(SKKN 2022) Strategies to teach lessons related to cultural diversity for 12th graders at Nhu Xuan High School

Purpose of the research : The major aims of the study are as follows: - To investigate the teachers' and students' attitudes towards theimportance of cross- cultural knowledge to the le

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1.Reasons to choose the topic:

English, the most popular foreign language in Vietnam, has been taughtfrom the early age (at the age of six or even younger) in most of schoolsthroughout the country as a compulsory subject Thus, many Vietnamese,especially the young people, can speak English; however; not many of themhave intelligible cultural knowledge

Personally, I think that cultural gaps are one of the most important keyslead us to success in communicating genuinely and understanding the real worldoutside the classroom In order to use the language effectively, languageteachers should realize that knowledge of the world's language and culture isincreasingly important Language learners need to have mastery of not only thelanguage itself but also the culture in which the language is used Therefore, it issuggested that language teachers should focus on the integration of culture inlanguage classroom, which serves as a tool for helping students understand andappreciate other cultures

Nowadays, in teaching and learning English as a foreign language inVietnam, English has received a great deal of attention Nonetheless, English islearnt and taught in a non-native environment, students usually do not haveclose contact with native speakers of English and have little opportunity todiscover how these speakers think, feel, and interact with others That is thereason why they do not feel confident enough to converse with English teachers

or native speakers

It proves everything clear that culture and language cannot be separatedand the teaching and learning of a foreign language should always be a culture-based course So as to improve student's communicative competence, teachershould insert cross- cultural knowledge into the learning and teaching of Englishskills From my teaching experience, cultural challenges in English-class havebecome a great source of inspiration for my thesis, which deals with the

problem: "Strategies to teach lessons related to cultural diversity for 12 th graders at Nhu Xuan High School” This study is, hence, to aim at treating

cross-cultural characteristics into teaching English for the teacher and students atNhu Xuan high school

1.2 Purpose of the research :

The major aims of the study are as follows:

- To investigate the teachers' and students' attitudes towards theimportance of cross- cultural knowledge to the learning of a foreign language

- To find out the attitudes of teachers and students at Nhu Xuan highschool toward the importance of culture in learning English

- To find out the effective ways of treatment cross-cultural characteristics

into teaching English.

1.3 Method of the research.

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- Gathering the information collected from reference books and theInternet.

- Conducting a survay, discussing for experiences from my colleagues

- Giving tests for assessment

- Gathering students’ results and evaluate

1.4 Objective and Scope of the research.

The typical research object that I have boldly applied in this topic is thestudents of class 12 A2 the participation of 6 teachers who are currently teachingEnglish at my school The research was carried out during the academic year

2021 – 2022 at Nhu Xuan High School

2 CONTENTS

2.1 Theoretical basis of the problem

Language teachers and students must have a certain awareness of theforeign culture and its effect on the language being taught and learned Whendeveloping cross-cultural awareness, both learners and teachers of a foreignlanguage need to understand cultural differences Cultural differences play avery important part in teaching English Teachers often based on their activities

to teach students how to use structures, expressions instead of those in thecountry they are working Although they should get students learn to speakEnglish in the native ways, they should see that it is necessary to be more aware

of the cultural differences, so that they can help students understand and useEnglish in a native English country

Students often meet intercultural encounters in schools which can lead tomany perplexities For example, the students at Hanoi university complainedabout an American professor that their American teachers often eat bread anddrink milk on the table of the teacher in break and she did not invite theirstudents And the students felt that their teachers did not respect the students Oranother example, an American lecturer thought that the students showed theiropposition to the teachers from the first lesson, when the teacher gave questions,but no one raised their hand or gave ideas She did not understand that mostVietnamese students are unselfconfident We can see that the role of language inintercultural encounters applies entirely to the teaching situation Therefore,developing cross-cultural awareness in English foreign language classroom is anindispensable thing in teaching and learning foreign language Learning tounderstand a foreign culture should help students of another language to usewords and expressions more skills fully and authentically; to understand levels

of language and situational appropriate; to act naturally with persons of the otherculture

