This exploratory qualitative study shares an innovative experience with twenty-three EFL undergraduate students in the Business Administration Program at a private university in Colombia. It aimed at positioning them as problem solvers and connecting their background as sources for EFL learning. We explored how business administration students…

The worldview within indigenous people's traditional knowledge and western science can be a world of difference. In order to help indigenous students cross the gap and develop a sense of cultural identification. Taking Bunun, one of the Taiwanese indigenous tribes, as our subject, this study aims to develop a teaching module through Bunun's Millet…

By viewing approximately two dozen Japanese television commercials, secondary students enrolled in an area studies course about Japan were able to generate tones and impressions reflecting many important experiences of the Japanese society that the course would later explore in more detail. The introductory lesson was very successful. (RM)

In an exploratory study designed to investigate Shona culture of Zimbabwe's views of giftedness, data were collected from sixteen Zimbabwean academics of Shona cultural background. Using questionnaire narratives, the study established that Shona culture views giftedness as an unusual ability blessed in an individual through ancestry which enables…

Discusses the reasons that students need foreign civilization courses, and briefly outlines what should be taught and what the teaching methods should be. (CLK)

Contains practical strategies to help teachers and students confront cultural differences. The strategies can serve as the basis for lessons on cultural diversity adaptable to almost any instructional setting. Includes some specific learning activities and background material on how personal space is utilized and defined. (MJP)

Although the needs of American Indian college students in writing classes are very similar to those of Anglo basic writers, Indian writers often bring cultural and linguistic differences into the writing classroom. Indians are oriented only in the present, which affects their use of verb constructions; they are oriented toward sharing, which…

Two articles address teaching English in the Peoples Republic of China. In "Why Bother About Culture in English Language Teaching?," Hu Wenzhong attempts to determine opinions about the importance of awareness of cultural traits through a study of 36 English-speaking teachers at Chinese institutions and 64 Chinese students who had…

The guide suggests teaching methods and learning activities related to German Americans and their heritage in Missouri. Intended for upper elementary and secondary ethnic studies or history courses, the material outlines and supports 13 radio programs. The objective is to increase awareness and understanding of the various facets of the German…

Outlines an instructional unit where students construct culture kits illustrating a specific culture. Culture kits are constructed out of realia and other material including maps, travel brochures, photographs, newspapers, souvenirs, and other items. Discusses collecting these items and possible multicultural applications. (MJP)

This report describes development of an exercise designed to improve intercultural communication skills. The exercise is intended for use in instructional programs that prepare Americans for work in a foreign cultural environment. When persons of differing cultural backgrounds attempt to communicate with each other, each makes unwarranted,…

The teacher's attention is focused on selected elements of Spanish culture which may be taught integrally with instructional materials found in the first-year Spanish texts "Entender y Hablar", "La Familia Fernandez", and "A-LM Spanish, Level One". Items are cross-referenced for 42 cultural concepts ranging from nicknames to streets, roads, and…

This paper constitutes an effort to design an undergraduate certification program in bilingual education. The content and orientation of eight courses forming the instructional core of a teacher training program in bilingual education are discussed. The courses are divided into three groups, the first one concerning the foundations of…

This guide provides answers to teachers' questions about Hispanic students. Its purpose is to provide a conceptual foundation for educators, and to sensitize and inform teachers of the plight of Hispanic students by making them aware of the students' historical, cultural, economic, language, and educational backgrounds. The following sections are…

The purpose of this project was to develop three mailing brochures that would describe the basic cultural differences that exist among the prominent bilingual groups in Eastern Pennsylvania. These brochures could be used to enhance the vocational education environment by providing the vocational instructor working with limited English speaking…