A great question, Kearney. I find that it is better to promote the
similarities. We are all people. This reduces anxiety and is more in line
with my experience in meeting people of different cultures. We are more
similar than different.

On Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 3:15 PM, Kearney Lykins <kearney_lykins at yahoo.com>wrote:


> Bonnie,

>

> Why is promoting an awareness of the differences between French

> and American cultures necessary for language learning?

>

> Kearney

>

>

>

> Kearney_Lykins at yahoo.com

>

>

>  ------------------------------

> *From:* Bonnie Odiorne <bonniesophia at sbcglobal.net>

> *To:* The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <

> englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> *Sent:* Wednesday, July 29, 2009 11:44:08 AM

> *Subject:* [EnglishLanguage 4649] Re: computers for families

> programs+learnerempowerment

>

>  Steve,

> No one (to my knowledge) adressed "imposing" one's values in the classroom.

> Cannot cultural awareness be done with questioning: did you notice this?

> why do you think that this may or may not be important? what woud you do

> if...?  how would doing that thing be different in French or Ameircian

> culture? We read our environments all the time and I can only assume that

> reading means decoding, interpreting that is tested by experience.

> Bonnie Odiorne, Ph.D. Director, Writing Center Adjunct Professor of

> English, French, First Year Transitions, Day Division and ADP

> Post University, Waterbury, CT

>

>  ------------------------------

> *From:* Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>

> *To:* The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <

> englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> *Sent:* Wednesday, July 29, 2009 10:52:09 AM

> *Subject:* [EnglishLanguage 4639] Re: computers for families

> programs+learnerempowerment

>

> The brain learns from experience and massive input of information. It seeks

> to create patterns from this anarchy of stimulus using comparisons and

> metaphors. The brain is neither precise nor logical in organizing this

> information. The Thai student will form her own ideas from a variety of

> input, so will the student of French. I think that the role of the language

> teacher is to allow the student to learn the language from content of

> interest to him or her. It is not to impose ways of thinking.

>

> Each teacher's approach to critical thinking will be individual to him or

> her.  As long as the teacher's ideas were presented in the language I was

> learning, and to the extent that I found them of interest, I would listen. I

> would not just accept them. If I found these views uninteresting it would

> turn me off. Especially if I felt the teacher was preaching at me or trying

> to tell me how to interpret what I read.

>

>

>

>

> --

> Steve Kaufmann

> www.thelinguist.blogs.com

> www.lingq.com

> 604-922-8514

>

>

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-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.thelinguist.blogs.com
www.lingq.com
604-922-8514
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