We need to understand that if we want our students to master anotherlanguage, we have to help them become communicatively competent in thatlanguage as much as possible Namely, fluently English is not just to master ofusing grammatically correct words and forms but also knowing when to usethem and under what circumstances That is the reason why culture is crucially

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important in learning and teaching foreign language Interest in culture is linked

to the intrinsic motivation of a learner Therefore, if the teacher can get thelearner interested in the culture of the foreign language, then they will hopefullyend up with more successful students

When considering language learning, it is clear that the learning of bothlanguages would have cultural goals, and that students would be learning theseaspects of culture in a comparative process To achieve culture goals, oftenteacher must play a role in breaking down cultural barriers prior to initiatingteaching-learning activities Student must be receptive to concept of learningabout other cultures more than their own In Vietnam, the learners learning theforeign language has a great limit in communication Thus, the easiest way tobegin teaching culture or raise students' awareness is to emphasize similaritiesand differences between members of students' s family, between schools andbetween cultures For foreign language students, language study seems senseless

if they know nothing about the people who speak the target language or thecountry in which the target language is spoken

2.2.Practical basis of the problem

The study is carried out with the participation of grade 12A2 forty threestudents at Nhu Xuan high school, most of whom are 17-18 years of age and 10English teachers at Nhu Xuan high school During the years at secondary school,the students learnt the old textbook with curriculum concentrating on grammar.They are almost beginners in English English because they were only exposed tothe language in classroom before They had no chances to learn listening andEnglish skills and the only knowledge they have is structures and theories ofgrammar Therefore, along with their difficulties in acquiring any effectivelanguage skills, a majority of the students did not have chances to know aboutwhat we call "culture" and "cross-culture" and how to use cross-cultureknowledge into English skills The English teachers need to stimulate theircuriosity about English -English cultures

A survey was conducted to convey the attitudes of the teachers andlearners towards the importance of culture in learning language The question is:

- What do you think of the role of culture in English learning? (Students)

- What do you think of the role of culture in English learning? (Teachers)

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important rather

important

not very important

students teachers

Figure 1: The students` perception of the role of culture in English learning

In overview, it can be seen that the teachers and students at Nhu Xuanhigh school share different opinions that all of the teachers hold positive ideasabout the position of culture in English language teaching With knowledge andexperience, 100% of the teachers (60% suggests that culture is very importantand 43% thinks culture is important) realize that cultural factors are veryimportant to ELT Besides, students have clear difference 42% of the studentsconsider cultural factors very important in English language teaching, 37.5 % ofthe students take it important 10% of the students think that culture is ratherimportant in English language teaching The percentage of the students thinksculture is not very important is 10% It means that almost students are aware ofthe importance of the culture However, a small number of students take no care

of the position of culture Therefore, it is easy to see that their English level istoo low to use culture knowledge in learning English

2 3 Solutions to the problems

Suggestions for treatment of cross - cultural characteristics in the teachingEnglish to grade 12A2 students of English at Nhu Xuan high school

2.3.1 Solution 1: To the teachers’ attitude

Cultural differences of communication are a common cause ofmisunderstanding and can be a cause of discomfort in cross-cultural situations.Therefore, the teachers' duty is to own basic understandings about language andculture When the awareness of culture is raised, the teachers will be able toplan, create and construct materials for effective English class Cultureknowledge is very extensive, but students do not know how to apply it tolanguage learning, so the teachers must bring it to students and help them tomaster it

Although nowadays, students play the centered role and the learner have agreat role in the management of their learning, it does not mean that the studentscan decide everything, the teachers have to be good leaders to find out thesuitable teaching methods and combine different approaches in a context Theteachers should use formal and informal instructions indifferent situations Itdepends on context and particular classes

