostrands (1976 : 175) listed nine objectives that students shouldhave the ability to get:

1) React appropriately in a social situation2) Describe a pattern in the culture

3) Recognize a pattern when it is illustrated4) “Explain” a pattern

5) Predict how a pattern is likely to apply in a given situation

6) Describe or manifest an attitude important for making oneself acceptable in the foreignsociety

7) Evaluate the form of a statement concerning a culture pattern

8) Describe/ demonstrate defensible methods of analyzing a socio- cultural whole

9) Identify basic human purposes that make the significant understanding that is beingtaught

In fact, students will be more interested in their learning if they are brought into thecontexts which easily to see the differences and similarities Thus, it is advisable for anyteacher who tends to incorporate cultures into his or her language classroom is to pick outthe interesting aspects of a culture and present them in a way that will engage students.One of many effective ways that many teachers consider nowadays with the view ofraising students’ culture awareness is using Comparing and Contrasting as activities whichwill be shown in the next part.

2.3 Comparing and Contrasting as activities of raising students’ cultureawareness

2.3.1 Comparing- Contrasting approach

Teaching culture is considered important by most teachers but is has remained

“insubstantial and sporadic in most language classroom” (Omaggio, 1993: 357) Omaggio

gives several reasons for this including lack of time, uncertainty about which aspects ofculture to teach, and lack of practical techniques Although language teachers realize theimportance of teaching culture in EFL classes and the potential of improving the teachingof culture is tremendous, the outstanding problems to be solved are still improving Amongmany others, the biggest headache for language teachers, especially the teacher of EFL, ishow to integrate culture teaching into our language programs.

Comparing- Contrasting is an approach to teach language and culture together inthe Framework of Cultural Awareness Model (Liddicoat and Crozet, 2001 : 120) Themodel assumes that in order to successfully interact with people from other cultures wehave to understand ours and the other’s cultural values, norms, customs, and socialsystems It also argues that the knowledge of ourselves as the cultural being is thefoundation of knowing others in terms of their own culture.

It is especially important that students have the opportunity to think about and talkabout what they notice, either in their first language or in the second language According

to Comparing- Contrasting approach, students’ noticing is followed up wherever there isan explanation of the function of particular actions in the target culture Some teachers mayworry that as non- speakers, they do not have enough insight into the other culture to teachit However, being a native speaker is not always an advantage, because in an interculturalapproach, the teacher needs to know something about both cultures Because this approachis comparative and is based on learning to notice differences, the important element is theexploration of difference that is something teachers and students can do together.

Oxford (1994 : 26) shares the same view that teacher must be careful to teach thepleasant aspects The essence of culture understanding is to know how your own culture isboth similar to and different from the target culture Therefore, activities and materialsshould portray different aspects of the culture In other words, teachers need to “sell”different views of the culture to their students Introducing deliberate contrasts within aculture can be useful Some different ‘selling points’ are contrasted below:

+ Attractive vs Shocking + Historical vs Modern+ Similarities vs Differences + Old people vs Young people+ Dark aspects of culture vs Bright + City life vs Country life

+ Facts vs Behaviour

+ Stated belief vs Actual belief

Briefly, the Comparing- Contrasting approach that has been found to be successfulin raising students’ cultural awareness through lessons Nevertheless, how do the teachersemploy Comparing and Contrasting activities in their language classroom with the view ofencouraging students to learn and understand about culture in such an easier way ? Thismatter will be discussed with some activities for incorporating culture into foreignlanguage training.

2.3.2 Activities for incorporating culture into foreign language training

It is the fact that interesting activities will get students more involved in the culturelessons Some Comparing and Contrasting activities introduced below are cited from the

book of Barry Tomalin and Susan Stempleski (1993, 41- 100) These activities aredesigned to adapt the Tourims students’ learning styles and interests Each activity offersstudents the following information: the cultural aim of the activity, the materials needed,the level at which the activity can be used, what preparation is needed, and step- by- stepdirections for carrying out the activity in class Where appropriate, variations of theactivity have been included.

2.3.2.1 Cartoon categories

* Aim: To increase awareness of the subject matter of British cartoons; tocompare British cartoons with cartoons in the students’ ownculture.

* Materials: Cartoons from British newspapers and magazines

* Level: Advanced

* Preparation: Select 15- 20 cartoons from British newspapers and magazines.Make sure you have enough copies of the cartoons to give acomplete set to each group of students.

* In class:

1 Divide the class into groups of three or four, and give each group a set of cartoons.2 Tell the students to look carefully at the cartoons and to group them according to thesubject matter of the humor; for example, the desert island situation, relations between menand women, polities, drunkenness, etc The students’ task is to work together and draw upa list of the different types of subject matter used.

3 The students work in groups, categorizing the cartoons and preparing their lists.4 A spokesperson for each reads the list to the class.

