Best Practices Conference in June, 2001

Denison University

Participants:

• Patti Brown (Task Force member)
• Gabriele Dillmann
• J. Eduardo Jaramillo-Zuluaga

Project Title: Development of pre- and post-off-campus study learning components which take place on campus

Project Description:

Long-range goals: Development of pre- and post-off-campus study learning components which take place on campus and provide students with:

• a framework within which to experience difference through exploration of the tension between national cultural identity and personal cultural identity (their own and that of the off-campus study location)
• a way of integrating their off-campus study experience (in and out of the classroom) with their on-campus academic and personal development.

The following two models will be developed based on these goals:

• in general: Off-Campus Study pre- and post-programming (P. Brown)
• specifically: Denison course focusing on Multicultural Germany; eventually, perhaps as a prelude to an exchange between Denison and German students–see below for further discussion (G. Dillmann)

General questions:

• What concepts do we introduce to students before and after (e.g., definition of culture, stereotpyes, cultural identity theory) and in what sequence in order to ensure that students see more than Art, Buildings, Food and Language?
• What are effective ways to help students move beyond seeing people from a different setting (country, region, group) as one big "other" to seeing the complex range of differences within that one big "other"?
• How can we best get students to explore their own cultural identities in the context of their nationalities?

Discussion topic: Teaching Strategies for Stimulating Interest for and Awareness of Multicultural Issues (Gabriele Dillman)

Based on the notion that language teaching and learning involves learning about another culture by default, instructors of foreign languages have traditionally considered themselves experts in the field of learning about other cultures. This understanding of culture presumes that the target language is the language of a homogeneous society whose culture can be defined as existing within certain geographical and national boundaries. Textbooks are designed accordingly–focusing on the values and traditions of the majority rather than the minority(ies) of the country(ies) in which the target language is spoken. Language programs recommend immersion in the ONE culture in which the target language is spoken by spending a certain time period in that country. Again, the presumption exists that the student will encounter exclusively the dominant culture of a predominantly homogeneous society rather than one that has not only been shaped by many other cultures over time, but one that is also continuously changing and has increasingly become diverse and multiethnic. The myth of the homogeneous culture is artificially generated and nurtured in these traditional language learning textbooks. Unreflected stereotypes that exist in the students' home country about the country whose language and culture they study further contribute to this misunderstanding.

In an effort to portray the country whose language I teach (German) more realistically, I have chosen a rather unorthodox textbook that focuses on understanding Germany from a multicultural perspective, that is from the perspective of the minority rather than the majority. Furthermore, I have included literature written by non-native German writers in my course content. This approach to teaching language and culture not only encourages students to be aware and appreciative of another culture, but students also realize that there are indeed cultures within cultures. In other words, it is necessary to question the existence of a homogeneous culture as a societal phenomenon as such without viewing the concept of the "melting pot" (the assimilation to one dominant culture) as the only possible model. This approach requires a certain degree of understanding and awareness of the students' own cultural identity as well as reflection on students' own experiences with diverse cultures.

When I conceived the content and format of my course, in which the focus was on Germany as a multicultural society, I enthusiastically envisioned all the fascinating discussions and engaged responses that would come out of the individual class sessions. A guest speaker from Germany who had made a film of her city as a multicultural phenomenon was to spice up the program and add the "immersion" factor to the learning experience. Classroom reality, however, taught me a different lesson. There was little interest in the issues presented for discussion. Reflection on stereotypes in America was met with certain indifference. Students' own experiences with diverse cultures was in their own opinion not only limited but also not of any particular concern to them. I tried various teaching strategies (discussion, group discussion, interviews, team projects in and outside of the classroom, video viewing with written response and discussion, games, video clips, guest presentations with discussion and more) to encourage students' participation with unsatisfactory results.

I wonder what I might have perhaps missed in my efforts to encourage interest in cultural differences. Of course, I question whether I overlooked certain aspects stemming from the fact that I am from another culture (for example, issues of "risk taking" with sensitive topics: age, gender, peer issues, etc.). If my experience, however, rather means that there is indeed little importance attributed to intercultural understanding, then how do we as teachers motivate students to become more interested? How do we get students engaged in reflecting on difference? How do we encourage students to understand how difference matters in the attempt to construct our own identity? How do we convey that diversity adds richness and depth to our lives?

I would be interested in exploring teaching strategies for intercultural learning in more general terms as well. What are the issues we definitely want to cover as they pertain to a multicultural global society? And how do we most effectively develop course materials and course curricula? What pedagogical tools do we use? How do we avoid oversimplifications without overwhelming students with issues for which they lack intellectual or emotional maturity?

Participants:

Name: Patti Brown (Task Force member)

Title: Assistant Dean of Off-Campus Programs

E-mail: brownp@denison.edu

Biographical Information:

Name: Gabriele Dillmann

Title: Assistant Professor of German

E-mail: dillmann@denison.edu

Biographical Information:

Name: J. Eduardo Jaramillo-Zuluaga

Title: Professor of Modern Languages (Spanish)

E-mail: jaramillo@denison.edu

Presentation: Contextos: Multimedia Technology and the Teaching of Culture, Saturday, 1:30-3:00

Biographical Information: Professor Jaramillo-Zuluaga obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in Hispanic Literatures from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He has served as a member of the Steering Committee in the Ohio 5 Language and Technology Project (supported by the Mellon Foundation), and he is currently vice-president of the Association of Colombianists. Jaramillo-Zuluaga published El deseo y el decoro (Bogota: Tercer Mundo, 1994). He translated into Spanish El museo secreto by Walter Kendrick (Bogotá: Tercer Mundo, 1995). In 1996 he served as the academic coordinator to the congress Silva, su obra y su época. He edited the proceedings of the conference (Casa de Poesía Silva, 1997). With the support of the Denison University Research Fund, Jaramillo Zuluaga is currently working on an archaeology of literary criticism in Colombia: Hilo de su sombra: Silva en cien años de lecturas colombianas. He has developed two CD-ROM's: José Asunción Silva, hilo de su sombra and Conversaciones con colombianos. He is originally from Cali, Colombia. Personal website: www.denison.edu/~jaramillo