Week 10 Post: Racial Genetic Differences = 0.5%

Blog Post 10

March 19, 2012

Ibrahim, Kubota, Rich

Ibrahim’s article, Becoming Black: Rap and Hip-Hop, Race, Gender, Identity and the Politics of ESL Learning, brings up an extremely interesting topic that I have never considered before but makes so much sense. When Black immigrants come to the US, how are they accepted into the social structure? Who do they associate with? And most interesting of all, “what does it mean for a Black ESL learner to acquire Black English as a second language (BESL)? (349)” As an educator, this seems to be something that we need to observe in our students. How are they acquiring their English and who do they want to associate with? When we find the answers to those questions, we can figure out how best to help the student. If they want to be part of a certain group, we should encourage their BESL but also help them understand Standard English for academic purposes.

Notes to self: Moments of identification: where and how they see themselves reflected in the mirror of their society. Social imaginary: directly implicated in how and with whom they identified, which in turn influenced what they linguistically and culturally learned as well as how they learned it. Black stylized English, which they accessed in and through Black popular culture.

The date of this article is 1999. So this article is somewhat out-dated. The terms that are used within it seem somewhat bothersome, such as “black talk,” “black stylized English,” and when talking about black talk it states, “Black talk has its own grammar and syntax. BSE, on the other hand, refers to ways of speaking that do not depend on a full mastery of the language.” If this isn’t othering, I don’t know what is. Describing the way a culture speaks then saying it does not depend on full mastery of the language? I know that this is not meant in any sort of degrading manner and I’m sure it is very hard to describe it in other ways, but I could see a lot of people taking offense to this. In all of our methods courses we are taught to not correct a student’s AAVE, but when responding to it phrase their question in Standard English to model for them. Maybe it is the 1999 copy write date, but I would like to see if this article was written in 2012 how certain things would be phrased differently.

Kubota and Lin’s article, Race and TESOL: Introduction to Concepts and Theories, discusses how race and ethnicity are seen in the TESOL field. It also brings up the idea of how social categories such as gender and sexual identities are explored in the field. A quote that I think is very powerful in this article is, “Rather than being silenced by the discomfort of discussing race, racialization, and racism, the field of TESOL could initiate unique and vibrant inquiries to build on these topic and investigate how they influence identity formation, instructional practices, program development, policy making, research and beyond (473).” It then goes on to discuss that this article is to provide TESOL professionals with a springboard for future exploration. I think this article does a great job of doing this. For example, they go into race, ethnicity and culture. They quote a scientist who states that the genetic differences between different races in the human species is only 0.5%. I have heard this before, well I have heard 1% before, and this is something teachers need to be armed with (the knowledge that is) when in the classroom. When trying to discuss or placate racial/ethnical disputes/discussions, TESOL teachers should be able to throw facts out like that to open their students eyes. I think that this statistic should be more well known by the public. I mean honestly, if everyone knew this statistic, it would probably change the way some people think about other races. We are 99.5% the same, why should we keep looking for more differences? The only differences that are involved are those presented in cultural aspects of certain races, not the race itself.

Week 8 Post: Images as a Discourse

Blog Post 8

March 5, 2012

Taylor-Mendes 2010

A 3.1, A 3.2, B 3.2, B 3.3

While reading Taylor-Mendes’ piece, I had a hard time taking in the argument. I’m am not sure why I feel this way. There is, I have noticed, some strong rhetoric being used throughout the piece. While I understand that it is important to have textbooks and images that do not just meet the ideal English speaking target audience, I have a hard time problematizing it as much at the author in the article does. I totally agree with a lot of what is being said. But making yourself as an author seem self-loathing and making the rest of the audience who fall into the similar demographics feel as though they should self-loath, is a problem. It can be a turn off for a lot of people and how it did with me, leave a bad taste in my mouth.

I do not believe that many educators “dismiss and ignore the sociopolitical reality in which EFL is taught.” Educators are educated people, and while I am not an in-service educator just yet, I feel that even though I am pre-service I have the common sense and understanding that yes, majority of the images are in fact stereotypical. I do believe that it is something to be problematized, but I feel as though the article is putting a lot of the blame or focus on the teacher. We have to keep in mind that the main audience that the producers are appealing to is of the White, middle class demographics. The producers need someone to gear it towards and trying to incorporate every culture or race or lifestyle in the textbook is near impossible. I feel almost compelled to say that it would be complete reverse stereotyping (if such a term exists) and it would leave the audience feeling patronized. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely think that having all different types of cultures, lifestyles and races incorporated is a must, but it needs to be something that comes naturally and should not be over dramatized and/or analyzed. I think that our society is moving to a more diverse mentality and the discourse of images will soon follow.