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For the teachers, the attitudes towards culture in the teaching and learning

of English skills are very important Firstly, they must upgrade interculturalknowledge by themselves To educate students towards intercultural learningafter mastering cross-culture knowledge Eclectic methodology, an approachmixed with others, has been proved effective in the teaching and learning offoreign languages, but no matter what methodologies teachers use, they mustencourage learners' active role in studying

In the English skills, encouraging all the students in class to speak Englishand create a competitive atmosphere are very important The teachers shouldinsert interesting cross-cultural activities into lessons to attract students to takepart in Gradually, students will overcome their shyness when English Englishand feel more confident to give their own opinions on any issues

From the first day of English classes, the teacher should prepare a culturalenvironment in their classroom There are many ways to create culturalenvironment The teachers can ask students to collect and bring the class objectsrelated to some aspects of life in English-English countries These objects willhelp students develop their mental imagine about target language countries oranother way, the teachers can ask each student to find a story related to culture

of English-English skills They will have to tell their story in the next lesson

Donn Byrne (1986) has ever said that "the teachers are like conductors in

an orchestra" It means that the teachers work as actors with different roles.They organize and monitor during the beginning activities while learners arecarrying out their duty, teachers are stimulators The teachers must keep an eye

on learners' remarks They should create a comfortable environment so thatlearners can speak out The teachers should pay attention to the way learnersexpress themselves

To Vietnamese learners, the Vietnamese culture has a significantinfluence on their study in general and learning English in particular Most ofVietnamese students are quite shy, as they do not have a lot of chance to talk infront of the crowd so the teachers' the difficulties are to find out the way tomotive the students and help them motivation, get over shyness and self-esteemissues When the learners have confidence, they will feel free to express theiropinions during English activities There are many learners learning grammarand vocabularies very well, but when being asked to them present any topic,they are not fluent or do not know how to verbalize This is due to the lack ofcultural knowledge Therefore, teachers need to incorporate cultural knowledgeand convey encoding values or messages from English to Vietnamese in theirteaching

In addition, teachers should know that culture classes do not only helplearners enrich vocabularies repertoire but also aid in using the newly acquiredwords Studying culture, a learner becomes familiarized with specific words in agiven context Furthermore, one of the techniques in teaching and learning is tomake use of the mnemonic Most of the cultural issues being concrete in nature

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will be the pegs with which the new vocabulary associated Teachers apply thetechnique; the learners will associate a newly encounter word with an alreadyacquired one leading to minimization of fossilization of potential misusage ofsuch a new word.

3.2.Solution 2: Enrich the students’ cultural background knowledge

To have the comprehensive picture of the target culture from any angles,

we need to give students different kinds of information This is to help them waythey enrich their cultural knowledge The list below shows some possiblesources of information, which can be used as materials for teaching culture

In Vietnamese context, Hang's study (2004) shows that English andreading sections of textbooks are believed to have the richest content of cross-cultural exchange The teachers always stick to these sections if they want topress on any typical or prominent cross-cultural issues

During foreign language teaching process, depending on each lesson, eachsituation and students' level, the teachers should choose suitable kinds of cross-culture information to insert into the teaching lesson For example, to enrich the

background knowledge for students, when teaching unit 5: cultural diversity,

teachers can show some videos or photos for students to be aware of sometradition identities in Japan:

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In speaking skill, teacher can show some pictures about traditionalcostumes in some countries for students to make a guess.

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- In reading skill, teacher should supply some reading articles about culture and then have students play game “who is a millionaire?” to check their understanding

Unusual Customs From Around the World

Japan

Etiquette is very important in Japan, from avoiding blowing your nose inpublic to how you greet people The correct use of chopsticks is somethingmany Japanese people find essential to eating out, so it’s impolite to get itwrong To avoid any strange glares while enjoying a mountain of delicioussashimi, make sure that you don’t point them, play with them or stab them intoyour sushi

Greece

Instead of saving their teeth and placing them under a pillow for the toothfairy to collect, Greek children’s teeth are thrown on to the roof of theirhomes This unusual tradition is thought to bring good luck for the family, aswell as a healthy replacement tooth for the child!

