Culture Barrier: Why can't Chinese Students Speak English very well? What to teach Chinese Students: Difficulties for foreign teachers.
The Culture Barrier:
The Real Reason Chinese Students Don't Progress!
Although this is the 17th article published in a series of articles about Teaching English to Chinese Students, it is really the First Article which students should read.
I have already completed 5 years of teaching English in China, and like all the other foreign English teachers, I find that the Students approach to learning - (we can correctly call this, "Chinese Culture") - not only stops them from learning English well, but frustrates my teaching efforts. Even though I have developed my own successful approach to teaching, it makes me very tired, because I am always fighting with students to get them to talk in normal, natural ways.
The purpose of this article, is to show you what I have discovered about why Chinese Students fail at conversational English, and to explain what I do in class, and why I do it.
During Spring Break 2008, I decided (story here) that this would be my last semester in China, because I don't think it is my job to force Chinese Students to learn English speaking skills. I was very depressed about this, and so I began to research the problem of why can't Chinese Students learn English very well.
I came across two university websites, one in the U.S.A. and one in Australia that discussed the reasons why Chinese Students have trouble speaking English.
However international their content, the disciplines we teach in Australian universities are conceived, elaborated and passed on in English. Their discourse is framed in English, and that is what we expect the students to acquire, use and contribute to – and what the students themselves expect to acquire and use.
But we need to recognise that few if any students from mainland China arrive on our campuses with the level of English language skills they would need to work monolingually in English, and that even the best of them are likely to take at least half a semester (6 weeks) to develop facility in thinking in English.
Because of what I read on this website, I decided to prepare a new first lesson for my students this semester. It is my hope that it will inspire them to break through the Chinese Culture Barrier. The foundational concepts of the lesson, which I will now present, came directly from consideration of the principles found on the page entitled: Facilitating interaction in class
What Does Culture Have to do with Successfully Learning English?
Every foreign teacher in China knows that it is really difficult to get students to freely communicate in English in Class. Why is this? Well, let me tell you. It is because English Language Culture is very different to Chinese Language Culture.
Culture is expressed in many different ways, and even though you think that being 'Chinese' means that you have 'a' culture, that is to say, 'one' culture, in fact, you have many cultures in China that effect you and the way you think and act.
Here are some of the Cultures that effect you as Chinese Students:
1. Traditional Confucian Culture:
Confucianism puts loyalty to family and friends first. Then comes "face", and finally compliance with the law. Even then, the law is seen as malleable rather than absolute. Dirty Dealing - The Economist - Business in China August 2, 2007
So your culture requires your consideration of Family to be first, your 'face' second, and then consideration of your country comes after that - probably after Money, Western Movies and Music, your girlfriend, your friends, and your worries about the future.
2. Communist Culture - In Communist Culture there are 3 main things you must do:
1.You must love your Country
2.You must love your Country
3.You must love your Country
3. Then there is the culture of your Province, your Town, and your Village. Maybe the culture is the same in each, but it is not always so.
4. Family culture can be different to the surrounding culture. For Example:
Some families are Muslim - Islam, they have a different culture to others.
Some families are Christian, they too have different culture
Some families are Buddhist, and they too have a different culture
Some families have no religion, so their culture is different also
Some families are members of the Communist Party, and so they too have a different (way of thinking) culture.
5. School culture
The current school culture is a mix of traditional confucian culture - and - communist thinking from the period of the cultural revolution. For example: Students get to report on the teachers, and so have power over them. This is not the traditional Chinese culture.
More importantly, the Chinese method of learning is by Memorization. The teacher talks, and the students write down what the Teacher says. The teacher tells them what to learn, and they memorize it. Unfortunately, this method of learning is not sufficient for learning effective and natural communication in English.
6. Class Culture
Students today live a different life to former generations. They colour their hair, wear western clothing, carry and use cell phones in class as well as MP3's and ipods to listen to music in class. This certainly is not the traditional culture or the Communist culture of China.
But more to the point, in some classes where most students are not really interested in English, there is a good learning environment and yet in others, where most students are interested in improving their English, there is a poor learning environment. Why is this?
Let me tell you why. Because one student, or a small group of students, control and/or rule the class. Others are afraid of them, or do not know how to stop their bad behaviour. So everyone suffers, and little progress is made.
So you see, there are a lot of competing cultures at work in the classroom, but the one that is most responsible for your failure to quickly learn natural and effective English Speaking, is the Educational Culture. Let me explain why.
The Difference between Grammar and Language Culture.
