Understanding cultures and cultural understandings:

Participation in community activity

Dr. Martin AndrewDr. Martin Andrew

Swinburne University Swinburne University MELBOURNEMELBOURNE

OverviewOverviewLearning in Community PlacementLearning in Community PlacementAn Analogy: Communities of PracticeAn Analogy: Communities of PracticeExtension: Imagined CommunitiesExtension: Imagined CommunitiesApplying the Metaphor of “Investment”Applying the Metaphor of “Investment”The Second Metaphor: (Second) Language The Second Metaphor: (Second) Language

SocialisationSocialisationMethodologyMethodology Findings: How do students come to know Findings: How do students come to know

what they know?what they know?Conclusions: The structures of cultural and Conclusions: The structures of cultural and

self-knowledgeself-knowledge

Introduction: Introduction: Learning in Community PlacementLearning in Community Placement

Focus:Focus: Kinds of learning; ways to ‘knowing’ (how) Kinds of learning; ways to ‘knowing’ (how)

Community placements:Community placements: context-rich participative context-rich participative opportunities to acquire cultural learning opportunities to acquire cultural learning through a range of ethnographic, cognitive and through a range of ethnographic, cognitive and situated actionssituated actions

• safe and realistic safe and realistic ‘situated’‘situated’ environment environment• passionate and engaged passionate and engaged ‘acting’‘acting’ people people• properties of properties of ‘cognitive’‘cognitive’ communities of practice communities of practice • cultural capital for advanced cultural capital for advanced ‘invested’‘invested’ EAL EAL

learnerslearners

Bourdieu’s linguistic marketplaceBourdieu’s linguistic marketplace – – ‘treasure’‘treasure’

Learning in Community Learning in Community Placement Placement

Community PlacementCommunity Placement • Curriculum and assessment potentialCurriculum and assessment potential• Organised opportunity for real, transcultural Organised opportunity for real, transcultural

experience experience • Defined minimum time commitmentDefined minimum time commitment• Chance for participants to attend the regular or Chance for participants to attend the regular or

particular operations & premises of an particular operations & premises of an established CoP established CoP

• Pre-arranged supervisor/ guide/ key member Pre-arranged supervisor/ guide/ key member • Apprenticeship to culture, practice, discourse Apprenticeship to culture, practice, discourse

and membersand members

Learning in Community Learning in Community PlacementPlacement

GroundingGroundingParticipative:Participative: the social turn (Block 2003)the social turn (Block 2003)Cognitive:Cognitive: transcultural ‘cognitive’ apprenticeship transcultural ‘cognitive’ apprenticeship

(Brown, Collins & Duguid 1989)(Brown, Collins & Duguid 1989) SocialSocial: : second language socialisationsecond language socialisation perspective/ perspective/

paradigm: not just what, but paradigm: not just what, but “how“how L2 pragmatic L2 pragmatic ability is acquired” (Kasper 2001, 519)ability is acquired” (Kasper 2001, 519)

Practical:Practical: focus on focus on practicespractices helps describe helps describe the the negotiation of socio-cultural knowledge of the negotiation of socio-cultural knowledge of the additional language learner (Zuengler & Cole additional language learner (Zuengler & Cole 2005)2005)

Agential:Agential: situates multiple subjectivities (Norton situates multiple subjectivities (Norton 2008) & potentially confers agency2008) & potentially confers agency (Manosuthikit 2008, 5)(Manosuthikit 2008, 5)

ParticipantsParticipants

Scope:Scope: 70 students, six intakes, three years 70 students, six intakes, three years

Study status:Study status: refugees (3) migrants (39), refugees (3) migrants (39), international students (19) and study abroad international students (19) and study abroad students (9)students (9)

Ethnic relation:Ethnic relation: Chinese (37), “Taiwanese” (4), “Hong Chinese (37), “Taiwanese” (4), “Hong Kongese” (3), Swedish (6), Korean (5), German (4), Kongese” (3), Swedish (6), Korean (5), German (4), Japanese (2), and one each of Romanian, Iranian, Japanese (2), and one each of Romanian, Iranian, Ethiopian, Somalian, Thai, Malaysian, Indian, Ethiopian, Somalian, Thai, Malaysian, Indian, French Polynesian and Samoan. French Polynesian and Samoan.

