Working Papers
in Language Education and Research
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SHAPING GLOBAL LANGUAGE USERS:RAISING CULTURAL AWARENESS IN A
JAPANESE UNIVERSITY EFL CLASSROOM
Name: Julia Nikolskaya
Corresponding Author: nikolskaya­j@kanda.kuis.ac.jp
Year of Publication: 2015

To cite this article​: Nikolskaya, J. (2015). Shaping global language users:
Raising cultural awareness in a Japanese EFL classroom. W​orking Papers
in Language Education and Research,​3, 14­36.

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Working Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

SHAPING GLOBAL LANGUAGE USERS: RAISING CULTURAL AWARENESS IN A
JAPANESE UNIVERSITY EFL CLASSROOM
Julia Nikolskaya
Kanda University of International Studies

ABSTRACTFor a long time now, foreign culture has been a popular content choice for language classes.
However, it is not unusual to see culture presented in a shallow way that covers mainly
superficial aspects of a country’s culture and occasionally reinforces stereotypes. Moreover,since nowadays people frequently find themselves using a foreign language for more than
tourism and not only when traveling abroad, it is essential to raise a language learner’sawareness of both the differences and similarities between their own culture and that of thetarget language in order to foster acceptance and tolerance of the other culture and facilitatecross­cultural communication. Following these observations, this paper outlines an 11­lesson
unit on culture designed for Freshman university students with the aim of creating a critical
approach to understanding culture. In this paper, I will discuss the theoretical basis formaterials design and the unit goals and describe lesson content. Finally, I will describe theresults and feedback of the trialing stage of the development process.

1. INTRODUCTION

In this paper, I describe the process of designing a unit on Global Culture as part of thesecond semester curriculum for freshman International Communications (IC) students at ‘Y.U.’(a pseudonym), a small private university in Japan. While the curriculum already contained aunit on culture (“Cultures of Japan”), the development of the unit described in this paper(“Global Culture”) offered a wider scope of themes, while maintaining and enhancing the goals
stated in the existing unit. This paper introduces the rationale for the changes made to the unit
and gives an overview of theoretical background that formed the basis for materials design andWorking Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

how said theories were practically implemented. The unit goals and chosen topics and activities
are also discussed, as well as students’ feedback, reflections on the trialing process andsuggestions for further development and implementation.

2. SETTING
The unit was taught over approximately five weeks, from the beginning of the second
semester, of an English for International Communication (EIC) course. The class met four times
per week, for 90 minutes each time. The class consisted of 25 students (23 Japanese and two
Chinese students), primarily female, with mixed proficiency levels, ranging from low­ tohigh­intermediate. The students were expected to use English as much as possible in class, andwere deemed to be proficient enough to use the authentic materials offered to them.

3. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND CONCEPTS:
CULTURE IN LANGUAGE EDUCATIONThe reasons for the introduction of a holistic view of culture into the existing curriculum
were mainly 1) the effect of the globalizing world and shrinking space for foreign language
learning in general and 2) the peculiarities of Japan and Japanese higher education in relation to
English language study in particular. In the past two decades, the nature of global
communication and mobility have indicated a need to reconsider the ways in which foreignculture is addressed in language classrooms. While language learners of the past might havestudied a foreign language for personal interest, traveling purposes or official work, today’s

Working Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

learning objectives are broader, and may involve such aims as living or studying abroad,interacting with people from other cultures for professional or personal reasons, and accessing
information in a foreign language without necessarily leaving one’s country of residence. Thesedevelopments are especially relevant to language students due to the rapid increase in the number
1of students wishing to study abroad ​. While English remains the principal language forinternational communication, it is important to be aware of different cultural backgrounds and be
prepared to negotiate a range of communication styles. Emerging from this change is a further
need for a focus on multiple cultures, rather than only the target language culture, which, in a
traditional setting, might also be limited only to the language teacher’s country and experience.
Kumaravadivelu (2008) mentions that the essence of culture itself is different in the modern
world, due to the growing ease of international communication and the accessibility of theInternet and international media; he introduces the term of “cultural globality” (p. 32) to describe
the effect that globalization has on local, national, and individual cultures. Kumaravadivelu(2008) also argues that, through the changes in local culture induced by globalization, people
may find themselves adopting aspects of others’ values or material culture. These developments
require that in a language classroom, culture be addressed as more than the “4­F (folk dances,
festivals, fairs, and food) or “Tour Guide” approaches (Galloway, 1985; as cited in Phillips,2011).
While the “Cultures of Japan” materials that had been developed included such goals as
promoting the idea of international influence on Japanese culture and a comprehensive

