Learning a foreign language implies an intercultural learning. In other words, culture largely affects the way of learning a foreign language. This paper briefly discusses the situation of learning a foreign language where the teacher and the students come from different cultural backgrounds. Predominantly, the teacher is a ‘native speaker’ of the target language, and is teaching foreign language students. In such cases, teacher and students have different cultural experiences and expectations. These cultural situations are very common around the world today, and may lead to be a bridge or a barrier in foreign language learning.
The Cultures of Communication
There are two chief terms applicable to the cultures of communication, namely low-context culture (LCC) and high context culture (HCC) (Hall, 1976). Western cultures are usually perceived as low context, whereas Eastern cultures are high context. LCC relies very much on verbal communication. On the other hand, HCC tends to be non-verbal. In HCC, people use only few words since what is left unsaid is often more important than what is said.
Another feature of LCC is that people tend to be specific and straightforward. In HCC, people tend to express their ideas in a spiral way, hence the hearers have to conclude themselves what the speaker is saying. In addition, people tend to speak in a euphemistic style (Nurkamto, 2001).
The cultures of communication associated with foreign languages are part of the target in the language classroom. Students need to learn the cultural ways in which the speakers from the learned language communicate. Strictly speaking, if the students learn English, they need to understand the concept of LCC since English is regarded as a low-context language.
Western and Eastern Cultures of Learning
To speak of ‘western’ cultures of learning is simply to generalize since there are massive distinctions among western countries, including the core of English-speaking countries. Similarly, ‘eastern’ cultures vary from country to country, but they share some common cultural background.
In learning a language, western cultures promote the development of skills for communication. Much attention is paid to learning contexts and students needs. Classroom environments are influenced by learner-centred notion and a task-based approach. There is a strong focus on classroom interaction and student participation as ways of learning and developing skills related to the functions and uses of language.
Meanwhile, eastern cultures generally perceive learning as the transmission of knowledge. An instance can be seen from Chinese culture of learning a language that is mainly concerned with the mastery of knowledge of grammar, and vocabulary gained from two sources, teacher and textbook. Similarly, this way of learning had become state of the art for decades in Indonesia, especially until the early 90s. Though this culture of learning is said to have changed in the curriculum, it remains practiced in many parts of the country.
Another contradictory fact is the way western teachers perceive eastern students and vice versa. Attempting to apply communicative approach, western teachers will mostly find that students are weak at oral communication. They are unwilling to work in groups and prefer to work individually. Students are seen as shy and passive, and mostly practice “parrot-learning”.
On the other hand, students may perceive themselves as being active by paying attention to their teachers. They do not perceive themselves as “shy’, rather they regard themselves as being cooperative to teachers. They cooperate by not asking questions or ask for help since they consider them burden for teachers. They are reluctant to ask questions because they are afraid of making silly questions. Beside that, they don’t want to be perceived as “showing off” if they ask smart questions.
In Indonesia, for instance, those practices are much or less affected by certain traditional cultures. In Javanese, we recognize some cultural teaching like “manut-lan-miturut (always obey), ewuh-pakewuh (save face), and sabda pendita ratu (elders always true). Manut-lan-miturut teaches us that the more we obey our elders the better children we are. In Ewuh-pakewuh, it is rude and ashameful to have different opinion with our elders, and in sabda pandito ratu, it is said that the elders consider themselves, or are considered, to be always true.
In a more specific example, the rhetorical structure of writing between the Eastern and Western students detectably differ. Eastern students might get difficulties to follow the English system of paragraph development. An English paragraph may begin with a topic statement, followed by sub divisions of the topic, and each division is supported by examples and illustrations. On the other hand, Eastern students’ writing is marked by what may be called an approach by indirection (Kaplan, 1980). In this kind of writing, the development of paragraph is said to be “turning and turning in a widening gyre”. The gyres turn around the subject and show it from many angles, but the subject is never looked at directly.
Bridge or Barrier
Examples above indicate that there is a strong tendency that the culture the students bring to class will be a barrier rather than be a bridge. Students, for instance, may find themselves in a distressing situation when they are “forced “ to work in group. They consider that such method is “fruitless” since it wastes time, and they risk of learning errors from their peers. They rely very much on teacher’s explanation. They expect to take something useful home after class so that they could review and practice it.
In terms of question, the western teachers encourage students to ask questions in class. This shows that the students are actively participating and learning. Students’ perspective is different. They are not active in verbal way. Rather, they show their participation by listening and thinking. They would rather ask questions personally after class is over.
Students will be more “puzzled” when they discover that they got low mark on their writing which they consider excellent since they are carefully written or formatted, whereas teachers gave good mark to those that seem written quite the reverse.
Win win Solution
To bridge the different perceptions and attitudes above, we recognize a so called “cultural synergy model”. This model suggests the need for mutual understanding of different cultures, communication styles, and academic cultures. It does not mean that the diversity and variety will be merged into one. Teachers and students from different cultures need to develop an attitude of being willing to learn, understand and appreciate other’s culture without having to lose their own status, role, or cultural identity. In other words, not only the students who need to understand the cultures of the teachers, but also the teachers need to understand the cultures of students.
References
Hall, Edward T. 1976. Beyond Culture. Anchor Press. New York.
Kaplan, Robert B. 1980. Cultural Thought Patterns in Inter-Cultural Communication. In K. Croth (editor) ……………….. as a Second Language. 2nd edition. Winthrop Publishers Inc. Cambridge.
Jin, Lixian & Cortazzi, M. 1998. The Culture the Learner Brings: A Bridge or A Barrier? In M. Byram & M. Fleming (editor) Language Learning in Intercultural ……………….Ethnography. CUP. California.
Nurkamto, Joko. 2001. Berbahasa dalam Budaya Konteks Rendah dan Budaya Konteks Tinggi. Journal Linguistik Indonesia, 19 (2), 205 – 217.
----------------- 2003. Problema Pengajaran Bahasa Inggris di Indonesia. Journal Linguistik Indonesia, 21 (2), 287-308