Sex:Sex: 42 females and 28 males 42 females and 28 males

Age range:Age range: 19 to 55, with a mean of 25. 19 to 55, with a mean of 25.

Analogy: Communities of Analogy: Communities of PracticePractice

Analogy:Analogy: Entering into & joining a community via Entering into & joining a community via a placement is analogous to becoming a placement is analogous to becoming apprentice and member in a CoP (Lave & apprentice and member in a CoP (Lave & Wenger 1991) Wenger 1991)

Reflectivity:Reflectivity: Reflective journals capture Reflective journals capture connections between participation and learning connections between participation and learning

Elements of communities:Elements of communities: mutual mutual interdependence, sense of belonging, interdependence, sense of belonging, connectedness, spirit, trust, interactivity, connectedness, spirit, trust, interactivity, common expectations, shared values and goals common expectations, shared values and goals and overlapping life histories (Rovai 2002, 4)and overlapping life histories (Rovai 2002, 4)

Wenger 1998:Wenger 1998: mutual engagementmutual engagement, , joint joint enterpriseenterprise and and shared repertoireshared repertoire

How do we Understand How do we Understand ‘Communities of Practice’?‘Communities of Practice’?

Placement participants:Placement participants: from spectators or from spectators or “apprentices” with LPP to possession of “apprentices” with LPP to possession of engaged, invested interest involving “the engaged, invested interest involving “the whole person acting in the world” (Lave & whole person acting in the world” (Lave & Wenger 1991, 49)Wenger 1991, 49)

Cognitive apprenticeship:Cognitive apprenticeship: students “ students “acquire, acquire, develop and use cognitive tools in authentic develop and use cognitive tools in authentic domain activity”domain activity” (Brown et al. 1989, 39) (Brown et al. 1989, 39)

Agentiality:Agentiality: involves involves ability “to assign ability “to assign relevance and significance to things and relevance and significance to things and events” (Manosuthikit 2008, p. 5)events” (Manosuthikit 2008, p. 5)

LPP:LPP: investment in situated learning of investment in situated learning of “Discourses” (Gee 1991)“Discourses” (Gee 1991)

How do we Understand How do we Understand ‘Communities of Practice’?‘Communities of Practice’?

DiscoursesDiscourses (Gee 1991) (Gee 1991)

““ways of behaving, interacting, valuing, ways of behaving, interacting, valuing, thinking, believing, speaking, and thinking, believing, speaking, and often reading and writing, that are often reading and writing, that are accepted as instantiations of accepted as instantiations of particular identities … by specific particular identities … by specific groups … They are ‘ways of being’ in groups … They are ‘ways of being’ in the world; they are ‘forms of life’; they the world; they are ‘forms of life’; they are socially situated identities” (161).are socially situated identities” (161).

Extending the Analogy: Extending the Analogy: Imagined CommunitiesImagined Communities

Analogy:Analogy: parallel between nationhood (Anderson parallel between nationhood (Anderson 1983) and community membership1983) and community membership where we where we create “new images of the world and ourselves” create “new images of the world and ourselves” (Wenger 1998, 176)(Wenger 1998, 176)

Desire:Desire: We We feel a sense of community with people feel a sense of community with people not yet met and connect through the power of not yet met and connect through the power of the imagination (Kanno & Norton 2003, 241)the imagination (Kanno & Norton 2003, 241)

‘‘Imagined community’:Imagined community’: learners’ learners’ investmentinvestment in in their learning as it impacts on future goals, their learning as it impacts on future goals, ambitions, dream communities & desires for ambitions, dream communities & desires for belonging and recognitionbelonging and recognition

Applying the Metaphor: Applying the Metaphor: “Investment”“Investment”

The issue of motivation:The issue of motivation: Investing Investing inin participation, participation, new discourses and identitiesnew discourses and identities