1

According to UNESCO Institute of Statistics, the number of international students has increased from 2. 4 million to
3.7 million in 2002­2009, and continues to grow at a rate of 12%. (See ​http://www.uis.unesco.org/Library/
Documents/research­trends­international­student­mobility­education­2012­en.pdf)

Working Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

understanding of what culture is (see EIC 1/Semester 2/ Cultures of Japan/Teacher’s notes fordetails), works by leading international scholars served as further inspiration to enhance theexisting unit. The design of the unit on Global Culture was based on ideas expressed by
Kumaravadivelu (2008), Holliday (2003), Phillips (2011), and others concerned with the new
outlook on cultural awareness in language classes. A few basic principles formed the foundationof the materials design: The aforementioned concept of “cultural globality”; the idea of cultural
flexibility and arbitrariness; and preconceived attitude to foreign cultures described as “othering”
and “Culturism” by Holliday, Hyde, and Kullman (2010). In addition, the notion of “nature vs.
culture” enhanced the discussion and understanding of the essence of culture and interculturalcommunication. Freire (1970; as cited in Finlay and Faith, 1987) emphasizes the need for
educators to help their students question their surroundings, toward understanding that manysocially accepted norms, regulations, and traditions are not prescribed (e.g., not “nature” thatcannot be altered), but created by the participants of the society ­­ and therefore able be changed
and reevaluated. These concepts and their connections to the unit design are explained below.
According to Kumaravadivelu (2008), cultural globality suggests that language classes
should focus more on teaching students to use English for the purposes of being connected to therest of the world and participating in the ongoing creation of global culture, rather than just tointeract with the target language community. As long as English remains the lingua franca of the
globalized world, the target audience can be represented by non­native speakers of English,
which brings into the foreground the necessity of raising global cultural awareness, rather than
only learning about a certain culture of one English­speaking country or even focusing
specifically on the cultures of Japan. As the setting of YU enables the students to communicate

Working Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

with exchange students and teachers from various countries, the need for awareness ofcross­cultural communication is more critical than in other environments. The ideas of cultural
globality and connectivity imply that culture, as experienced by each individual, is not simply aprefabricated set of roles, rules, and artifacts that are passed from one generation to the next, butrather an evolving worldview, a personal system of ways of interacting with the environment.
Furthermore, as Galloway (1998) points out, culture is “a dynamic and open system” (p.130), its
meaning constructed by each person who experiences it. Since it is crucial for a participant in across­cultural interaction to realize that different messages may be conveyed through apparently
similar forms (Galloway, 1998), it seemed appropriate to focus on this feature of culture in
designing the materials for the unit (specifically, this aspect was addressed through the “Critical
Incidents” activity, explained as follows). This idea is supported by Kramsch’s (2006) concept of‘symbolic competence’ which enriches the learners’ communicative experiences by providingthem with an understanding of the connection between language and culture with its underlying
images, archetypes, and assumptions, and fosters “tolerance of ambiguity” (p. 251) wheninteracting with a different culture. Kramsch (2006) stresses the importance of analyzing various
genres and modes of discourse in order to promote such symbolic competence in students.
As mentioned in the Introduction section, Japanese students often hold preformed notionsof what foreign languages and cultures should be like, which undermines both their language
progress and communication with non­Japanese interlocutors. McVeigh (2002) says that thecourse of internationalization in Japanese society, politics, and education that has been followed
for the past decade has served the purpose of solidifying Japanese identity at the expense of
actual internationalization, and he describes typical impressions of English language and English

