With regards to cultural and linguistic differences in my chat cafe sessions, I actually make them a focal point for much of our conversations. For many of the participants in the Chat Cafe, the customs and societal aspects within the United States greatly differ than that of their home country. They want to know about all the strange things we do here and better understand our culture in contrast to theirs. I address said differences by talking about a specific topic (whether it be art, sports, food, or anything else), and asking them how it is in their home country, having them share this knowledge with the rest of the group. In turn, I tell them about what I believe to be standard customs and traditions within the United States that pertain to the topic on hand. Instead of having me continue on about such topics, however, I make sure to relate it back to said customs of their home country, so they can elaborate on the topic further and have other participants ask them questions.
I chose to address them this way because this is part of the reason why they joined the Chat Cafe; to not only improve their conversational English, but to also better understand the American lifestyle. They are living in a land that appears to be incredibly strange and exotic to them, much like it was for the characters in The Arrival (necessary shoutout is necessary). Ergo, I am more than comfortable to help distinguish between linguistic and cultural differences. I experienced a similar position not that long ago in England, yet I had the benefit of the language being of a similar tongue. Honestly, I cannot think of much else I would like to know about that is a burning desire of mine; I'm content with just letting the conversation flow naturally, letting my participants share their cultures with each other, just as I will impart a better understanding of the American culture onto them.
No comments:
Post a Comment