Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing - Research Paper Example

Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing INTRODUCTION Characteristics of ESL learners are rooted in their culture and native language. Social and educational background begins at a very young age, a time when a person is acquiring knowledge and embedding this knowledge in their own personality forming their traits and characteristics as a person. As such, by the time English language is learned, whether in speaking and writing, the response of the learner is patterned on one’s long acquired understanding of one’s culture. The issue on linguistics and writing has been the focus of several researches decades ago. Teaching writing and critical thinking to second language learners of English has presented arguments on the influence of cultural beliefs and practices in the student's ability to express one's thought's and feelings in writing, which affects their ability for critical thinking. Current studies present new knowledge on educational practices, especially in teaching and Learning English, in Japanese schools where the notion of Japanese culture is being challenged by the emergence of a new understanding of concepts (Kubota, 1999). Like in the case of the Japanese Language, in which the language is perceived not as a tool to express oneself, but it is more of a venue for social interaction and sharing, where the group's interest and solidarity on a certain social purpose is its focus (Carson, 1992; Kubota, 1999). The same scenario can be seen amongst Arabic students learning English. As stated by Mukattash (1983; Rabab'ah, n.d.), Arabic students continually do not have the ability to efficiently express themselves in a comfortable manner whether the topic is about academics or common issues about everyday life. Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing 3 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE STUDY Writing is a discipline. It is a complex system of organizing ideas and views in one coherent flow based on a particular topic. It is said to be more complex and intricate than speech as it has to deal with grammar, punctuation marks, and syntax. This study is focused on Saudi or Arab students studying English and their ability in writing. Based on that premise, writing is also a language. Although it is not spoken, writing is composed of codes and symbols from which language is based upon. It aims to identify the extent of difficulty that Saudi students have in writing. Whether it has to do with, (1) the discipline itself – grammar, punctuation, organization; or, (2) with prevailing culture and beliefs, including their views on the purpose of writing. The study would contribute to further analysis of Arabic texts and the cultural norms behind writing as a product. A lot of studies have been conducted in field of intercultural rhetoric but there are little studies concerning texts produced by Arabic speaking writers. The study would support or reject Sparks claim that labeling and essentializing students learning a second language results to “rhetorically constructing their identities.” The study would contribute to other studies by providing additional information and insight on whether or not nonnative speakers of English are better off in acquiring the second language if they will be viewed and regarded by ESL teachers as individuals rather than members of a particular culture as Spack (Atkinson, 1999) asserts. Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing 4 In addition, the study will highlight the factor of culture in determining the text quality according to US academic standards. Providing this study may help in finding specific pedagogical implications that help in raising the quality of teaching ESL/EFL writing and curricula designs to address problems that may arise because of the impact culture on the process of writing. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND There are studies that investigate the interrelationship between language and cultures. Of which, most of the studies are investigating the cultural background L2 learners bring with them in classrooms. In the field IR, Liebeman (1992) argues that old rhetoric studies focus on finished products without investigating the background of L1 instruction and the contexts that affect the writing as a process. The idea of highlighting cultural backgrounds is apparent throughout contrastive rhetoric last two decades. In this study, I would go through the process of analyzing those cultural aspects, highlighting the cultural differences. Culture also includes aspects in writing such as formal instruction, ways of expression, values and views that contribute to the writing process and, above all, cultural or identity awareness during writing. Kim states that “even if no immediate pedagogies arise from research with a contextualist orientation, creating and fostering a critical awareness is an important step taken. Teachers and practitioners should be aware that the classroom is not a neat, self-contained mini-society isolated from the outside world but an integral part of the larger society where the reproduction of many forms of domination and resistance based on gender, ethnicity, class, race, Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing 5 religion and language is a daily event.” (2003). However, it is this particular issue of culture that ESL teachers have to face and deal with everyday; an issue that has not been given clear direction or resolution to how teachers should handle the issue on cultural differences in view ofteaching and learning (Atkinson, 1999). Uysal 2008 Conducted a similar study in that it measures the cultural awareness of turkish students in the USA during writing. The study and other factors such as age and level of language competency has shown difference in regard of cultural bidirectional transfer in writing. Early research on second language writing show that composing processes of young nonnative speakers are similar to the composing processes of native speakers, but still, they are not the same (Aljamhoor, 2001). One difference identified is that nonnative speakers tend to use their native language rhetoric when communicating using the acquired language or second language. This process poses difficulties on the nonnative speakers' academic studies. Soter had the same results when he studied the essays written by Arabic-speaking and Vietnamese-speaking students, as she found errors rhetoric and syntactic in nature, describing the students' pattern of narration as "not English-like" (Aljamhoor, 2001). The nature of the language itself in a particular culture, such as Arabic culture, explains the pattern of arguments applied in writing, definining the characteristics of contemporary Arabic texts. As stated by Koch (1983), "Western modes of argument, based on a syllogistic model of proof and made linguisically cohesive through subordination and hypotaxis, is in contrast with Arabic argumentation, which is essentially paratactic, abductive, and analogical" Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing 6 suggesting that the mode of argumentation used by Arabs is "corollary to the cultural centrality of the lughah, or the Arabic language in Arab-Islamic society”. Generally, the "received view" of culture is characterized as homogenous, distinct, relatively unchanging, "an all encompassing systems of rules and norms that substantially determine personal behavior" (Atkinson, 1999). Furthermore, as cited by Atkinson (1999), Gupta and