Working Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

speakers as “fantasy English” (p. 154). As McVeigh (2002) specifically focused his research on
university students, he lists such outcomes of a “fantasy English” attitude as convictions that
English classes, especially when taught by foreign teachers, should be entertaining and easy, andthat native speakers themselves should correspond to the images popularized by mass media andcommonly known facts about English­speaking countries. Such expectations often result inJapanese students engaging their non­Japanese teachers in conversations based on stereotypicalassumptions, with a strong underlying feeling of the “othering” of these teachers (McVeigh,2002, p. 168­169). Rivers (2013) points out that, even in a university setting with native speakers
of English employed as teachers, the student­teacher relationship often does not allow for ameaningful cross­cultural exchange, stopping at the level of perceiving the foreign culture as“exotic” (p.78). Geluso (2013) similarly describes typical attitudes to foreigners living andworking in Japan as “impersonalisation” (p. 98): where citizens of other countries are expected
to behave in a certain way, and any kind of deviation from these expectations is ignored or
rejected by their Japanese interlocutors.
Other authors also highlight the wary attitudes toward speaking English of Japanesepeople themselves, who fear that frequent use of a foreign language will undermine their
Japanese identity (e.g. Houghton, 2013). Despite an increased demand for English education andthe growing involvement of English “native speakers” employed by schools in Japan, the generalstance toward English language and any foreign culture is guarded, and sometimes resistant.
The concepts of “culturalism” and “othering” introduced by Holliday (2003) wereenlightening to me in addressing this issue. Holliday, Hyde and Kullman (2010) define“culturalism” as a seemingly positive attitude toward other cultures and communities

Working Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

accompanied by a simplified equation of the “other’s” actions and behavior with his/her cultural
norms, without further examination of the subject. Thus, a person herself/himself is reduced towhat is perceived to be his/her culture, often in a narrow or stereotyped version. While Holliday(2003) talks about culturalism on the part of English native­speaking teachers toward theirstudents whose cultures are described as “interesting” or “exotic”, a similar attitude is often
expressed in many situations and settings toward foreigners in general. According to Holliday,
Hyde, and Kullman (2010), a “culturalistic” view stems from inherent division of a person’s
world image into “Self” or “Us” and “Other” (see Holliday, 2003; Holliday, Hyde, & Kullman,
2010, p. 27) where the “Other”­­a representative of a foreign community­­is assigned certain
qualities, roles, and behaviors based on “Our” assumptions and ideas about the “Other’s” culture,often originating from stereotypes and insufficient knowledge about other cultures. The main
characteristic of engaging in the attitude of “othering” can be described as treating members ofanother community as significantly different from “Self,” and so preventing them from truly
integrating into the “Self’s” community.
Returning to case of YU, in order to meet the goal of improving the students’cross­cultural communication skills, it appeared useful to help students formulate reflective skills
that would permit them to ask the right questions about the “Other’s” culture and behavior, andinterpret what they observe. To address the idea of culture being a dynamic phenomenon
influenced by a range of factors, the Global Culture unit included discussions on culture being
expressed and formed on different levels: individual, small and large community, national andglobal. In order to prompt the learners to understand the complexity of any given culture, andfurther appreciate the interaction of social groups in the creation of culture and foster anWorking Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

open­minded approach to other cultures, a focus on subcultures and cultures of smaller groups
was chosen as one of the topics. To meet the goal of raising the students’ awareness of cultural
globality and interconnectedness, the unit included discussions of the effects of globalization on
national and individual cultures and new emergent forms of culture. The concepts of“culturalism,” and “othering” were introduced through a discussion of stereotypes and a focus on
Japanese society and culture.

4. UNIT CHANGES AND MATERIALS DESIGNThis section introduces a brief overview of the praxis behind the materials design, unit
goals, the sequence of the topics, and some examples of activities. More detailed lesson plans
and sample worksheets are included in Appendix A. The goals for the unit are presented below
in a “Students will be able to…” framework with a division of cognitive, performative,
metacognitive and affective outcomes. For convenience, the goals were divided into content andlinguistic sections. Some of the goals coincide with the ones stated in the existing “Cultures ofJapan” unit.
Table 1.​
‘Global Cultures’ Unit Goals
Type of goals
Cognitive

Content: Students will be able to…
Understand that culture is a flexible systemcreated by people;
Become aware of problems related to stereotypes
and culturalist view of other cultures
Familiarize themselves with cultural constituentsand features forming individual culture;
Learn about their own culture(s)Linguistic: Students will be able to…
Enhance their vocabulary related to the topic
of “culture”;
Develop their reading and speaking skills;
Improve expression of their ideas in various
forms;
Learn to use academic terminology in their
output.

