Cross-Cultural Adjustment of a Native Teacher of English at Senior Vocational High School

Presenter: Chia-Ying WuAdvisors: Dr. Chin-Ying LinDate: January 6th , 2013

Contents

IntroductionIntroduction

Literature ReviewLiterature Review

MethodologyMethodology

2

Introduction

Background

Purpose

Research questions

Significance

Research gap

3

Background

• One of the most popular areas of academic culture research has focused on foreign language teaching and cross-cultural adjustment of native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) at schools.

(Liu & Spector, 2005; Ke, 2008)

4

Background

• Those differences might cause problems with cross-cultural adjustment for native speaking teachers and non-native speaking students, possibly pushing both teachers and students to modify their learning or teaching stratagems and styles.

(Lin, 2008)

5

Purpose

• The purpose of this study is to explore the native English-speaking teacher how to adjust Taiwanese culture and academic culture in senior high education.

6

Research questions

7

1. How doses the native English-speaking teacher adjust cross-culture in Taiwan?

2. How does the native English-speaking teacher adjust academic culture in education?

Research gap

• There is a lack of research exploring foreign teachers’ senior high teaching experiences in Asian countries.

8

Significance

• This study will the native English-speaking teachers to develop their understanding of cross-cultural adjustment and cultural learning.

• The foreign teachers can decrease the culture shock that often takes place in the ESL/EFL and foster respect between teachers and students.

9

Literature ReviewThe definition of culture

Culture shock

Intercultural communication competence

Cross-cultural adjustment

Academic culture in education10

Culture in education

The definition of culture

• Culture as a way of life that includes the ideas, customs, skill, arts, and tools and that characterizes a given group of people over their entire lives.

(Brown, 2000)

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Culture in Education

• Teachers should adjust their teaching approaches making them suitable for students from different cultural backgrounds.

(Thomas, 1997)

• Cultural skills were seen as an important part of academic language competence.

(Flaitz, 2005)12

Culture in Education

• It has been a challenging experience trying to balance between the American style of teaching and the Chinese style.

(Meyers, Meyers & Zhao, 2009)

13

Culture shock

• The most same symptom of culture shock is a lack of control or sense of helplessness due to sojourners’ lack of knowledge of how to adapt to in the new environment.

(Weaver, 1993)

14

Intercultural communication competence

• Intercultural communication is often defined as communication “between people from different national cultures, and many scholars limit it to face to face communication”.

(Gudykunst, 2002, p. 179)

15

Cross-cultural adjustment

• Cross-cultural adjustment is pointed to be best predicted by length of residence in the new culture, language ability, cultural knowledge, cultural distance, and the quantity of contact with host nationals.

(Ward & Kennedy, 2001)16

Academic culture in education

• Academic cultural differences have often caused misunderstanding between Asian students and the native English-speaking teachers in EFL/ESL classrooms.

(Xiao, 2006)

17

Academic culture in education

• Language in teaching and learning situations is a source of anxiety, more so if one is teaching in English for the first time, or has not been teaching in English for long.

(Luxona & Peelob, 2009)

18

Academic culture in education

• Stacy has learned how to teach students who do not speak the same language as you do. She has learned how to help other professionals and how to collaborate so that everyone moves forward.

(Meyers, Meyers & Zhao, 2009)

19

Methodology

Participant

Procedure

Qualitative interview

Data collection

20

Data analysis

Participant

21

ParticipantThe native English-speaking teacher

ParticipantThe native English-speaking teacher

InterviewFace to face Interview

Face to face

Participant

gender male

age 48 years old

place United Kingdom

length in Taiwan 15 years

22

ParticipantThe native English-speaking teacher

Qualitative Interview

23

•Preparing manuscript by myself

•Preparing for the interview protocol

•Using open-ended questions

•Using record machine

Procedure

24

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Participant Time Interview

The native English-speaking teacher

• 90 minutes• Two times

• Face to face• Protocols

December, 2013December, 2013 February, 2014February, 2014

Data collection

25

Collecting the raw data

Organizing and sorting the data for data analysis

Coding the data

Describing Themes

Interrelating themes

Interpreting the meaning of themes

Data analysis

26

Grounded Theory

Case study

Instrument

Part one: Before coming to Taiwan

1. Where are you from? Please share some important information about yourself.

2. What was your impression about Taiwan or Asia before coming here? Where did you get the information about Taiwan or Asia?

3. How many foreign languages have you learned? Does it influence your English teaching?

4. How long have you stayed in Taiwan? What made you stay here for so long?

5. Did you have any cross-cultural experience before coming to Taiwan? Please describe it briefly. 27

Instrument

Part Two: Shortly after coming to Taiwan

1. Did you experience any culture shock when you first came to Taiwan, including in your daily life or job?

2. Who helped you with your problems when you first came to Taiwan? Did you have close friends that you could trust and talk to at that time?

3. Did you have any teaching problems when you first taught Taiwanese students here?

4. Any cross-cultural adjustment problems at that time?

5. Did you have any teaching problems when you first taught Taiwanese students here? How did you solve those problems? 28

Instrument

Part three: Now in Taiwan

1. Is there still any culture shock or any cross-cultural adjustment problems in your daily life? For example, any living problems, such as food, or the weather?

2. How do you deal with those living problems now?

3. Who can help you with those living problems now? Do you have any Taiwanese friends that you can trust, talk to or get help from?

4. How do you collaborate with local administrators and teachers here?

5. How does the school administration assist in your teaching?29

Instrument

Part Four: Academic culture in distance

1. What impressed you most when you were FIRST teaching Taiwanese students, including position or negative impression?

2. What are still the problems NOW when you’re teach Taiwanese students?

3. What are the strength/weakness of Taiwanese students, compared with England students?

4. What kinds of adjustments did you make in your teaching, including teaching content/ approaches, or grading criteria?

5. What are the requirements of maintaining a decent and professional image of a teacher in your country? 30

Thank you for listening.