In my 5 years in China, I have had so many boys tell me that I am very handsome and very sexy. But I have never had a girl tell me this. Why? Because in Chinese culture, it is O.K. for a man to tell another man that he is handsome and sexy. It is not O.K. for a woman to do this.
But in English Language Culture, if one man tells another man that he is handsome and sexy, it is usually because the speaker is tongxinlian (Gay). Men in the West do not normally run around telling each other that they are handsome and sexy. But when a woman says it to you, it is a compliment.
If I ask Chinese boys if they have 'Boy Friends', they will say: 'Yes of Course!' - And if I ask: 'Do you love them very much?' they will answer: 'Yes!' - And if I ask: 'Do you sometimes sleep with them?' they will say: 'Yes very often!'
But while in Grammar, these questions and answers may seem O.K., in English language culture, they demonstrate that the Chinese boys are gay and have 'boy lovers' and that they 'have sex' together. There is a difference between dictionary meaning of words, and how those words are used in conversation, and what those words mean.
Another Example:
Chinese people often ask: 'Can we be friends?'. But this expression is not used in this way in English. This question is usually asked by someone who is having difficulties with another. We do not usually ask people to be our friends, because their actions will show that they are or are not our friends.
Furthermore, we foreigners know that in China, 'friendships' (relationships) are something that people can use to benefit themselves. So those of us who know what 'friendships' mean in China, don't like the question. But generally we all say:'O.K.', and then forget about you. You will be a friend, if you behave like a friend. Friendship is never a formal agreement.
Another Example:
If I ask students:'What do you think of Beijing?' They will tell me about how big or beautiful or important the city is. If I ask them: 'What do you think of Shanghai?' - they will tell me that it is a rich and prosperous city. But if I ask them: 'What do you think of Taiwan?' Almost everyone will say in a loud voice: 'Taiwan belongs to China!'
Why do you say this? I'll tell you why! Because your have been trained in your culture to defend the sovereignty of China. That reply is called a 'conditioned response'. You can't help it! You just say it, even if you don't really care about Taiwan.
In English language culture, everyone is entitled to have an opinion, but if there is one thing we really hate, it is listening to people speak 'Propaganda'. Propaganda is something you have been taught to say in answer to a certain kind of question or statement. In English language culture, we like to hear people's 'thoughts and opinions', not political fat talk (feihua).
Another Example:
I have often been asked about my 'motherland'. In my traditional Australian culture, the terms 'motherland' and 'fatherland' are not only not used, but in the post war era, these terms evoked images of Nazi's. It is not a term that I like to hear, and certainly was not a word that anyone I ever knew like to hear used. We do understand the use of it by Chinese, but it is not really something that one should use too often in English.
Another Example:
The word 'laowai' is translated in the English language culture as 'foreigner'. 'Foreigner' is a descriptive word, but in China, people use it as a noun. 'That foreigner' - 'The foreigner'. It takes quite a bit of time to get used to your Chinese friends referring to you as 'the foreigner'. Why is this? Because to use the word this way in English, is politically incorrect. It is offensive! It is disrespectful! It is discriminatory!
There is no book of phrases that can explain all these things to you. These are part of language culture, and the only way to learn language culture, is to actually use the language. It is only when students are discussing freely in class, that the foreign teacher can really teach you the 'how, when, and where' of using and not using certain expressions.
One of the biggest problems that foreign teachers face, is hearing Teachers and students always saying: 'You should understand Chinese culture!'. The problem is, that it is because of your Chinese culture, that you have not been able to make progress in normal, natural and effective communication.
In order to be a successful teacher, the foreign teacher must get you to 'break through' those parts of your culture which stop you from being successful in the use of natural and effective English Language conversation. It is a difficult thing to do. So today, in the hope that what I have to say will help you to understand what you need to do to be successful at natural English conversation, I am going to explain, what we will do, how we will do it, and why we will do it that way.
EXAMS
What is the Purpose of My Oral English Exams?
The purpose of exams in my class is not to test knowledge or grammar but to test Language and Communication Skill.
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
What is the Purpose of doing 'Real Time' Group Discussion
Purpose 1.
To learn SKILLS
Skills do not come through theory or memorization. - They come through trial and error
To provide thinking and expression skills. - Reciting propaganda is not an expression of YOUR thoughts. - Expression is always personal in nature and delivery.
To learn 'appropriate' discussion culture.
To use correct Grammar, pronunciation, and 'modern' English; to avoid ambiguities, chinglish, accidental idioms, and double entendres (something which has two meanings).