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Performative

Metacognitive

Affective

Pose questions to understand foreign culture;
Practice discussion skills;
Apply their knowledge in cross­cultural
Practice and improve speaking, reading, andinteractions;
listening skills;
Form and express their opinion about the topics
Practice summarizing skills
discussed in class
Acquire analytical tools for understanding foreign Enhance and use a vast body of vocabularyculture;
related to the topic of culture;
Be better prepared for meaningful and successful Develop critical and analytical thinking skills
cross­cultural interaction;
to apply in the future to a variety of tasks
Become aware of the effects of globalization on
culture and their own involvement in it
Practice basic research skills
Feel more confident in interactions with representatives of other cultures;
Become more knowledgeable and aware of their own culture(s);
Feel more confident when learning about world cultures;
Feel motivated by doing their own research for projects and mini­projects

In order to help the students better understand the topics brought to their attention,
Phillip’s (2011) suggestion for teaching culture was used: awareness of another culture should
begin with self­awareness and observing similarities in different cultures. Freire’s (1970) notionof understanding that one’s culture is created and not given dovetails with Galloway’s (1985)
and Phillips (2011) practical suggestions for initiating the discussion on culture by examining thelearners’ immediate lives and experience. Therefore, while it was mentioned that the materials
expanded on the existing “Cultures of Japan” unit, much of the content offered to the students
was connected to Japan. The activities that the students were asked to do included frequentdiscussions around “why” types of questions intended to promote thinking outside of the box anddeepen understanding of the content presented to them. To make the materials more meaningful
and accessible for the students, much of the content was either student­generated, or drew on
topics appropriate for their age group and interests. Students were asked to do mini­projects,
such as creating posters to counteract stereotypes, interviewing representatives of subcultures orWorking Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

foreign cultures, and mini­research into small group cultures. Projects were done at the end of
the unit.
The unit started with an overview of the concepts related to the topic of culture that thestudents would use throughout the unit. The students were offered a few definitions of culture
and then asked to produce their own. They were introduced to Edward Hall’s (1976) Iceberg
model in order to understand the visible and invisible constituents of any given culture. The aimof asking the class to reflect and provide supporting examples from their own culture was
twofold: facilitating the understanding of universal cultural concepts, and practicing target
language needed to talk about their culture. To highlight the idea of cultural similarities,
differences, and interpretations, a task on ‘critical incidents’ (examples of cross­cultural
misunderstandings) was proffered for discussion.
The next theme in the unit covered the concept of cultural and social values and theirsignificance for an individual’s culture as well as the formation of a person’s culture through a
combination of personal, communal, national, and global experience. This portion of the unit
served the purpose of highlighting the origins of people’s beliefs and values, showing thestudents how some of the convictions were commonly shared by most people in their nation
while others could be completely dependent on the family or personal experience. Students wereasked to reflect on their own values and beliefs and compare them with their classmates to noticesome similarities and differences.
The topics of stereotypes and “othering” flowed logically from the discussion of values
and cross­cultural misunderstandings that often stem from diverse beliefs held by the members

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of different cultures. While other topics used examples of various countries as the content, thetopic of stereotypes mostly centered on the use of Japanese examples and students’ personal
experience. In order to maintain the familiarity of content for the students and facilitate theunderstanding of potentially difficult concepts, the ideas of “othering” and “culturalism” were
examined with the examples of smaller group cultures such as school cliques, religious groups
and Japanese subcultures. In the light of the discussion of “othering” (and with the nature ofJapanese society in mind), students were also asked to ponder the essence of being Japanese andbelonging to Japanese culture, using previously developed IC materials. In addition, the students
were introduced to an account of a foreigner living in Japan relating the experience of being“othered” (the concept of “microaggressions” as described by Arudou, 2012). Lastly, the ideas ofcultural globality and the effect that globalization may have on local culture were illustrated
through the notion of “fusion culture”: A cultural artifact that appears in a form distinct from theoriginal as it is introduced to a different society. As familiar and accessible content to illustratecomplex ideas, examples of material culture such as food, attire and music were used for thissection of the unit. However, the students were invited to ponder the effects of globalization withthese simple examples and observe the changes in what they would describe as culture.
Finally, the class were offered the following options of culminating projects, each ofwhich involving a reflective/critical thinking element:
1. “Cultural Ambassador” (“Present Japan to foreign students”, designed by the IC
Department): The presenter(s) were asked to make a presentation about Japanese culture
and its meaning for them personally by focusing on a few elements that they felt weremost characteristic of Japanese culture.

