"What happens if you don't XXXXXX correctly?"
"What happens if international students don't shake hands correctly?"
Josh Kurzweil presented on the problem of international students with strong language skills sabotaging conversations by being unaware of American cultural expectations. He filled his Saturday afternoon presentation at CATESOL with examples of how student behavior (or lack of) in conversation has consequences. His strategies for teaching students are based on the four Cultural Knowings from the book, Teaching Culture, by Patrick Moran.
It was such a strong presentation that I'd like to bring him to SAL for an in-service for teachers, conversation club partners, and staff. I'll follow up to see if that's a possibility and I'll post the handout when I get it.
No comments:
Post a Comment