Norway

Norwegians are another country big on cutlery etiquette, so it’s important towatch your table manners when calling at restaurants during your FjordCruise It may seem a bit extreme to you and I, but knives and forks are seen

as a must when eating out, even with a sandwich!

China

- When dining with locals and exploring the city it’s tempting to give out gifts

as a way of saying thank you But, remember to avoid giving them thefollowing gifts: clocks, handkerchiefs, shoes and anything white or black.They may seem like an innocent way of saying thank you for their lovelyhospitality, but they’re each strongly associated with death and funerals Analternative gift to pass on to your new companions is delicious sweets or freshtea

- Foot binding in China: Young girls were compelled to go through the painfulprocess of foot binding For almost a thousand years, the Chinese thought thatsmall feet were marks of beauty and desirability among girls This perceptioncaused the Chinese men and women to intentionally restrict the girls’ feetfrom growing bigger by binding them In the late 1943’s, this tradition wasstopped because of the debilitating experience that young Chinese girlssuffered from

Thailand

This is probably one of the more unusual customs to look out for, but it’s also

a lot of fun – especially for your kids! Every November, in the town of LopBuri, the locals dish up platters of fresh fruit, cakes and candy on top of tablesthat line the streets But these mouth-watering treats aren’t just for the people,they’re for the native Macaque monkeys to munch on This slightly bizarre but

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wonderful celebration is called the Monkey Buffet Festival, and is a must-see

on an Asia cruise to Thailand

Spain

Another weird and wonderful holiday is the Spanish El Colacho, which datesall the way back to 1620 Men dressed as devils group together to run andjump over babies lying on a mattress in the middle of the road Originally, thiswas seen as a way to cleanse babies of sin and prepare them for a healthy life,but we wouldn’t recommend doing this back home!

Brazil

The Satare-Mawe tribe in Brazil are more famously known for their painfullydaring ways to prove their strength and bravery For 11 hours young boysshowcase their courage by placing their hands into a woven basket full ofangry bullet ants that nip and bite their hands One bite is said to feel likeyou’re being shot – ouch!

India

India is home to so many beautiful and captivating temples, that you’re bound

to be tempted to visit during your call at Goa Before you head over to explorethese mesmerising places of worship, ensure that your legs and arms arecovered, and that you remove your shoes before entering – simple etiquettethat’ll make you a hit with the locals

Russia

Back home flowers are a great way to show someone you care, and workperfectly as a thank you gift, but in Russia it’s a little more complicated thanthat Yellow flowers are a no-go, as they symbolise infidelity and the ending

of a relationship We also recommend avoiding red Gilly flowers, as they’reoften used in cemeteries

South Korea

Writing postcards back home to brag about our amazing cruise holiday is one

of our favourite things to do, but if you’re calling at South Korea you shouldtry to avoid using red ink Historically, red pens were used to list the names ofthose who had died, and nowadays people see this as a bit of a bad omen.Malaysia

Some countries find the act of pointing with the index finger to be abrasiveand rude While members of most cultures would probably agree that pointingfingers, both literally and figuratively isn’t exactly the nicest thing in theworld, in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, this gesture can be seen asincredibly offensive Instead, it is customary to gesture towards things with thethumb as this is seen as a more polite option In many countries in Africa,pointing is reserved for inanimate objects only, not people

Using the left hand for things

For countries with Islamic roots and for those that don’t use toilet paper, usingthe left hand for eating or other activities is considered quite rude andinsulting In both cases, these cultures use the left hand for cleaning

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themselves after using the toilet, and, therefore, it is considered dirty This ruleapplies to several places around the world including much of the Middle East,Sri Lanka, India and parts of Africa To be safe, always use your right handfor greeting, handling merchandise, exchanging money, and, of course, eatingwhile spending time in any of these parts of the world.