The framework:The framework: Investment (Norton 2000, ex Investment (Norton 2000, ex Bourdieu 1977, 1986, 1991)Bourdieu 1977, 1986, 1991)

Extending metaphors:Extending metaphors: Brokerage ( Brokerage (Pittaway 2004)Pittaway 2004); ; educational, cultural & social capital; tasteseducational, cultural & social capital; tastes

Embodied Embodied cultural capitalcultural capital:: “external wealth “external wealth converted into an integral part of the person, converted into an integral part of the person,

into a into a habitushabitus” (Bourdieu 1986,” (Bourdieu 1986, 244-245)244-245)

Investment: In TheoryInvestment: In Theory

Learners invest in and engage with real & imagined Learners invest in and engage with real & imagined discourse communities and discourse identitiesdiscourse communities and discourse identities

Learners’ engagement depends on their investments Learners’ engagement depends on their investments in cultural and linguistic learning (McKay & Wong in cultural and linguistic learning (McKay & Wong 1996; Norton 2000, 2001; Pittaway 2004)1996; Norton 2000, 2001; Pittaway 2004)

Socialisation:Socialisation: “As learners become more adept at “As learners become more adept at community practices, they increase their community practices, they increase their responsibility in the community and become more responsibility in the community and become more active participants” (Kanno & Norton 2003, 242).active participants” (Kanno & Norton 2003, 242).

The Second Metaphor: The Second Metaphor: (Second) Language (Second) Language

SocialisationSocialisationSecond Language Socialisation Second Language Socialisation (Theory? Paradigm?) (Theory? Paradigm?)

real-world participative activities involving EAL real-world participative activities involving EAL learnerslearners

• attends to “the social, cultural and interactional attends to “the social, cultural and interactional contexts in which education and other kinds of contexts in which education and other kinds of knowledge are learned, both formally and knowledge are learned, both formally and informally” (Duff 2008, i) informally” (Duff 2008, i)

• refers to “the process by which novices or refers to “the process by which novices or newcomers in a community or culture gain newcomers in a community or culture gain communicative competence, membership and communicative competence, membership and legitimacy in the group” (Duff 2007, 310)legitimacy in the group” (Duff 2007, 310)

(Second) Language (Second) Language SocialisationSocialisation

Interaction is crucial for L2 learningInteraction is crucial for L2 learning (Pavlenko (Pavlenko 2002, 286)2002, 286)

Learners are actively engaged in constructing “the Learners are actively engaged in constructing “the terms and conditions of their own learning” terms and conditions of their own learning” (Lantolf and Pavlenko 2001, 145). (Lantolf and Pavlenko 2001, 145).

• How do learners involved in community How do learners involved in community placement construct such terms and conditions? placement construct such terms and conditions?

• Does learning via SLS occur “informally”, as Does learning via SLS occur “informally”, as Zuengler & Cole (2005) suggest (311)?Zuengler & Cole (2005) suggest (311)?

““You cannot overtly each anyone a Discourse, in a You cannot overtly each anyone a Discourse, in a classroom or anywhere else” (Gee 1991, 171)classroom or anywhere else” (Gee 1991, 171)

Language Socialisation/Language Socialisation/Culture SocialisationCulture Socialisation

Bridging a connection Bridging a connection between a classroom between a classroom learning event and an learning event and an event in the real event in the real world: world: the Anzac the Anzac biscuitbiscuit

Practicing language Practicing language from classroomfrom classroom: : the the rest home offerrest home offer

Acquiring work skills:Acquiring work skills: the CABthe CAB

Contrasting the new and Contrasting the new and the familiar: the familiar: the elderlythe elderly

Focussing “surprises” Focussing “surprises” (Norton 2000) or (Norton 2000) or “points of significance”, “points of significance”, instants when things instants when things change (Pennycook change (Pennycook 2004, 330): 2004, 330): the windowthe window

Mediating “themselves Mediating “themselves and their relationships and their relationships to others in to others in communities of communities of practice” (Block, 2003, practice” (Block, 2003, 109): 109): the Maori tearthe Maori tear

