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This week’s Teacher’s Corner encourages students to think critically about the unspoken rules and expectations of different cultures. Because English is a lingua franca—a common language used by speakers with different native languages—the ability to successfully navigate different cultural expectations is becoming more and more valuable.

As noted by K. David Harrison in his book The Last Speakers, “languages abound in ‘cultural knowledge,’ which is neither genetic nor explicitly learned, but comes to us in an information package—rich and hierarchical in its structure” (p. 58). Every language has its own cultural “information package,” including English. However, because English is studied and spoken by so many different types of people from various backgrounds, there is not one set of unspoken rules or expectations for all English speakers. Rather, as teachers of English, we must prepare our students to be aware of differences and be ready to work through any potential miscommunications that may occur.

Activity: Generating a list of behaviors and planning a skit

Time: 60 minutes

Goals:

  • To help students reflect on what defines culture and to understand that different cultural groups have rules and expectations that may not always be communicated directly.
  • To listen, speak, read, and write about culture in English.

Materials: Culture Group Descriptions (Appendix A), Example Scenario (Appendix B), poster/chart paper, different color markers, student notebooks, pencils

Preparation:

  1. Decide how you will divide your class into groups. There should ideally be a minimum of four groups with 3 to 6 students in each one. If you have a small or large class, adjust groups accordingly.
  2. Prepare copies of the Culture Group Descriptions and cut them into fourths for distribution. Note that each group of students will be assigned a single culture description (1, 2, 3, or 4). If your class is divided into more than four groups, you can assign the same description to multiple groups, but each group will need its own copy.
  3. Figure out how you will share the Example Scenario with students, such as by projecting it or making copies.

Procedure:

  1. Begin by asking students what they think culture means. They can discuss this in small groups or as a whole class.
  2. Create a Culture Thinking Map on chart/poster paper by writing culture in a circle in the middle. As students share their ideas with the class, draw lines coming out of the circle to record students’ responses.
  3. Explain to students,  “Every cultural group has visible or spoken elements that are easy to see and understand. These are things like common celebrations, foods, clothing, and music. Additionally, we can also observe common ways of interacting such as greetings and goodbyes. However, every culture also has rules and expectations that are not discussed, directly taught, or easy for other people to see.”
  4. Tell students that they are going to participate in an activity to examine some of the parts of culture that are not as easy to see.
  5. Have students get into groups according to the plan you prepared before starting the activity.
  6. Continue by explaining that each group will be assigned one description of a fictional culture. Working together, the groups should discuss the description and write down a list of behaviors they believe that members of their assigned cultural group would show in a conversation or interaction.
  7. Model this portion of the activity by choosing one or two of the characteristics from a Culture Group Description. Talk to students about what behaviors a person might show during a conversation or interaction as a result of each characteristic. Record responses in a chart as shown below.

Characteristic of Culture

Corresponding Behavior
  • Low level of gestures
  • Does not talk with hands or explain things using movements
  • Direct eye contact is a sign of respect 
  • Looks people in the eyes during conversation
  1. Have students create the same chart in their notebooks. Working together, each group should discuss the characteristics from the assigned description. Students should write down a list of behaviors they believe that members of their assigned cultural group would show in a conversation or interaction.
  2. Once groups have had adequate time to prepare a list of behaviors, tell students that they will now be given an example scenario. Say, “Using this scenario and the list of behaviors you wrote, your group will create a skit. The skit must be about the example scenario and the actors must demonstrate as many of the behaviors as possible. You will perform this skit for the rest of the class. Based on your skit, your classmates will try to determine some of the characteristics of your culture, so keep this in mind as you are working.”
  3. Display or distribute the example scenario, review it with students, and answer any questions they may have.
  4. As groups work on writing their skits, move around the room to ensure students understand the assignment. Note that not every student from a group must act in the skit, but all group members should help to write it.
  5. Students should write down a script or at least an outline of their skit in their notebooks in order to continue during the next class.
  6. Provide time for students to practice their skits. If needed, review each group’s culture description, list of behaviors, and skit to offer suggestions.
  7. After the activity is complete, collect all materials for use during upcoming classes.

In the next activity in this month’s Teacher’s Corner, students will perform and observe skits and work with classmates to describe each culture group.