(source: https://1travel.co/11-surprising-customs-from-around-the-world/)

1 Which country are children’s lost teeth thrown on to the roof of theirhomes?

A Greece B England C The United States D Ireland

2 What shouldn’t you use for eating when you are in Sri Lanka?

A the right hand B the left hand C the thumb D the indexfinger

3 Which country were red pens used to list the names of those who had died?

Korea

4 It is to gesture towards things with the thumb when you are

in Malaysia

5 In Russia, which color of flowers symbolises infidelity and the ending of arelationship?

6 What should you do before you enter temples in India?

A remove your shoe B cover your face

C remove your jewlerry D close your eyes

7 What kind of animals helps The Satare-Mawe tribe in Brazil showcase theircourage?

8 What is the Spanish El Colacho?

A a holiday B a custom C tradition D.a specificity

9 What is very important in Japan?

A chopsticks B shushi C ettiquete D sashimi

10 Which gifts should you give locals when you dine with them in China?

A clocks B shoes C handkerchiefs D fresh tea

11 When was footbinding stopped in China?

A in the late 1943’s C in 1943

B a thoughsand years ago D a hundred years ago

12 Where is the Monkey Buffet Festival?

3.3 Solution 3: Supply vocabulary about culture

Cultural topics can be divided into groups from specific categories suchas:

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- Group of common vocabulary about culture: religion, belief, ritual,custom, ettiquete,

- Group of noun vocabulary following cultural adjectives: culturalheritage, cultural identity, cultural diversity, cultural practice,

- Group of adjective vocabulary in front of culture nouns: contemporaryculture, native culture, long-standing culture,

- Group of verbs with cultural nouns: respect diverse cultural values,distort traditional values, strengthen/improve/enhance/foster/develop/reinforcecultural exchange

Here are the vocabulary table groups on cultural topics that I havecompiled and accumulated during the teaching process:

Group 1: Common Vocabulary About Culture

1 religion (n) -> religious (adj) tôn giáo thuộc về tôn giáo Eg: We need to respect otherpeople’s religious beliefs in

order to live in harmony withother people with different

Eg: Vietnam’s Hung Kings

worshiping ritual in Phu Tho

province becoming part of theworld’s intangible culturalheritage reflects the importance

to the Vietnamese people ofancestor worship

4 custom (n)-> customary (adj)

phong tục theo phong tụcthông thường

It’s a custom for Vietnamese

people to avoid crossing thepath of a woman when leavingthe house

có nguồn gốc ở

Eg: A lot of dishes are

originated in Italy such as

pizza, spaghetti with meat sauceand cappuccino

Eg: No one knows exactly why

the Mayan civilization came to

Eg: Let’s say no to racism

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etiquette and manners

are synonyms, but do

have slightly different

- manners are polite

behaviors that reflects

cách cư xử

Eg: Etiquette may change in

different cultures

Eg: Good manners are usually

universal and don't change indifferent cultures

Eg: Acculturation is a process

of changing so that you becomemore like people from adifferent culture or makingsomeone change in this way

Eg: We all agree that themedical profession as a whole

has a high ethical standard, but

nobody can justify that situation

đa văn hóa

giao thoa văn hóa

liên văn hóa

Eg: The UK is a multicultural

society with a wonderful mix ofpeople from many differentbackgrounds

Eg: In cross-cultural societies,

one culture is often considered

“the norm” and all othercultures are compared orcontrasted to the dominantculture

Eg: In an intercultural society,

no one is left unchanged14

respect for all

segregation (n) sự chia tách Eg: The Rev Dr Martin Luther

King fought to put an end to

racial segregation in the

Ex: In Vietnam, wedding ceremonies

in the past included a lot of

Ex: Shaking hands is the

customary way of greeting

business counterparts in Europe.

Thông thường

= Root (v)

Cultural Practice

/ˈkʌltʃərəl ˈpræk.tɪs/

Ex: Many of the cultural pactices in

India are linked to the natural

environment

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