5 Write the different categories of subject matter mentioned by students on the board.Then write the following questions on the board:

- Are cartoons common in your country?If so, what is the most common subject matter?- How are British cartoons similar to cartoons in your country? How are they different?

6 Students work in groups, discussion of the following questions:

- What did you learn about British humor from this activity?- What did you learn about humor in your own culture?

* Variation: Intermediate level and above

Instead of focusing on the subject matter of the humor, students can draw up a listof visible aspects of British life contained in the cartoons, for example:

1 Houses and homes (rooms, furniture, etc.)2 Work environments (offices, factories, etc.)3 Leisure (fishing, reading, watching TV, etc.)4 Eating and drinking (restaurants, pubs, etc.)5 Travel (traffic, road signs, etc)

6 Shopping (supermarkets, department stores, etc.) 7 Clothes and fashion (uniforms, hairstyles, etc.)

2.3.2.2 Dating customs

* Aim: To compare relationships between men and women in the UK with those in the students’ culture(s)

* Materials: A task sheet for each student

* Level: Lower- intermediate and above

* Preparation: Photocopy the task sheet overleaf

* In class:

1 Explain to the class that they are going to compare relationships between men andwomen in the UK with relationships between men and women in their our culture(s)

2 Divide the class into pairs, distribute the task sheet.

3 The students work in pairs, discussing the customs listed on the task sheet, andindicating whether each practice is the same or different in their culture

If the custom is different, they make brief notes explaining the difference.

4 Following the pairwork, volunteers take turns to report their answers to the class.5 Follow up with a whole- class discussion on the following questions:

- What have you learned about relationships between men and women in the UK from thisactivity?

- Can you make generalizations about relationships between men and women in the UK?- In what ways are the relationships different from the relationships in your culture?- In what ways are they similar?

* Variation: As homework, you could ask the students to write a short

composition, comparing and contrasting between men and women in the UK with

the behaviour between men and women in their country.

Task sheet

Dating customs

The statements below give information about relationships between men and women in theUK Are these customs the same ( S) or different ( D) from ones in your country? Tick theappropriate box If a custom is different, write brief notes explaining the differences.

1 Young men and women go to the party together S  D Note: 2 A men often goes to collect his date at her home S  D Note: 3 In their mid- teens, boys and girls go on dates (to

parties, dances, the cinema).

S  D Note: 4 Parents very rarely choose dates for their children S  D Note: 5 Women may invite men to parties or other social

S  D Note: 6 Teenagers usually date people of the own age, but

sometimes girls date boys who are two or three yearsolder.

S  D Note: 7 Teenagers meet members of the opposite sex at

school, parties, or other social events.

S  D Note: 8 Men and women sometimes share expenses on a

S  D Note: 9 Teenagers and young adults meet and choose their

own dates.

S  D Note: 10 Men and women date people of different

economic, ethnic, social, or religiuos backgrounds

S  D Note:

2.3.2.3 Cross- cultural role plays

* Aim: To increase awareness of the types of misunderstanding thatcan occur between people of different cultures

* Materials: No special materials are needed

* Level: Intermediate and above

* Preparation: Prepare a brief description of an incident that happened toyou and that led to a cultural misunderstanding.

3 Each group selects one of the incidents described Together they plan how to dramatizethe incident

4 Groups take turns to perform their role plays in front of the class The other students tryto guess which student was actually involved in the incident.

5 The whole class discusses each incident and its cultural implications.

2.3.2.4 Shopping habits

* Aim: To compare shopping habits in the UK with shoppinghabits in the students’ culture

* Materials: A task sheet for each student

* Level: Lower- intermediate and above

* Preparation: Photocopy the task sheet below

* In class: 1 Explain to the class that they are going to compare shopping habits in the UK with shopping habits in their own culture (s).

2 Divide the class into pairs and distribute the task sheet.

3 The students work in pairs, discussing the statements on the task sheet, and nothingwhether the practice is the same or different in their culture(s).

4 Follow up with a whole- class discussion on the following questions:

- What have you learned about shopping habits in the UK from this activity?

- In what ways are shopping habits in the UK different from shopping habits in yourculture?

Task sheet

Shopping habits

The statements below give information about shopping habits in the UK Are these habitsthe same ( S) or different ( D) from ones in your country? Put a tick in the appropriateboxes If any of the habits different, write brief notes explaining the differences.

1 Adults do most of their own shopping forclothes.

S  D Note: 2 Mothers usually buy all the clothes for the

young children in the family.

S  D Note: 3 Teenagers usually choose their own clothes S  D 

Note: 4 Married couples usually shop for large items

such as cars, furniture, and TV sets together.

S  D Note: 5 Shopping for groceries usually done by

going to the supermarket once a week.

S  D Note: 6 Shops do not close for lunch, and some stay

open till 7.00 p.m or later on certain days,especially in big cities.

S  D Note: 7 Department stores and grocery stores are

open all day on Saturdays.