Intercultural LiteracyIntercultural Literacy

““The understandings, competencies, attitudes, The understandings, competencies, attitudes, language proficiencies, participation and language proficiencies, participation and identities necessary for successful cross-identities necessary for successful cross-cultural engagement” (Heyward 2002, p. 10)cultural engagement” (Heyward 2002, p. 10)

Heyward’s Stages of Culture Shock:Heyward’s Stages of Culture Shock: • Monocultural levels 1 to 3 (consciously and Monocultural levels 1 to 3 (consciously and

unconsciously incompetent)unconsciously incompetent)• Crosscultural level (conscious competence)Crosscultural level (conscious competence)• Intercultural level (unconscious competence)Intercultural level (unconscious competence)

MethodologyMethodologyBricolage:Bricolage: essentially essentially

grounded research grounded research approach, informed approach, informed by discourse by discourse analysis, analysis, autoethnographic autoethnographic methods and methods and narrative studynarrative study

Student as Student as (auto)ethnographer(auto)ethnographer

MethodMethod to to analyse analyse reflective and reflective and evaluative insights evaluative insights and ‘thick and ‘thick description’ description’ snapshots of real snapshots of real learner experiencelearner experience

Students …Students …take coursetake course…… comment on any aspects of comment on any aspects of

language, communication, language, communication, socialisation, organisation socialisation, organisation or attitude that seemed or attitude that seemed ‘Kiwi’‘Kiwi’

……participate & write 4 participate & write 4 reflective entriesreflective entries

Researchers …Researchers …… … analyse & analyse & categorise categorise

recurrences in the dataset recurrences in the dataset (Strauss & Corbin, 1990)(Strauss & Corbin, 1990)

… … compare & cross-compare & cross-reference (e-text)reference (e-text)

… … consult supervisorsconsult supervisors

MethodologyMethodology

““Diaries give the language teacher Diaries give the language teacher access to information about the access to information about the learners’ opportunities to practice the learners’ opportunities to practice the target language in the wider target language in the wider community, their investments in the community, their investments in the target language and their changing target language and their changing identities” identities”

(Norton 2000, 152) (Norton 2000, 152)

Findings: What do invested learners Findings: What do invested learners come to know in community come to know in community

placements?placements?

Andrew & Kearney 2007Andrew & Kearney 2007 • applied speaking applied speaking

skills; skills; • acquiring procedural acquiring procedural

knowledge; knowledge; • self-confidence in new self-confidence in new

contexts; contexts; • applied classroom applied classroom

knowledge; knowledge; • surprises and re-surprises and re-

cognitions; cognitions;

• recognising difference recognising difference and cultural contrasts; and cultural contrasts;

• ability to describe ability to describe socio-pragmatic events; socio-pragmatic events;

• realisations about realisations about other-accented other-accented speakers and their speakers and their struggles; struggles;

• observing the symbols observing the symbols of culture, of culture,

• recognition of desire recognition of desire for future communities for future communities

What they come to knowWhat they come to know

Metaphors of capitalMetaphors of capital • Being “surprised” by the extent, depth and Being “surprised” by the extent, depth and

reality of their learning in communityreality of their learning in community • ““Really touching” New Zealand cultureReally touching” New Zealand culture• gaining a “window into New Zealand gaining a “window into New Zealand

culture”culture”• Wading in “increased depth”Wading in “increased depth”• Gaining “great rewards” and “cultural Gaining “great rewards” and “cultural

treasures”treasures”• Acquiring a “clear vision” all measures of Acquiring a “clear vision” all measures of

invested capital.invested capital.• Getting “concrete”Getting “concrete” learning learning

Findings: How do students Findings: How do students come to know what they come to know what they

know?know? ThemesThemes• Participating develops multiliteracies and Participating develops multiliteracies and

encourages skills learningencourages skills learning • Observing leads to reappraisal of what you Observing leads to reappraisal of what you

knowknow• Applying language acquired elsewhere Applying language acquired elsewhere

secures learningsecures learning• Negotiating lexical awareness occurs via Negotiating lexical awareness occurs via

cultural socialisationcultural socialisation• Reflecting enables cognitive contrastingReflecting enables cognitive contrasting