Ferguson (1997) culture is a diverse and separate society composed of men different from one another. This could explain the increasing social groupings and labeling of people as Californians, Hindus, and even ESL learners. Yet, if they will not be labeled or “grouped” as such, however should we call them? Such groupings or labeling bring with it certain characteristics that influences the views and perception of people, sometimes leading others to stereotype them. Taking for instance ESL learners and ESL teachers; Spack (1997; Atkinson, 1999), does not agree even with the term ESL students, she finds it unacceptable. Spack is worried that “the ways ESL teachers label and essentialize ESL students have the effect of rhetorically constructing their identities.” According to Britzman (1991; Kim 2003) culture as that spot where people’s “identities, desires and investments are mobilized, constructed, and reworked.” Kim (2003) elaborates by saying that “if culture is such a dynamic negotiation site, then there is much in linguistic and cultural actions that need to be understood, and much in learners’ roles and identities that need to be deconstructed and understood.” In this perspective, The Spindlers (1994; Kim2003) talk about the 3 dimensions of the self – enduring self, situated self, and endangered self – of which, Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing 6 the endangered self is said to be the result if the enduring self and the situated self are in contradiction with each other, resulting to conflicts; and when the enduring self emerges, man’s response in facing conflict is to “reaffirm one’s ethnic identity, compensatory adaptation, withdrawal, and oppositional behavior” all of which are viewed as necessary for survival and self-preservation. RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. Are learners aware of the cultural differences between L1 and L2? 2. To what extent that the bidirectional transfer between L1 and L2 exists? These research questions help give direction to the study on Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing, focusing on Arab or Saudi students. It helps in determining the level of awareness of students on the differences between their culture and the culture of the language that they are currently studying. With this awareness, the first question also implies to search for answers on the students’ approach on responding to writing topics or themes particularly themes or topics that clearly contradict with the student’s culture. The second question aims to record and note the direction students are taking as they go along with their studies in English and acquiring this second language. It gives a direction for the researcher to note on how the students’ responded to sensitive issues – issues that touch Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing 7 cultural and religious beliefs – and the direction students’ take with regards the issue, because as mentioned by Barton et al (2001; Connor, 2004) all activity pertaining to man's literacy is an indication of a broad spectrum of social practices. Additionally, These questions are somewhat methods of dissecting a person’s 3 dimensions – enduring self, situated self, and endangered self – to have a glimpse of how students’ respond to conflicts. METHODS This study employs the use of Questionnaires and the task of writing argumentative essays as methods of gathering pertinent data that would give answers to the stated research questions. The questionnaires are designed to gather personal information of participants, such as name, nationality, age, and such, to have a background of the respondents involve in the study. This is perceived to be necessary to make sure that the participants are indeed nonnative English speakers and that English is just their second language The task of writing an argumentative essay is divided into 2 parts. The first part is to ask participants to write an essay using the second language, which is English and the second part is to write another essay using the first language, which is their native language. The essays will be written based on the given topic or title. Each part will have a different topic or title. Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing 8 The titles are as follows: a) English topic: Should the death penalty be mandatory for people that kill other people? This will be the essay’s topic/title for the first part with which the participants will be writing it using the second language which is English. b) Arabic Topic: Should animal experimentation be permitted? This will be the essay’s topic/title for the second part with which the participants will be writing it using their native language. Keeping in mind that the participants of the study are Saudi or Arab students; the first part if the essay writing task will provide the researcher the opportunity to look inside the thoughts and beliefs of the writer, thoughts that could provide pertinent information and insight that will prove to be useful and significant in the study, such as whether or not their response is influenced by their belief in Islam and their culture as Muslims. Knowing the nature of the Islam belief and the so-called “Honor Killing” the way the participants organize and write the essay will not only present issues on grammar and syntax, but also issues on cultural differences. As for the second essay topic, although it would also give the researcher a glimpse on the participant’s stand with regards to animal experimentation, this topic may just be well approach scientifically, with not much argument on culture; But then again, the second essay may be an opportunity for the Saudi participants to give his thoughts on Westerner’s view in contrast with his own. Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing 9 The essay will be analyzed based on the following elements: A. Organizational patterns. B. Use of discourse markers. These elements will help the researcher identify errors and weaknesses in the participant’s utilization of the English language; and whether the same errors are made using the first language. It will also point out differences on the participants’ utilization of both languages, which will help provide explanations in relation to the research questions. Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing 10 BIBLIOGRAPHY Aljamhoor, A. (2001). A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Written Discourse of Arabic-Speaking Learners of English. Journal of King Saud University. Vol.13. Language and Translation., pp.25-44. Atkinson, D. (1999). TESOL and Culture. TESOL Quarterly , 33 (4), 625-654. Connor, U. (2004). Intercultural rhetoric research: beyond texts. Journal of English for Academic Purposes , 291-304. Kim, L. S. (2003). Exploring the Relationship between Language, Culture and Identity. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies , 3 (2). Koch, B. J. (1983). Presentation as Proof: The Language of Arabic Rhetoric. Anthropological Linguistics , 47-60. Kubota, R. (1999). Japanese Culture Constructed by Discourses: Implications for Applied Linguistics Research and ELT. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Cultural Awareness of Differences through Writing 11 Liebman, J. D. (1992). Toward a New Contrastive Rhetoric: Difference Between Arabic and Japanese Rhetorical Instruction. Journal of Second Language Writing , 141-165. Rabab'ah, G. (n.d.). Communication Problems Facing Arab Learners of English. Journal of Language and Learning. Volume 3, no. 1. King Saud University. Read More