Evaluation of Cultural Competence

The last reading included a topic which was really interesting for me. During the past weeks of attending this class about culture, I was asking myself, how it is possible to assess students’ cultural learning and their cultural competence. Reading about how to teach culture, also included this specific aspect. In connection with teaching culture to students the matter about assessing their success in cultural competence is really important and I was happy to find it in the reading as well. Thinking about the whole course “Pragmatic Implications of Culture and History for TESOL”, makes the matter of different ways of measuring and assessing students’ outcomes related to learning about other cultures and developing cultural competence an important aspect of this course. This is what future TESOL teachers will have to deal with inside the classroom.

In the past cultural competence was mostly assessed through tests. With more focus on cultural teaching nowadays, changes are occurring, however. Assessment methods used today include: “Portfolios, self-reports of progress; journaling of culture learning; simulations, role-plays and other experiential techniques; critical incidents and case studies; culture immersions; and new, more conceptually sophisticated paper and pencil instruments” (Paige, Jorstad, Siaya, Klein, & Colby, n.d., p. 58). In the reading of the Council of Europe using a portfolio for cultural competence assessment is suggested (Byram, Gribkova & Starkey, 2002). Portfolios are already used by many teachers. In evaluating cultural competence, however, it is of great use and helps assessing the learning process the student went through as well as the knowledge he/she gained and the change of mind that happened. I believe that letting every student create a portfolio for cultural learning is one of the most perfect ways to assess learning that happened. The use of portfolios is not narrowed down to any specific country. Western countries, however, might be used to using portfolios already, as their assessment methods often focus on critical and creative thinking. In Asia many countries use more assessment methods that require memorization. Here the use of portfolios might be quit new to the students and discussing how to create a good portfolio, is necessary. Personally, I believe that using portfolios in the classroom can increase the understanding of another cultures even more and benefit the relationship between native and non-native speakers of a language.

Byram, M., Gribkova, B., & Strakey, H. (2002). Developing the intercultural dimension in language teaching: A practical introduction for teachers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Paige, R.M., Jorstad, H., Siaya, L., Klein, F., & Colby, J. (n.d.). Cultural learning in language education: A review of the literature. Retrieved from http://www.carla.umn.edu/culture

/resources/litreview.pdf

Pragmatic Failures

This week we read and talked about social interactions. One specific aspect we looked at was the difference between the pragmalinguistic and the sociopragmalinguistic failure. Amaya explains that “pragmalinguistic failure takes place when the pragmatic force of a linguistic structure is different from that normally assigned to it by a native speaker” (2008, p. 13). It means, when a person uses words that are grammatically correct, but don’t fit to the situation of the conversation. Sociolinguistic failure, in contrast, indicates that a person has different intercultural perceptions of what behaviour is appropriate or not (Amaya, 2008). Amaya adds that “this type of pragmatic failure is more difficult to correct and overcome” (Amaya, 2008, p. 13). For future English teachers the difference between these two types of pragmatic failures should be clearly understood and also addressed in the classroom. Misunderstandings and insults can appear because of pragmatic failures. In terms of this course the problem of pragmatic failures which lead to unsuccessful conversation should be understood and be taken notice of. Teachers can prepare activities for their students that deal with pragmalinguistic and sociopragmalinguistic failures. Knowing about these failures can be helpful for both, the non-native language learner and the native speaker of the language. For two people from different cultures it is useful to know about pragmalinguistic failures during a conversation, as the receiver of a message can try to find out, what the person really meant to say, instead of feeling insulted. For both socio- and pragmalinguistic failures proper conversation in terms of active listening and sending of I-messages can be very helpful to understand a message better, as well as understanding the other person’s perspective. Teachers should consider that and make effective conversation training and conflict resolution a part of the skills that students should achieve. In the English classroom teachers should think about ways that deal with the relationship that exists between the form and the meaning of a language (Pragmatic Failure, 2006). The context of a conversation defines which language form needs to be used. English teachers should provide different communication situations and practices and include the pragmatic aspect of language learning into tests and grade it as well (Pragmatic Failure, 2006).

Speaking about German language learners of English, the cultural differences between them and native speakers of the English language are not so high. Nevertheless, cultural aspects should be included into teaching and learning English. German students can also be encouraged to develop general communication skills like active listening and sending I-messages, as mentioned earlier. In any way possible, English teachers should help students to prevent pragmatic failures.

Amaya, L.F. (2008). Teaching culture: Is it possible to avoid pragmatic failure? Revista Alicantina de Estudios Inglese 21, 11-24.

Pragmatic failure and some solutions in English teaching. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.jsfls

.com/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=895