Reference:

Harrison, K. D. (2010). The Last Speakers: The Quest to Save the World’s Most Endangered Languages. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.

 

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Reflecting on Hidden Cultural Rules - Part One
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This session, "Creating a Positive Classroom Community," explains how to successfully foster relationships among learners to create a sense of purpose and belonging in the classroom, resulting in greater student participation and rapport. During the session, the presenter will share examples of successful classroom community building activities, strategies, and techniques to implement not only on the first day of school, but throughout the year. By the end of the session, participants will have multiple activities that can be easily implemented into their own classroom in order to build a positive classroom learning community.

Author: Mari Bodensteiner Format: Text, Video
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1.1 Presentation Slides
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Teacher's Corner Article
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For some students, it can be intimidating to share pieces of their writing. Students might be worried that their writing isn’t as strong as that of their classmates, or they might feel that the content of their writing is too personal to share out loud. Promoting a positive learning environment and cultivating personal relationships among students can help alleviate some of the anxiety that students may feel when sharing their writing. This week’s Teacher’s Corner focuses on sharing personal information—through student writing. In this activity, students introduce and meet a classmate through a written journal discussion. The activity is designed to get students comfortable sharing their writing in a low-stakes activity, while also building their personal relationships.

Level

Intermediate and above

Skills

Writing

Goals

During this activity, students will be able to

  • Write and respond to questions about themselves

Materials

  • Pencil/pen and paper

Preparation

  • Put students into pairs in advance of class. Try to pair students who do not know one another.

Procedure

  1. Introduce the activity by putting students into pairs and explaining that today they will “meet” their partner through a written conversation.
  2. Tell students to take out a piece of paper and to fold it in half lengthwise. (See Appendix A for an example.)
  3. Tell students that they are going to write three sentences, on the left side of the paper, to introduce themselves.
  4. Give students a few minutes to write.
  5. Once students have written their three sentences, tell them to trade papers with their partners. Encourage them to stay quiet since this activity is focused on communicating through writing.
  6. Now tell students that on the right side of the paper, they are going to write a response to their partners’ sentences. Their response is going to be in the form of a follow-up question. Tell them that the question should not be a yes/no question, but one that requires a fuller answer. This means they should write wh- questions (These are questions that begin with the words who, what, when, where, why, or how.).
  7. After students write their follow-up question on the right side of the paper, they should then hand the paper back to their partners.
  8. Students will then write a short response to their partners’ questions with some additional, related information and then hand the paper back to their partners for another question.
  9. Students will continue to work with their partner on this for 7-10 minutes, or until you observe that they have had a full conversation.
  10. Once enough time has passed, tell students to take their own papers back and to write a one-paragraph summary on the back, explaining what they now know about their partners.

Variations

As an alternative structure, you could have students work in groups of 3-5 students. Students then pass their papers to the left, and all members of their group will write a question before the paper returns to the student for response. With bigger groups, students will have a greater variety of questions and more to respond to during the conversation.

Depending on students’ level of language, you can vary the number of sentences students should write in their responses.

Finally, this style of written conversation can be used beyond personal introductions and adapted to fit a brainstorming assignment or a peer review assignment.

Appendix A

Responses

Questions

My name is Daniel and I’m studying engineering here at the university. I want to be a mechanical engineer and design better, more efficient cars. I’m married with two children.

How old are your children and

what are their names?

My daughter, Ella, is 10 years old and my son, Hector is 6 years old. I love them so much and have so much fun spending time with them.

What kinds of things do you like to do

with your children?

We love to go to the park on weekends and fly kites. My daughter is getting really good at it, but my son is a little too slow and small to get the kites flying high. 

How did you become interested in flying kites?

My dad was a kite maker in his spare time when I was young. He would take me to kite races and enter competitions. I don’t do competitions anymore, but I still like to go out with a kite.

What do you like to do in addition to flying kites?

