1. By definition, the Ls in an EFL class will come from a different culture of that of the target language (English) and may have different communicative styles, different religious beliefs, different educational cultures, different attitudes to gender roles etc. Principle: It is essential that the T. (if not from the same culture as the learners) respects their beliefs and behaviour and, in a multilingual class, recognises that differences in cultural attitudes to specific issues may mean that certain topics are controversial.
2. Where differences exist, the T can show the respect mentioned in point 1 by negotiating behaviour etc with the Ls. For example, an adult Japanese learner would expect to address his teacher by the honorific title “Teacher” (sensei in Japanese) and be addressed by their title and surname – eg Mr Suzuki (Suzuki-san in Japanese). First names are only used in Japan by family, pre-school children and very intimate friends, and a Japanese learner could feel uncomfortable with the use of first names in class – especially when addressing the teacher. This is important from the first lesson of the course. The course can therefore start with the teacher asking Ls what address forms would normally be used in their culture, explaining the British/American (or whatever) conventions, and then asking the students what they (individually) would like to be called. Some may embrace the use of first names, feeling it integrates them more into English speaking culture, while others may prefer to retain their own cultural behaviour. Principle: It is the T’s job to ensure that Ls are aware of differences between their own culture and other cultures. However, it is the Ls’ right to decide to what extent they want to adopt the conventions of a different culture.
3. Even in mono-lingual classes, some topics might be divisive– eg politics or sexual orientation, with different learners having conflicting opinions. One reaction to both this and the problem outlined in point 1 is to avoid any materials that might be controversial. This has led to the PARSNIPS policy in the publication of EFL coursebooks – no references are included to politics, alcohol, religion, sex, narcotics, -isms, and pork. Many teachers also follow these guidelines when choosing materials for lessons. Principle: It may be better to avoid “sensitive” topics which could lead to disagreement and negative rapport in the c/r.
4. However, the PARSNIPS policy can be questioned. As an example, banning reference to “pork” means that not only would a (eg) European Christian learner never learn to order a ham sandwich in English, but also that Muslim learners would never learn to explain “I don’t eat pork or ham” when they were travelling or living outside Muslim countries. Principle: it is sometimes necessary to include topics from the PARSNIPS list so that Ls can express their needs, wants, opinions in the real communicative situation.
5. Similarly, in a class I had composed of a mix of (largely) Italian Catholic learners and two Muslim migrants to Italy, a discussion on the principles of the two religions led to greater understanding on both sides. I would therefore agree that these topics be excluded from coursebooks, but not that teachers (who can assess the receptiveness of the specific learners in their classes) avoid them entirely. Principle: “Sensitive” topics can usefully be included in the lesson if the T knows the class well enough to be sure the Ls will respect each other’s opinions, and that discussion will be constructive and will lead to greater intercultural understanding. This can increase rather than decrease (see point 3) positive rapport between Ls.
6. Principle: Topics used should be relevant to and engaging for learners. Some topics may be socially appropriate or inappropriate not because they are controversial but because of how interesting they might be for learners. Local and national news is an example of this. For instance, with my Italian learners, I recently used an article from the BBC website on how the multinational pizza company Domino’s has filed for bankruptcy in Italy because of failure to cope with local competition – the small “real” Italian pizzerias. The lesson included a discussion of how often the Ls ate pizza, their favourite types, the restaurants and takeaways they use etc. This was engaging for Italian learners but in another country, where pizza was not a normal part of the diet, would have provoked little interest.
7. Not only the topics in the course may be culturally unexpected but also the methodology. Learners from a culture which expects the T. to be the “knower” (eg some S.E. Asian contexts) and sees the Ls’ job as being to learn by heart the information they are given may react adversely to the sort of learner centred methodology based on active L participation, discovery learning and social constructivism which is currently used in EFL. Principle: The T needs to take into consideration the Ls expectations of educational culture. If “new” methodology is introduced, this needs to be done gradually, the Ls need to understand its purpose and advantages, and they need to see that it is successful – that they are learning more than they otherwise might
8. Principle: Communicative style is also culturally determined and must be taken into consideration. The Communicative Approach makes heavy use of personalisation activities which ask Ls to talk about their own experiences and achievements – eg a “Find someone who…” activity practising the present perfect simple might include an item such as “Have you ever won a competition?” This would be appropriate in an individualistic culture, but in a collectivist culture such as Japan would be seen as bragging, and could lead to a Japanese learner in a multi-lingual class feeling embarrassed at having to answer.
9. Principle: Despite point 6 above, whether learning English for use in an English speaking country or as an international language, learners need to understand the cultural values and behaviour of their present and future interlocutors. Thus, materials that take advantage of cultural difference in order to promote classroom discussion can be advantageous. In a monolingual class I might use videos of discussions between speakers of the Ls’ own nationality and those of the group(s) they will have to interact with and use focus questions get them to “notice” differences in communicative style – eg using questions such as “Do the speakers frequently talk at the same time?” (Yes for Italians, no for British); “Are there often short periods of silence during the conversation?” (No for British, yes for Japanese); What topics do they discuss? Would this be the same in your culture?
10. Principle: This can also be a good reason for purposely using texts, activities etc which are “outside the L’s comfort zone”, as long as the Ls are carefully prepared for these and understand why they are included. For example, to prepare a multilingual class for the “Find someone who…” activity in point 8, I might first use a cross-cultural questionnaire with items like : Which of the following would you feel comfortable discussing? a) your own greatest achievements in your life; b) the achievements of your company; c) both of these; d) neither of these. Explain why.
11. Principle: The classroom should be inclusive, and needs to take into account that some of the Ls may fall into groups which are excluded by the PARSNIPS principles – eg gay learners, who find no reflection of their own lives in globally marketed textbooks. The Quality and Equality in Learning and Teaching Materials project used in Further Education in Scotland aims to ensure that all minority groups are full represented in teaching materials – whether that involves race, gender, sexual orientation, disability or religion.
12. Brown (2013), who works in Further Education in the
UK, points out that his learners are
living in a culture where many values and norms may be different from that of
their own culture – for example that gay marriage and adoption of children by
gay couples is accepted. Principle:
Ls living in a culture with different norms and values to their own need to
discuss these to help them understand how people think, avoid getting into
trouble themselves and integrate more fully into their new society.
He therefore argues that topics the Ls find
controversial but which are part of British life should be included in the
curriculum, and points to the England and Wales FE Skills for Life courses
which are not bound by the PARSNIPS principles but discuss such topics as part
of the “Citizenship” section of the curriculum.
References and Further Reading
Brown, S. Equality, Diversity, Predjudices and Parsnips
Rose Aylett interviews Adrian Wallwork
Swift, S. Cross-Cultural Communication Part One and Part Two