Participating develops Participating develops multiliteracies and encourages multiliteracies and encourages

skills learningskills learningFinding:Finding: 32 learners report additional and incidental 32 learners report additional and incidental

skills they learned ‘how to’ doskills they learned ‘how to’ doZheng:Zheng: “… management skills and services skill, because “… management skills and services skill, because

the employees need to provide a fast, friendly and the employees need to provide a fast, friendly and courteous experience … and very important rule – keep courteous experience … and very important rule – keep smile all the time in front of your customers”. smile all the time in front of your customers”.

Beth:Beth: “… the needs and characteristics of elderly people” “… the needs and characteristics of elderly people” and “how to handle and emergency”and “how to handle and emergency”

Radha:Radha: “… how children learn by self-discovery” and “… how children learn by self-discovery” and “how important it is for parents to talk about their “how important it is for parents to talk about their children’s progress”children’s progress”

Karen:Karen: “I was informed to behave strictly according to “I was informed to behave strictly according to the Volunteer Behaviour Code, which is a list of Dos the Volunteer Behaviour Code, which is a list of Dos and DON’Ts”and DON’Ts”

Observing leads to reappraisal Observing leads to reappraisal of what you knowof what you know

Finding:Finding: 47 students describe “a-ha” “surprises”47 students describe “a-ha” “surprises”Walt:Walt: “It’s only when you interact with Kiwis and “It’s only when you interact with Kiwis and

see what they have to say that you really feel see what they have to say that you really feel their pain. Some men just did not want to talk their pain. Some men just did not want to talk about the game at all till about two weeks after.”about the game at all till about two weeks after.”

Dora:Dora: “O “One elderly dipped her Anzac biscuit in her ne elderly dipped her Anzac biscuit in her tea and she was shaking. I could see a tear in her tea and she was shaking. I could see a tear in her eeye.”ye.”

Harry:Harry: “Before I came to NZ, I always thought that “Before I came to NZ, I always thought that Kiwis must be very lazy because NZ has a Kiwis must be very lazy because NZ has a complete welfare system. After entering complete welfare system. After entering [company’s name], I found that the thinking is [company’s name], I found that the thinking is absolutely wrong. On the contrary, Kiwis are absolutely wrong. On the contrary, Kiwis are very industrial (sic) people.”very industrial (sic) people.”

Applying language acquired Applying language acquired elsewhere secures learningelsewhere secures learning

Finding:Finding: 56 made a bridge from the classroom 56 made a bridge from the classroom

Shirley:Shirley: “Besides learning English in the class, we “Besides learning English in the class, we should go out and experience real English so we should go out and experience real English so we can build up our confidence gradually … (“I’m can build up our confidence gradually … (“I’m sorry. I didn’t catch you. Could you say that again, sorry. I didn’t catch you. Could you say that again, please?”)please?”)

Rebecca:Rebecca: “By working [in the rest home] I can get a “By working [in the rest home] I can get a chance to interact with people by the use of chance to interact with people by the use of knowledge and strategies which I have learned knowledge and strategies which I have learned from class”.from class”.

Anna:Anna: “Communication opens doors, and helps me to “Communication opens doors, and helps me to leave a positive impression”.leave a positive impression”.

Negotiating lexical awareness Negotiating lexical awareness occurs occurs

via cultural socialisation via cultural socialisationFinding:Finding: all students all students learnlearn lexis agentially lexis agentiallyDany: Dany: “The first time I heard “The first time I heard clear skinclear skin I had I had

no idea about the meaning, but when they no idea about the meaning, but when they put it into sentences such as “if you’d like put it into sentences such as “if you’d like to be a police officer, you need to have to be a police officer, you need to have clear skin”clear skin”

Shirley:Shirley: “seeing eye dog”; “out of the blue”“seeing eye dog”; “out of the blue”Les:Les: “what a hoon!” “what a hoon!”Sophia:Sophia: taputapu & Karen: & Karen: whare kawhare ka Andy:Andy: “one shot of Black coffee plus half trim “one shot of Black coffee plus half trim

milk plus half full blend milk” milk plus half full blend milk”