 

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Week 4 Activity
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Most classes start with an icebreaker activity on the first day of class as a way to connect students and to create a more comfortable and welcoming environment. After the first day, however, teachers and students often refocus their efforts on the content of the course and do not continue building the classroom community. Although the course content is very important, teachers and students must remember, as discussed in the introduction, that a well-developed sense of community can play a vital role in students’ ability to learn content and achieve the course’s expectations and goals. Therefore, it is important to continue developing and nurturing student-to-student and student-to-teacher relationships to build a strong sense of community. In this week’s Teacher’s Corner, you will learn about a daily activity that can help everyone in the class get to know each other a little bit better. 

Level

Any Level

Goals

During this activity, students will be able to

  •  Learn some personal details about their classmates
  •  Share some personal details about themselves
  • Nurture stronger relationships with classmates and teacher(s) 

Materials

  • Pencil/pen and paper
  •  Magazines, pictures, colored pencils, or any available art materials 

Preparation

  • This activity is intended to occur regularly on a daily or weekly basis for at least part of a course session.
  • Gather any available art materials and have them ready each day for class. Materials could include colored pencils, magazines, colored paper, paper, glue, tape, markers, etc.
  • Write the following questions on the board for the first day of the activity
    • What is your name
    • Where do you live?
    • Who lives in your home with you?
    • What is your favorite subject in school
    •  What is your favorite thing to do when you arrive home from school each day?
    • What is your favorite English word?

Procedures

1.     On the first day of this activity, explain to students that they are going to develop a profile of themselves to share with their classmates (see Appendix A for an example). The profiles will be collected and posted on the walls around the room. Every day (or every week), students will add another piece of information to their profile and share the new information with two different classmates. The class will work on the profiles for several weeks until everyone in the class learns a little bit about everyone else.

2.     Turn students’ attention to the board and the questions you wrote earlier. Explain that today they will create a profile using any of the art materials available. For example, students can create a collage of pictures and write their answers on the paper, or students can draw pictures and write their answers to the questions.

a.            Explain that they will need to save room on their profiles so that they can add more information later.

b.            Also, tell students that the teacher will be making a profile as well since you are a part of the class.

3.     Give students ample time to work on this activity, with anywhere from 15-30 minutes on the first day. After creating the profiles on the first day, adding information to them in future classes can be done in 5-7 minutes.

4.     When students have finished creating their profiles, ask everyone to hang their profiles around the room.

5.     Divide the class in half. Ask one half of the students to stand by their profiles and introduce themselves. Ask the other half of the students to circulate around the room to read the profiles and meet the students.

a.            For example, ask the visiting students to go and stand by a presenter and his or her profile. Tell the students they will have 1 minute to meet the presenter and ask questions. Then, after the minute is up, clap your hands and tell students to move to the left to meet the next presenter.

b.            Do this for as much time as you have available. When the first group is finished presenting, switch the students. The visitors are now presenters and the presenters are now visitors.

c.            Even if you only have time for students to visit 2 or 3 students, remember that this activity will continue for a few weeks. All students will eventually meet each other.

d.            Include yourself as a presenter and visitor in the activity so that you and your students feel that you are a part of the community.

6.     Once the activity is finished, leave the profiles hanging on the walls to return to the next class.

7.     Finally, ask for a volunteer to come up with a question to ask everyone for the next class. What do students want to know about their classmates? Tell the volunteer that he or she will need to bring the question to the next class.

8.     At the beginning of the next class, ask the volunteer to write the question he or she developed on the board. 

Variations

For younger learners or beginning writers, try having students use pictures or drawings to describe their answers. The students can still participate in the oral sharing activity but don’t need to worry about the written part of the activity. Another alternative is to vary the questions for your students based on their age, interests, and level of English. You could write the questions initially, as shown in this activity, or the students could begin the activity by writing the questions.

 

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Personal Profiles
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The success of a class can depend on the transparency of its expectations and outcomes. When expectations and outcomes of a course are unclear, both students and teachers can become frustrated and struggle with the course. Making the expectations and outcomes of the course clear from the first day can help to overcome these challenges. One common way to make course expectations transparent is for the teacher to create a syllabus explaining the requirements and then review the syllabus with students at the beginning of the course. However, although using a syllabus does make expectations and outcomes clear, it doesn’t support the creation of a strong classroom community. A more effective strategy would be to involve students in the process of defining the expectations and requirements of the course. When students are asked to explain their own expectations for the course, the teacher, and their own learning, they are given a responsibility in the course from its beginning. This week’s Teacher’s Corner presents an activity that involves both the teacher and the students in defining the expectations and rules of a course.