S  D Note: 8 In families, it is often the mother who does

most of the food shopping.

S  D Note: 9 Many oven- ready items are available in

S  D Note: 10 Many people buy bread, cakes, and pies in

a supermarket rather than in a bakery.

S  D Note:

2.3.2.5 Show and Tell

* Aim: To heighten awareness of one’s own culture;to practice speaking about something characteristic ofone’s own culture;

* Materials: Objects that the students choose to bring to class.

* Level: Lower- intermediate and above

* Preparation: No special preparation is needed.

3 When all the students have finished, write the following questions on the board:

- What one thing did you learn about each person’s culture?

- What more would you like to know about the culture of each member of the class?- What have you learned about your own culture in doing this activity?

4 Allow enough time for students to think about and write their answers to the questions.5 Finally, conduct a whole- class discussion based on the questions If your class is verylarge, the discussion can be carried out in groups.

2.3.2.6 Front- page features

* Aim: To identify characteristic features of the front pages of Britishnewspapers; to compare British front pages with the front pages ofnewspapers from the students’ own countries.

* Materials: Front pages of British newspapers and newspapers

* Level: Lower- intermediate and above

great deal about the values of the country that produced it Tell the students that they aregoing to have a change to compare the front pages of newspapers from different countries,to discover their similarities and differences.

2 Hand out the task sheets and explain that the students look carefully at the front pagesdisplayed around the room, and answer the questions on the task sheet.

3 Allow enough time for the students to examine the front pages and make notes.4 Then conduct a whole- class discussion based on the questions on the task sheet.5 Conclude the activity with a feedback session Ask the class:

- What did you learn about British newspaper from this activity?- What did you learn about newspapers from your own country?

TASK SHEET

1 How are the front pages from each country different from each other?

2 How are they similar?

3 What kinds of news do the editors in each country think is worth putting on the frontpage?

4 Look at the main news story and then at the other major news articles on each frontpage Would the same news item be on the front page in your country? Why or why not?

2.3.2.7 Today’s TV schedule

* Aim: To increase awareness of types of TV programmebroadcast in the UK; to compare them with those instudents’ country.

* Materials: A TV schedule from a British newspaper

* Level: Intermediate and above

* Preparation: Photocopy task sheet below to give one to each student.

* In class:

1 Distribute the task sheets Then divide the class into groups of three or four.

2 Explain the task to the students They are to work together in groups, studying theschedule and answering the questions on the task sheet.

3 Ask for one person in each group to report the group’s answer.4 Follow up with a whole- class discussion based on these questions:

- In what ways is the schedule different from a TV schedule in your country?- In what ways is it similar?

- What did you learn about TV programmes in the UK from this activity?

5 Give the students copies of TV schedules from British papers Ask them to look for thedifferences and similarities in content and organization of television in the two countries

Task sheet

TODAY’S TV SCHEDULE

Use the information in the TV schedule to answer the following questions:

1 How many channels (separate broadcasting stations) can viewers choose from?2 During what hours do these channels broadcast?

3 Do any of the channels seem to specialize in particular types of programmes? 4 Which programmes are documentaties?

5 Which are news programmes?6 Which are sports programmes?7 Which are for children?

8 Which are do- it- yourself programmes (cooking, gardening, home repairs, etc.)?

2.3.2.8 Early, on time, or late ?

* Aim: To compare the concepts of time in the UK withthe concept of time in the students’ culture

* Materials: A task sheet for each student

* Level: Lower- intermediate and above

* Preparation: Photocopy the task sheet opposite

* In class:

1 Explain to the class that the concept of time can be very different in different cultures,and that in this activity they are going to compare the concept of time in the UK with theconcept of time in their own culture.

2 Divide the class into pairs, and distribute the task sheet.

3 The students work in pairs, discussing events listed on task sheet, and ticking theiranswers.

4 Following the pairwork, volunteers take turns to report their answers to the class.5 Follow up with a whole- class discussion on the following questions:

- What have you learned about the concept of time in the UK from this activity? ( In theUK people are expected to arrive either early or on time.)

- What generalization can you make about the concept of time in the UK? ( Exact keeping is regarded as important in these countries.)

time In what ways, if any, is the concept of time in the UK different from the concept of time inyour culture?

* Variation:

As a follow up, you could ask the students to write five rules relating to time inthe UK and the US and five rules relating to time in their own culture The important pointto bring out in the discussion phase is thta in the UK people tend to arrange their lives andplan their activities around specific times For exmple: while it is acceptable to arrive a fewminutes early for a business meeting, it is considered extremly rude to arrive late.

The events for which you should arrive early are 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7.The events for which you should arrive on time are 4, 6, 8, 9, and 10.You should not arrive late for any of the events listed!

Task sheet

Early, on time, or late ?

Iamgine that the followinf events take place in the UK Decide whether you sould arriveearly, on time or late Tick the appropriate column.

1 A business meeting2 A school examination