Further in the article Fatima talks about what she thinks of American based on the images. She believe that America is clean and peaceful, free from poverty and violence. While we all know that this is far from the truth, it is what we portray in our images. Fatima knows that it is impossible for a land to be as happy as America is portrayed, so our images are not fooling anyone. During the study, the White participants were more likely to comment on the racial stereotypes in the images than the non-White participants were. I find that interesting and I wonder why that this was so. The article brings up many good topics to be talked about. It makes the reader critically think what exactly does an American look like? The ideas that we have can be stereotypical, but most often it is something that we are not aware of and it is subconscious. It is a way of life that we have fallen into over many years. But as I stated earlier, I believe it is something that will change naturally and the years go on. We are only on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to complete erasing all stereotypes conscious and unconscious. Pushing it, I believe, is damaging and patronizing.

Week 7 Post: English as the Lingua Franca

Week 7 Post

Marra, M. (2008)

McKay & Bokhorst-Heng Chapter 6

Baker, W. (2006)

I have learned in other classes about the lingua franca, but Baker’s article really explains and problematizes the idea. I found it fascinating the study that he performs and writes about. He provides data that highlight the luminal manner in which cultural frames are employed and perceived of in ELF communication. Baker poses a good question, what would communication through ELF might mean for an understanding of the relationships between languages and cultures? He believes that ELF needs to move beyond the traditionally conceived target language and target culture relationship to incorporate an awareness of dynamic hybrid cultures and the skills to successfully negotiate them.

There are quite a few draw backs for using English as the lingua franca or any language for that matter. Baker believes that it can be way oversimplified. We have to think about all parties involved. We have native speakers and then there are speakers who have learned the language specifically for the lingua franca. The language that the non-natives speakers will speak will most likely be very different than what native speakers speak. I can only imagine the communication gaps there could be. There needs to be a richer understanding for the fluid and diverse relationships between languages and cultures to mix.

The norms of the native speaking English “circle” are vast. This has to do with pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary choice. As Baker suggests, native-speaker cultural assumptions and frames of reference are equally out of place as the non-natives speakers’ frames of reference.

Baker prefaces his research with the statement “it is necessary to construct a conception of English that accepts a plurality of Englishes and an understanding that English is not seen as the property of one culture or community (Baker 2006).” We have to keep in mind, just like in our classrooms, that the English language is extremely dependant on who is speaking in and involved in the communication act at hand. There are very different “dialects” and isoglossic regions in the US alone that affect the language. He goes on the say that Kachru’s concentric circles are problematic in the sense that they fail to clearly distinguish between regions, nationalities, and users of English. He makes a point to state that English cannot be thought of as a linear and monolithic.

I was not aware that the terms English as a lingua franca is a way of referring to communication specifically between to speakers with different first languages using English. I always has in mind that one speaker would be native. I find Jenkins definition interesting in how he differentiates the speaks as participants who have different “linguacultures” whether they are categorized as native speakers, second language users, or foreign language users.

While this is all very interesting and important, I struggle to connect it with my teaching endeavors. If it ever is decided that English becomes the lingua franca, it would most definitely affect me as an English teacher. Would this cause me to teacher English is a different way? Would Standard English become more valued and enforced? It seems like my job would become a lot more important. While I don’t believe that there ever will be a lingua franca, it is something to be aware of and realize that it could affect me and my classroom.

Week 6 Post: The Influence of Culture in Writing

Blog Post Week 6

Connor, U. (2003)

Kubota, R. (2003)

Kubota, R. (1999)

February 20, 2012

While reading Kubota’s 1999 article, I was constantly asking myself, “what does all this mean in the classroom?” It is very interesting and useful to understand the Japanese culture, I can see why certain stereotypes have come about. But as a teacher, what does this knowledge do to help me in a TESOL classroom? In Kubota’s article he states that in Japanese classrooms, empathy in writing is more often encouraged that any sort of creativity or critical thinking within writing. As teachers, is that something we break? Is their writing wrong? I believe that we shouldn’t try to change their way of writing, but we should open them up to critical thinking and creativity within their writing. I have also read that they tend to use the passive tense while writing, which is frowned upon in many classrooms. We should bring this to their attention but praise them for their unique writing skills but give them proper techniques and skills to improve on the aspects in which they are struggling. I can only imagine how foreign and strange Western-like writing must be for them.