Level

Any level

Materials

  • Pencil and paper
  • Chalk and chalkboard, or markers and whiteboard

Procedure

1.     Explain that today everyone is going to work together to make the rules of the class. Everyone will first work in small groups to develop rules for both the teacher and students. Once each group shares the rules they’ve come up with, the class will vote on the rules and make a final list of rules that will be used for the duration of the class.

2.     Put students into groups of three. If it is the first or second day of class, simply group students according to where they are sitting.

3.     Tell students that for 5-7 minutes they will discuss what rules are important for a student to be successful. For example, when should students arrive in this class in order to be successful? What should we do if a student is late to our class? How much time is late—5 minutes, 10 minutes? Encourage students to have a rule and explain the consequences if the rule is broken.

a.            Have one person in the group write the rules on a piece of paper to eventually share with the class.

b.            Once each group completes their list of rules, send one member of the group to the board to write the rules they developed.

4.     Once each group has posted their set of rules on the board, tell all of the groups to look at the rules posted by their classmates and write down any rules that they like that were not on their original list.

5.     As the students work in their groups to review the lists of rules on the board, you can work to make a master list of all of the rules—a single list of all the rules without any overlap. For example, several groups might write that students should only speak English in class; therefore, repeated rules can be erased. If there are any variations on the same rule, include each variation.

6.     Once the students have reviewed all of the rules, bring the class back together and ask if there is anything they would like to add to the master list of rules. Remind them that this is their chance to help define the classroom rules.

a.            As the teacher, you may add some rules you think are necessary or not included on the lists from the students. For example, you might feel it’s important that students ask to go to the bathroom and would want to add that to the list.

7.     As a class, go through each rule with the students and ask them to vote on the rules.

a.            If there is a rule with a couple of variations, ask the students to vote on the variation to come up with a final rule.

b.            For any rules that are voted out, cross them out on the board. Circle the rules that students vote for.

8.       Once the voting is finished, explain that you will turn this into a master list to be presented at the next class. Each student will sign a copy, and a copy will be posted in the classroom to remind students of the expectations.

9.     Once the rules for students are created, repeat the activity so that students can make a set of rules and expectations for the teacher.

a.            Tell students to work in their groups to devise a set of rules and expectations for the teacher. Begin by asking them, what have past teachers done that they find helpful? What have past teachers done that is unhelpful to their learning? For example, how important is it for you to get feedback on assignments? How much time should the teacher have before returning a grade?

b.            Go through the same steps as before: students come up with a set of rules that they share with the class; take time to review and adjust the rules as necessary; vote on the final set of rules; share and post this final set.

10.  Use the rules throughout the term and make sure to reinforce them so that they retain their value. Students will appreciate having a say in how their class operates and will be more likely to abide by rules that they devised.

Variations

Some schools and teachers have rules in place that cannot be altered. For example, some departments have an attendance policy that serves the whole department. Students do not have a say in changing the policy and must abide by the policy. If this is the case, explain what the rules are and that they are not in the power of the class to change. Make sure that these rules are included on the final list of rules and expectations. Still, give students a chance to make rules in areas that are up for debate. Even if students only have a say in a few rules, they will be more likely to participate when the reasons behind rules are transparent or when they have created the rules themselves.

Another variation to consider is a teacher veto (or, rejection of a rule). You may explain at the beginning of the activity that you have the power to veto (or, reject) a rule that you deem unfair or excessive. If there is a rule that you simply cannot enforce, or that you refuse to enforce, then make that clear to students. For example, the students vote that the teacher should bring candy to class every Friday. You might think this is impossible or too expensive. Explain to the students why you will veto the rule.

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Making Expectations Clear
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Some simple changes to how teachers present and structure a class at the beginning can promote a positive classroom community. Starting out strong can have big benefits for both teachers and students, and a strong start can have a lasting impact on how students feel about their classroom experiences. When students feel more positive about their learning experiences and feel a greater sense of belonging, they are more motivated and engaged in class—which leads to more successful learning.

This week’s Teacher’s Corner offers a series of tips for starting out strong by setting the right tone in a class and preparing all learners to feel that they are important members of the classroom community.