To learn to see the other side of the coin by putting yourself in someone else's shoes. - Hearing other perspectives.
To learn the Skill of Learning for oneself.
Imagine if are learning to be a doctor who operates on people, or an airline pilot who flies commercial planes. How would you learn to do your job?
Firstly, you will learn from a book and from a Teacher.
Then you must do your practice. But how does a surgeon practice cutting people open? Does he practice on living people? No! He practices on dead bodies so that if he makes a mistake he does not cause someone to die. How does the airline pilot practice? He practices in a simulator (like a computer game). If he crashes the plane, no one dies. It is only when they have proved that they can do their jobs, that they are allowed to practice in real life.
The Oral English Class practice is like that. It is in Oral English Class that you make your mistakes. Unfortunately, your Chinese culture and fear of losing face, cause many people to be afraid of speaking in the classroom. It is much better to lose your face in English Class, than lose your job because you offended someone.
Purpose 2.
To Learn from Others
Learning in English Language Skills is not Completely "Formalized". It requires "Self-Education" by actively learning during normal conversations.
Even at university, Self-Education is both stressed and required - eg: Research Assignments. Universities use a mix of tutorial and discussion lessons. In neither situation are you taught what to learn or think. Information is provided to give guidance and direction in your path to research, knowledge and understanding. Research must be justified by certain academic criteria, which is to say, that the argument in your assignment must use certain logic and procedural 'writing skills'
Purpose 3.
To Learn that there are no right or wrong answers in conversations - only good or bad communication skills
Language is one tool of Communication
Communication is not the repetition of propaganda or memorized passages
Communication is the sharing of thoughts, words, opinions, feelings, beliefs and ideas of the speaker.
To communicate well - one needs good skills.
This class is about learning skills. It is not about right or wrong answers.
What is expected of you in Oral English Class?
In order for both teacher and students to make best use of the time available in the classroom, and to maximize your learning potential, the following list shows you what is expected of students who want to learn natural conversational English. It is expected:
1. That Students Do not waste the Teacher's Time
2. That Students Do not waste the Other student's time
3. That Students Do not waste their own time.
4. That Students Learn from the Teacher
5. That Students Learn from Others
6. That Students Learn by their mistakes.
7. That Students Be attentive to instructions - To Do what is asked - To Understand and think about the assigned tasks
8. That Students Use imagination and skill to communicate in English
9. It is expected that most students will improve their hearing ability and it's speed, simply by listening carefully to everyone who is speaking English in Class.
10. It is expected that everyone will improve their use of English Grammar, by paying attention to and learning from both the teacher and other students.
11. It is expected That Students will correct their own speaking flaws, even before they get up to speak, because they will already have heard the teacher correct other students.
Question:
Which Students fail to get high examination results / marks?
Answer:
Students with Wrong Attitudes!
8 Wrong Attitudes:
1. Some Students let their Chinese Cultural Thinking prevent them from learning to communicate in English in a natural way.
2. Some Students Pride refuses to believe that a native English speaker knows better than a Chinese grammar teacher, how to speak English.
3. Some Students only want to Memorize what to say.
4. Some Students do not really want to learn to communicate in English
5. Some Students just want the teacher to tell them what to write down, to think, and to say. This stops them from learning natural spoken English
6. Some Students don't want to work hard. They just want everyone to make them feel good and feel loved and to be friendly. (This does not happen in the real world in real life)
7. Some Students are just 'killing time' until they can go to work.
8. Another Really bad attitude. Some students simply don't like the foreign teacher's accent. They want an American accent, or an English accent or an Australian accent. Some students simply won't work hard for a teacher who is not white or who comes from a country where English is the second national language not the first. I always laugh when I hear students say that they don't like foreign teachers who come from Africa because English is not their first language. Why do I laugh? Because for many it is in fact their first language. The other reason I laugh is that I have met so many Africans whose accent is really much nicer than my own. I often wish I could speak such beautiful English.
When students refuse to learn because they don't like their teacher, they not only badly effect their own learning abilities, but usually the ability of other classmates. It is really Childish, and in the workplace, childish behaviour will get you into trouble every time.
How are these bad attitudes shown in class?
Students do not pay attention to instructions (they think that they can do better than what the teacher asks them to)
They do not do homework when asked and so never provide their minds with the language skills and thinking processes needed in conversations
They refuse to talk in English during 'practice' lessons. This is the Biggest mistake because they are never well prepared when it comes time to speak their own thoughts and opinions.
They do not pay attention to 'Students' when students are asked to speak.