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2. “Ethnography” Research Project (based on Kumaravadivelu’s, 2008, suggestion):
Students were asked to choose a small group culture, subculture, or foreign culture
represented in Japan and research information about it, possibly conducting interviews
with the carriers of this culture, and highlight its position toward the mainstream culture.
3. “Fusion Culture” Research: Students were asked to choose an example element ofJapanese culture that either has been adapted by other countries/cultures, or has been
imported into Japan and undergone certain modifications. Examples for this assignment
included such topics as fashion, music styles, food, lifestyle, or sports (though the class
could choose to talk about an aspect of non­material culture). Students were to present on
their findings and reflect upon the nature and reasons for the alterations that happened tothe original cultural artifact.
4. “Your Cultural Identity Portrait” (based on the activity described in Holliday, Hyde, &Kullman, 2010): Students were asked to examine their personal culture and show theirconvergence and divergence from a larger group such as their class, their family, or theJapanese nation.
All projects could be done individually or in groups. In the end, there were six presentations on“Fusion Culture”, three “Cultural Ambassador” presentations; four “Ethnography” presentations,and one “Identity Portrait” presentation done by a pair of students in which they chose tocompare their individual and personal cultures. Students were also asked to write reflections onsome of the issues discussed in the unit, yielding responses discussed as follows (also see
Appendix B).

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5. STUDENT FEEDBACK
A questionnaire was distributed to the students in the end of the unit (Appendix C). Overall, thefeedback was very positive, and the students reported feeling that they had gained new content
knowledge, practiced English language, learned new communication strategies, and felt better
prepared for interaction with foreigners. Most felt that the time allocated to the unit was
sufficient. Some students said that the materials were too challenging, but most found themlevel­appropriate. The topics that elicited the most discontent were the discussion of belonging toJapanese society and “othering” in Japan, while the themes of stereotypes and subcultures
spurred the most interest. Some students found the concepts of “othering” or layers of culture too
difficult, but some responded very positively to the new intellectual challenge they received in
the course of the unit. A few remarked that they found the reflective questions, the critical
approach, and the topics challenging; but they had enjoyed “thinking deeply” about the things
that surrounded them, and they felt that they would not have learned as much otherwise. Other
remarks pointed out a lack of information on various cultures and religions, or insufficientattention to Japanese culture, in the students’ prior education.

6. REFLECTIONS ON THE TRIALING PROCESSWorking Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

Based on the students’ feedback and observations of the trialing process, as well as the ongoingchanges that had to be made, the following conclusions were drawn:
1. The topics and their sequence were mostly appropriate for the students, and could be
adapted for any setting and country. The most important elements of the unit design werethe choice of familiar and accessible content for the students (their own culture and othercultural artifacts that they may already have some knowledge of) and the posing of
critical questions such as “What is happening in this event/picture/situation?”; “Why is it
happening?” and “What are the underlying reasons for the situations/pictures described?”
Discussions of less familiar and more controversial topics when related to the students’home countries or background knowledge formed another element which proved to be
useful for sustaining interest in the unit and deepening the understanding of culture. For
example, the unit addressed the subject of young immigrants and adult refugees in the US
and Canada and prejudice against foreigners and people of partially Japanese descent.
2. The projects, as well as the reflection questions offered to the class, yielded very positive
results, showing true understanding of many complex issues, high quality work, andobvious interest in pursuing the subjects.
3. While some of the concepts (layers of culture, the meaning of belonging to a culture and“othering”) proved to be challenging for the class, they ought to be conserved andperhaps addressed with more scaffolding and over a longer time span. Negative reactions
to being asked to reflect upon Japanese society and the meaning of “being Japanese”, andreluctance to discuss the actions of “othering” that Japanese people may engage inseemed to suggest that these topics failed to achieve the intended goal of raising critical