Level

Any level

Creating a Sense of Belonging

The way you design and use the space in the classroom can be a vital component to building your classroom community. Imagine how different a conversation feels when you speak to someone while looking at them, versus speaking to someone from another room. When you are in different rooms, do you feel as connected to the person or conversation? Most people do not. This goes for our students as well. They often feel more encouraged to participate when people are looking at them and listening to them. To increase the feeling of connectedness in class, use the space of your classroom to encourage discussion and shared experiences. Here are some ways to set up your classroom space to do this. Notice that some techniques are quite simple and easily implemented.

  • Have students sit in a circle facing each other. Even if the desks in your class cannot be moved, occasionally have students stand or sit in a circle to discuss a new topic or to hear a new lecture. When students can see everyone else in the class, they are more likely to pay closer attention and be encouraged to participate more fully in the class.
  • Get down on their level. Teachers can seem intimidating and unapproachable because they are standing at the front of a room while students are sitting and facing them. Instead, step away from the board or your desk and move among the students. If a student is working and asks a question, kneel or sit down so that you are at eye level with the student. By moving through the class and interacting with students on their level, you can give students a sense of importance and reduce their intimidation toward you. When students can interact with a teacher in a way that makes them feel more comfortable and included, then students are more likely to pay attention and participate.
  • Use body language to make all students feel included. For example, when a student is answering a question, instead of looking only at the student answering, look both at the student and also at the other students in the class. By doing so, you are showing that you are listening to the student and also checking that other students are listening as well. Another opportunity for using body language is to scan the room regularly and not just focus on one part of the room. Teachers often find that they regularly look to only one part of the room or only to certain students; however, in doing so, they are neglecting other learners. The students that are ignored quickly recognize this and may start to lose interest or become less likely to participate. Scanning the room regularly by looking at all parts of the classroom and at all groups of students helps you to connect with students and keep their attention.
  • Learn students’ names, and encourage students to use the names of their classmates. Think about a time when someone has forgotten your name. How did it make you feel? On the other hand, can you remember a time when someone, surprisingly, remembered your name? How did that make you feel? Students have these same feelings when teachers (and other students) remember or don’t remember their names. Learning each other’s names can be a small but important step in creating a sense of belonging in a classroom community. If you have trouble remembering students’ names, ask them to wear nametags, or use placards with their names written in large letters. Eventually, both you and the other students will learn the names of everyone in the class.

Using Inclusive Language

  • Praise and validate learners on a regular basis. When students participate and give correct answers, do two things: thank them for their participation, and praise them for their answer. For example, you could say, “Thank you, Maria, for giving the correct answer. Great work.” Not only will the student feel encouraged to try again, but other students will see that participating in class is a positive experience. If a student answers incorrectly, it is important that you still thank him or her for participation and gently encourage or redirect the student to the correct answer. For example, you could say, “Thank you, Thomas, for answering. Why did you choose this answer?” You could also say, “Thank you, Thomas, for raising your hand. Do you remember when we talked about the past tense? Can you think of any exceptions to adding an –ed to the end of a verb?” Always give students a chance to come to the answer on their own. If they look discouraged, remind them that they are doing great, then give them a question that they can answer. Another alternative, when a student gives an incorrect answer, is to thank the student for participating and then ask all students to turn to their neighbors to discuss the question. After students have discussed the question, ask the original student if he or she has thought of a different answer.
  • Use and encourage the language and media of learners. Our students communicate in a variety of ways, and there are a number of ways that you can incorporate the many modes of communication available and familiar to students. Connect students through social media so that they can exchange information in and outside of class. Try setting up a social media account for students to use during class as a way to comment on a discussion or lecture. Use clicker software or phone apps that give students a different way to answer questions. There are clicker software and phone apps that ask students questions through a poll or survey. You then share the number where students can text their answers. You can see the results of the poll or survey (results can be anonymous or linked to students’ names) and use the results to adjust your lesson as needed. Many students are much more comfortable communicating through a phone or computer than in person and, for some activities, encourage this. By using different media, you can ensure that learners will participate fully and comfortably in the class through multiple channels of communication.
  • Highlight commonalities within the class. What experiences, attitudes, and aspects connect students in your class? How can you help to define your classroom community in a positive way that unites them as a community? One possibility is to use an assignment to differentiate the students from another class or group of students. For example, “In this class, we will spend a little extra time on X, unlike the other class, so that you will be better prepared to… This might take extra time on your part, but as students in the class, you will finish the course with a greater sense of…” Once students recognize that they are in a project or experience together, they develop a sense of shared responsibility to their community. This sense of responsibility can increase participation and motivation since students may not want to be seen as running counter to their community.