While reading this article, certain writing activities come to mind. The article states that Asian cultures work for a common goal, and create harmony within a working group. Possibly problem-based learning/writing could benefit these students. While working with a common goal in mind, the students are writing and learning as they have been taught, to work together in a group. In order to create individuality within this activity, students should be responsible for their own writing, and then have all of their individual work put together to make/solve the main “problem” at hand. This way Asian students feel comfortable working towards a group goal but are working on individual tasks in order to improve the group’s goal.

In Kubota’s second article, we read a narrative on Barbra who is a new, naïve, teacher. She is quite sheltered culturally speaking and learns a lot from others about culture. When she thought she was being helpful, she was actually creating more stereotypes and dichotomy in for the cultures. By having the students compare and contrast their culture and America, she is pigeon-holing many aspects of both cultures. It is very hard to compare and contrast two cultures because everyone experiences their culture differently. I guess you could find the most common type of writing practice in both cultures and compare and contrast them, but in the end, what is that helping? It’s not helping students write better, it only makes them feel inferior to the American/Western culture and writing style.

These articles were interesting and got me thinking about how I will handle ELL students in my classroom. You want them to feel comfortable and accepted, but by pointing out differences, you may set that back. By showing them what they specifically do in their writing, and showing them how they can improve on their writing, they benefit the most. The aspect of culture may make a difference on how students write, but they don’t need to fall into that box that they feel confined in.

Week 5 Post: The Perpetuation of Stereotyping and Racism

Blog Post Week 5

Holliday et. al. A 2.1, A 2.2, A 2.3

Kuma Chapt 5

Kuma (2003)

In the Holliday texts, we read several stories about individuals that we as educators will most likely come into contact with. The first scenario, with the Amis-like family, is something that we may need to pay specific attention to as to not offend our students as well as not to patronize them as we read later in the chapter as well.
While the main thing to keep in mind is not only to not “other” someone or a culture, but understand why we subconsciously “other” someone. It is hard to not subconsciously other someone because it is basic human nature to be opposed to something so different from yourself. When we understand this and act on it, we can start to change how we outwardly act.

In Kumaravadivelu’s article on Cultural stereotypes, I found it interesting how using a blanket term “Asian” for the various types of cultures is a problem. I am guilty in using this blanket term and did not know the problems from it. Also it states that a common stereotype for an Asian is that they lack critical thinking skills. That is a stereotype that I have never heard either. I do however, feel the need to question the purpose of Kumaravadivelu’s extreme explanations of his specific findings that prove these stereotypes wrong. He goes on and on problematizing each stereotype, which I believe is a good thing. But for some reason that I can’t explain, I don’t feel like he is making the greatest point. I see that these stereotypes are not correct. Wouldn’t most people who are reading scholarly journal articles agree as well? But that, alas, is another stereotype I just made.

It is easy to see that it is almost impossible to not stereotype something/one in some way subconsciously. Everyone does it. And if stereotypes (some) aren’t at least true in some tiny way, where the heck did they come from? We should not let them dictate out beliefs in any means, but I think it is important to try to understand maybe where they came from and if there is some possibility of validity in it.

Something else that caught my eye was when the article states that a time that gives an Asian student who is learning their L2 the most anxiety is when they need to participate in class. That is so sad. I wonder what are some ways around this and how can teachers make this transition easier and less stressful. In our methods classes we are taught to get all of the students involved as much as possible, but if it truly gives a student tremendous anxiety and fear, that would defiantly hinder their learning and possibly traumatize them.

What does this specifically mean? “I have come across U.S. students who are excellent critical thinkers. I have also come across U.S. students who seem to believe that critical thinking is hazardous to their intellectual health (Kuma 2003 713).”

What I found most interesting in this article was when it talked about why we stereotype. The idea that we may stereotype because aversive racism. That idea that stereotypes are ingrained by a racist system and perpetuated by aspects of contemporary culture seems reasonable, especially being perpetuated by contemporary culture. We all know that stereotyping is wrong, but we usually laugh at comedians who make jokes about it, as long as it is not mean. Those comedians are usually making those jokes about their own race because that makes it “ok.” But does it really? It just continues to perpetuate stereotypes, even if it is within one’s own culture/race. Because when someone from outside that race or culture sees them making jokes, they laugh and think, “well if they think it’s true, it must be true.” This is perpetuating racism and stereotypes.