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awareness of own culture and discerning “nature” from “culture.” However, since thesenotions are indispensable to understanding the arbitrariness of culture and approachingintercultural communication from an open perspective, it would seem appropriate toelaborate on them. For example, a discussion on discrimination could be opened andlinked to the more concrete topics of stereotypes and prejudice. In order to soften theblow of having to consider one’s own culture in a potentially unfavorable light, the topic
could be introduced with the help of examples from other countries and cultures.
Following an activity described by Kumaravadivelu (2008), the students could be asked
to interview foreigners or minorities in their own country to further their comprehensionof the meaning of being a recognized participant of the dominant culture and socialgroup.
4. A very sensible suggestion made by the students would prompt a further expansion of the
topics by adding more information (perhaps in the form of student­led research) on
foreigners’ perceptions of Japan. As noted above, some students expressed interest in
learning about different religions and seeing more examples of other cultures. Whilethese are very appealing ideas, time constraints and the logical progression of the unit
may not allow for sufficient attention to these very deep topics. Nonetheless, it is possible
to implement an overview of religious systems in the discussion of values, as well as use
more examples from different cultures throughout the unit. Alternatively, these topics canbe examined in the final projects.
5. It might be useful in future development of the course to include a more detailed focus on
vocabulary, grammar, and, especially, pragmatics, through role­plays or examples ofWorking Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

speech used in different cultural events (for example, through movie clips or audio
recordings of English users). If the teacher has appropriate materials (such as real­life
recordings) of cross­cultural miscommunication and examples of discrimination orstereotyping, discourse analysis could prove to be an extremely beneficial activity both interms of language study and further understanding of cultural issues.

7. REFERENCES

Arudou, D. (2012). Yes, I can use chopsticks: the everyday ‘microaggressions’ that grind us
down. ​The Japan Times, ​05/01/12​.​
Retrieved on 10/11/2013 from ​http://www.japantimes.
co.jp/community/2012/05/01/community/yes­i­can­use­chopsticks­the­everyday­microaggr
essions­that­grind­us­down/#.UjeTxK5Lry8
Choudaha, R., & Chang, L. (2012). Research Report 01: Trends in international student
mobility education 2012. UNESCO Institute of Statistics. Retrieved on 10/10/2013
from​http://www.uis.unesco.
org/Library/Documents/research­trends­​
international­student­mobility­education­2012­en.pdf
Finlay, L. S., & Faith, V. (1987). Illiteracy and alienation in American colleges: Is PauloFreire’s pedagogy relevant? In I. Shor (Ed.). ​Freire for the classroom: A sourcebook forliberatory teaching​(pp. 63­86). Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers.
Galloway, V. (1998​). Constructing cultural realities: “Facts” and frameworks of association.
In J. Harper & M. Williams (Eds.), ​The coming of age of the profession ​(pp. 129­140).
Boston: Heinle and Heinle
Geluso, J (2013). Negotiating a professional identity: Non­Japanese teachers of English inpre­tertiary education in Japan. In S. A. Houghton & D. J. Rivers (Eds.), ​Native­speakerism
in Japan ​(pp. 92­104). Bristol, UK; Tonawanda, NY: Multilingual Matters.
Holliday, A. (2003). Social autonomy: Addressing the dangers of culturalism in TESOL. In P.
Palfreyman & R.C. Smith (Eds.), ​Learner autonomy across cultures ​(pp. 110­126).
Houndmills, Basingtoke, Hampshire, New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
nd​Holliday, A., Hyde, M., & Kullman, J. (2010). ​Intercultural communication ​(2​Ed.). Oxon:
Routledge.

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Houghton, S. A. (2013). The overthrow of the foreign lecturer position and its aftermath. In S.
A. Houghton & D. J. Rivers (Eds.), ​Native­speakerism in Japan ​(pp.60­74). Bristol, UK;
Tonawanda, NY: Multilingual Matters.
Kumaravadivelu, B. (2008). ​Cultural globalization and language education. ​New Haven:London: Yale University Press
McVeigh, B.J (2002). ​Japanese higher education as myth.​
Armonk, NY: An East Gate Book.
Phillips, E. (2011). IC? I see! Developing learners’ intercultural competence. ​Communique:
Languages other than English center for education development, 3​. Retrieved on
02/20/2013 from: ​http://www.sedl.org/loteced/communique/n03.html
Rivers, D. J. (2013). Institutionalized Native­speakerism: Voices of Dissent and acts ofresistance.​
In S. A. Houghton & D. J. Rivers (Eds.), ​​Native­speakerism in Japan ​(75­91).
Bristol, UK; Tonawanda, NY: Multilingual Matters.

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APPENDIX B​. Sample lesson plans (overview) and lesson goals
Lesson Topic
Introduction:
What isculture?