They do not constantly 'listen' to the spoken English so their hearing never improves.
They constantly 'chat' in class with their friends
They are the students who are always complaining about the teacher
They are the students always complaining about their marks
How can you get very high examination results?
E-A-S-Y!!!
Listen carefully to the instructions and do what is asked. Not what you think is better.
Have a right attitude to learning in class.
Do the work you are asked to do.
Listen all the time to everything said in English.
Practice the 'skills' as much as you can.
Learn to have your own opinion.
Learn to express yourself in English.
Don't be afraid of mistakes - they are the best learning tool.
Don't be afraid to lose face. Students who are afraid to lose face never learn to communicate in English.
Don't be silent (unless you usually chat in Chinese in class)
Ask lots of questions - especially if you don't understand something.
Give informative answers when asked a question.
Learn to 'interject' - to object by cutting people off.
In Class - discussions are not the same as private discussions held outside the class. This means that you should not judge others by what they say in discussion groups in class. You must understand that what is said in discussion groups in class, is part of a classroom exercise in which people must talk. In fact - Sometimes I have observed that when the better students find themselves in a group discussion with students who are unwilling to talk, they will do what I sometimes do, and say things to upset the group - just to make them become lively. I usually give such students very good marks for their skill of making people talk. Such students are using language skills to make the discussion interesting.
In other words, don't get offended by what anyone says in discussion group. Maybe they are just trying to make the group become more lively. Constantly being 'offended' with everyone is a very bad attitude that will prevent you from having wonderful discussions both in class and with foreigners. If you are constantly being offended at every little thing you hear - then people will stop talking to you.
In class, if you treat every student's statements so seriously, then you will forget that the discussion is just a 'test' of skill.
I am afraid of losing face!
This is a big problem for Chinese students, however, quite logically, it should not be a problem at all in the classroom. The classroom is a place of learning. It is expected that you will make mistakes. If you were so good that you wouldn't make a mistake, then there would be no reason to have a foreign teacher.
When people train to fly airplanes or train to be surgeons who operate on people, they do a lot of practice in an 'artificial environment'. By this is meant that doctors first learn to operate by operating on dead bodies. (That way if they make a mistake - no one dies!) Pilots also first learn in 'simulators' so that if they crash - no one dies. And then when they finally do have to put their skills to the real life test, there is a qualified person with them to 'fix up' anything that they do wrong.
This is the foreign teachers job. Your job is to do the best you can in an 'artificial environment', so that when you start speaking English in the 'real world', you have been properly trained so that you will not make any serious mistakes.
If you are afraid of losing face in class - then I seriously suggest that you never open your mouth in English in Public. Why do I say this? Because if you don't make your mistakes in the classroom, then you will make them in real life. And that such mistakes might offend people, make you look really foolish, lose you a business contract, or cost you your job.
Make your mistakes in the classroom - Not in Real Life.
The teachers role in relation to group discussion, is to teach you the skills necessary for normal communication.
His/Her main role, either during or after the discussion, is to correct your use of English, and in that way, to teach you 'English language culture'.
It is only by using English that you learn the language culture. Along the way, you will be corrected so that you can make your grammar, pronunciation and intonation, more natural. The teacher will also point out your use of ambiguities, chinglish, accidental idioms, double entendres, and outdated or inappropriate English
Every time the foreign teacher corrects one student's error, his action is meant to correct ALL STUDENTS. He should not have to individually correct every single student in the class. That is why students are expected to pay attention to everyone who is speaking English in class.
I Hope that you understand what Conversational English is going to be About.
It is my hope that you not only understand what I have said today, but that you will cooperate with my English Language Cultural Teaching Style, so that you will not only achieve high marks in your exams, but that you will have great progress in learning to speak natural and effective conversational English.
If you can do this, you will achieve an English Thinking and Speaking level far higher than those students who currently travel overseas to study English. Additionally, if you can follow my teaching methodology, after you have left school to go to work, everyone will admire your great natural English Speaking abilities.
R.P.BenDedek is from Brisbane Australia and is the author of 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran' at http://www.kingscalendar.com His academic articles set forth Apologetics for and results of his discovery of an "artificial chronological scheme" running through the Bible, Josephus, the Damascus Documents of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Seder Olam Rabbah.
He writes photographic 'Stories from China' and social editorial commentaries, both at KingsCalendar, and as a contributing newspaper columnist. He currently teaches Conversational English in China and in addition to his English Lessons at KingsCalendar, he has created specific sites for Students of English.