Negotiating lexical awareness Negotiating lexical awareness occurs occurs

via cultural socialisation via cultural socialisationJohn:John: “I am worthless at chess” “I am worthless at chess”

““You mean You mean uselessuseless””

John:John: “During my community placement I “During my community placement I found myself in situations where I found myself in situations where I couldn’t find the words and expressions I couldn’t find the words and expressions I was looking for, but I managed to explain was looking for, but I managed to explain what I meant anyway. To talk around what I meant anyway. To talk around words you don’t have in your vocabulary words you don’t have in your vocabulary is a very effective method”is a very effective method”

Reflecting enables cognitive Reflecting enables cognitive contrastingcontrasting

Finding:Finding: 50 learners acquire learning about Kiwi 50 learners acquire learning about Kiwi ways by reflecting on contrast with their cultureways by reflecting on contrast with their culture

Les:Les: “… In China, if someone saw you go to ask for “… In China, if someone saw you go to ask for a food parcel, you will be looked down upon by a food parcel, you will be looked down upon by others”others”

Harry:Harry: “Here, the culture is totally different. The “Here, the culture is totally different. The company never deducts staffs’ payments, and the company never deducts staffs’ payments, and the management didn’t even punish any staff when management didn’t even punish any staff when their mistakes had caused hundreds of thousands their mistakes had caused hundreds of thousands of dollars lost”of dollars lost”

Mohammad:Mohammad: “ “A Christian woman was leading the A Christian woman was leading the prayer whereas this kind of leading prayer by prayer whereas this kind of leading prayer by women is forbidden in Islam. We Muslims believe women is forbidden in Islam. We Muslims believe that our lord ‘Allah’ will punish us or curse us if that our lord ‘Allah’ will punish us or curse us if women leading the prayer to men”women leading the prayer to men”

ConclusionsConclusionsCommunity placement …Community placement …“…“…creates me a good opportunity to integrate creates me a good opportunity to integrate

with other culture … (to) minimize the with other culture … (to) minimize the misunderstanding between cultures and misunderstanding between cultures and religions” (religions” (Mohammad)Mohammad)

““is this unforgettable life experience” (Dana)is this unforgettable life experience” (Dana)““really is an extension of our in-class learningreally is an extension of our in-class learning” ”

(Radha)(Radha)Allows realisation “that understanding a Allows realisation “that understanding a

culture could help me to integrate into a culture could help me to integrate into a society easily” (Ivor)society easily” (Ivor)

ConclusionsConclusions• The situated learning occurring during community The situated learning occurring during community

placements can be explained by theories around placements can be explained by theories around communities of practice and imagined community.communities of practice and imagined community.

• The greater the investment, the greater the payoff.The greater the investment, the greater the payoff.• A successful instance of language socialisation A successful instance of language socialisation

stimulates learners to seek out future stimulates learners to seek out future opportunities. opportunities.

• Learners construct knowledge about the target Learners construct knowledge about the target culture and incidental world-knowledge through culture and incidental world-knowledge through such key interconnected methods as observation such key interconnected methods as observation and reflection, application and usage and and reflection, application and usage and realisation due to surprise.realisation due to surprise.

Conclusions and Conclusions and ImplicationsImplications

Reflecting on what Reflecting on what was observed was observed consolidates consolidates empirical data into empirical data into knowledge. knowledge.

Applying strategies Applying strategies and language from and language from the classroom and the classroom and other contexts helps other contexts helps learners construct learners construct images of images of themselves as themselves as communicators communicators participants.participants.

To provide a context To provide a context for language for language socialisation to socialisation to occur is to offer the occur is to offer the learner a linguistic learner a linguistic marketplace of both marketplace of both high investment high investment and, potentially, and, potentially, high returns.high returns.

Many thanks for your Many thanks for your attentionattention

Dr. Martin AndrewDr. Martin Andrew

Swinburne University MELBOURNESwinburne University MELBOURNEmbandrew@swin.edu.au