Using one—or all—of these tips can help to create and support a feeling of community in the classroom. Even the simple act of encouraging the use of each other’s names will prove fruitful in uniting your students for the duration of your class.   

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Tips for Starting out Strong
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This month’s Teacher’s Corner explores the uses of gerunds and infinitives, how to use them, and when. This week we will conclude our gerund and infinitives activities by practicing giving and receiving travel advice.

Level

Intermediate to Advanced

Language Focus

Speaking, listening (primary focus); reading, writing (secondary focus)          

Goals

During this activity students will

  • Practice using infinitives and gerunds in the context of travel and learning about the world
  • Practice speaking and listening skills offering travel advice on a particular country

Materials

  • Teacher: whiteboard or chalkboard, markers or chalk, a timing device
  • Students: pencils or pens, notebooks or writing paper, recording devices (optional)

Preparation

This activity takes place during two separate class periods. Part One includes a homework assignment for the students to research a country. Part Two uses the completed homework for a speaking and listening activity.

  1. Read through all the materials carefully.
  2. Print the Travel Notes in Appendix 1. Make enough copies so that each student has one to complete as homework.
  3. Before class begins, write on the chalkboard the prompts and sentence structures from Appendix 1 so that the class can do an example version together.
  4. For Part Two of the activity, have one blank sheet of paper for each student to write down the name of the country they researched.
  5. Optional: On individual slips of paper, write down the names of countries. There should be the same number of countries as students in the class. Place these slips of paper in a hat or box.

Activity Part One: Homework – Travel Research

1. Begin this section of the activity by directing the students’ attention to the board.

2. Give the students time to read through the sentences written on the board. Then ask the class, “If someone came to our country to visit, what should he or she know before arriving?”

3. As a class work through the prompts on the board, filling in the information about your own country.

  • Note: An optional approach is to have students form pairs or small groups and work together to fill out the information. Then each group can share their ideas with the class.

4. After filling in all the information, provide each student with a copy of the Travel Notes from Appendix 1.

5. Explain to the students that for homework they should research another country and fill in the information on the sheet about that country.

  • Note: If students are likely to all pick the same country or similar countries, you can have students draw the names of countries out of a hat or box to ensure students all pick different countries.

Activity Part two: Travel Fair

1. After students have had the opportunity to do their research homework, begin the class by having students present their homework.

2. As students get out their homework, give each student a blank sheet of paper to use as a sign. Have the students write down the name of their country on the paper. The writing should be large enough to see from a distance.

3. Next, split the class into two groups, Group A and Group B.

  • Group A: During this turn, Group A are the travel advisers. Have them place their signs at their desk and have their travel notes ready.
  • Group B: Have the students in Group B move around the room and look at the country signs. These students should find a country to which they would like to travel. These students will also need a pen and paper to take notes about the countries they visit.

4. During this exercise have students in Group B ask questions to students in Group A about their country. The Group A students should answer the questions and provide the information they wrote down in the travel notes for homework. Students in Group B should take notes about the information they have learned.

5. After the Group B students have visited several countries, have the groups switch roles. This time, Group B presents their countries’ information, and the students in Group A visit the countries.

6. Conclude this portion of the activity by having students share the information they learned about the country they most want to visit.

 

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Week 4 Activity
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Unscramble the letters to form words that fit the Clues in this Lighter Side puzzle!

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THE LIGHTER SIDE What’s the Connection?
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In this activity, students discuss one of their favorite topics—themselves! The activity involves listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and it can be adapted for almost any language feature.

 
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TRY THIS Guess Who?
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Learn how teacher Olga Afanasieva works through challenges to create opportunities for student success in this edition of My Classroom.

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MY CLASSROOM Ukraine
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