Aims

Materials and procedures
Student output and(input)participation; skills
Students become aware of f theStudents watch a video in
Skills involved: Listening
concept and constituents of “culture”; which people give theirStudents familiarize themselves with responses to the question.
Expressing opinion;
the “Iceberg “model, and spheres of Agree/disagree and interpret practicing vocabularyculturethe answers seen on video; related to culture
Students reflect on their own examples try to give their definitionof “visible” and “invisible” culture
Iceberg model (E.Hall, 1976) HW: Research the meaning
Language: Students practice listening,of different cultural
speaking and vocabulary
constituents

Understanding Students further their awareness ofStudents work with
Skills: Speaking, working
culture:cultural constituents and layers
examples of various cultural with vocabulary
CulturalStudents become aware of theconstituents (visible andAnalytical thinking
constituents and interaction of different spheres ofinvisible culture).
theircultureStudents identify their values Students analyze theinteraction.
Students reflect on their personal
by answering questions, then elements of their own
Values. Layers culture
find common class values
culture and values; theof culture
Students reflect on their values
Introducing Venn diagram of influences in their life
Language: Increase vocabulary“cultural layers”
connected to values and culture;
HW: Place visible andPractice speaking and expressing theirinvisible high school andideas;
university English
Practice understanding content inclassroom cultural elements
Englishon an iceberg
Values,Students will become aware of
Critical incidents: Reading Skills: Reading, discussion
cross­cultural cross­cultural differences, and theabout cross­cultural
Speaking: Students act out
misunderstandi relationship between people’s values misunderstandings andtheir skits based on
ngs andand their behavior
discussion
scenarios.
relationshipStudents will practice analytical skills
Analytical skills: Students
between values and cultural competence skills by
establish the link between
and behavior answering questions about
values and behavior
cross­cultural critical incidents;
Students will practice expression skills
HW: Readby working on their own skills“Microaggressions” article
Introduction to Students will continue promoting
Reading 1:
Skills: Reading“othering”,
cross­cultural awareness by reading an “Microaggressions”
Discussion
stereotyping, article that describes foreigners’
Discussion of perceptions ofandperceptions of interactions withforeigners in Japancross­cultural Japanese people;
communication Students will promote their analyticalskills by reflecting and expressing
their opinion about the article;

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Stereotypes and Students will become familiar with the Images for discussion/ideas Speaking and discussion of
overcoming
concepts of stereotype and prejudice; about people’s values andthe teenagers’ experience;
pre­formed
Students will raise their awareness of lifestyle
Making their own
attitudes
the typical images of Japan (inStereotypes about Japan: A anti­stereotype
American culture);
Clip from “The Simpsons” poster/campaign
Students will examine their own(Japanese restaurant)pre­conceived notions and possible
ways of broadening their attitude to Examples of
the “Other”;
anti­stereotyping slogans andStudents will practice expressing their campaigns
ideas through symbolic images andslogans
Stereotypes and Students will become familiar with
Reading: Teen Immigrants: Listening skills
being Japanese some cultural and attitude problems Five Stories (“In the Mix” Analytical and criticalthat immigrants face;
program transcript)
thinking skills (discussing
Students will raise their criticalwhether the people in theawareness of social structures by“case studies” belong toreading and analyzing the examples of Sample “case studies” ofJapan)
teen immigrants in the US;various Japanese nationals Reflection (written): What(basic information)
does it mean to be Japanese?
Students will examine their ideas ofbeing a representative of Japan andJapanese culture;
Students will understand further thecomplex nature of an individual’sculture;
Students may become more culturally
aware and increase their cross­culturalcompetence and understanding.
“othering” and Students will become aware of the“Case study” adapted from Listening skills
subcultures:concepts of “Self” and “Other” inHolliday (2010): Students Reading skills
Building
relation to culture;
listen and answer theSummarizing and speaking
understanding Students will learn about subcultures questions;
skillsand tolerance and familiarize themselves with some Jigsaw reading: US
Research skills: Finding
examples of US subcultures;
subcultures and smaller
information about different
Students will further investigate the cultures (students prepare to subculture in Japan
topic by researching about Japanese share the information andsubcultures
review the concepts ofStudents will further theirvisible and invisible culture)understanding of culture
Students will further think about
approaching the “Other” without
stereotypes

Working Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

Fusion culture: Students will become aware of how “World Cup Sushi” video
Vocabulary and description
Globalization cultural constituent merge and change (and/or article); example of speaking skills: Describing aand its effects in the global world;
sushi recipes from Japanese restaurant­visiting
on local andStudents will be introduced to the idea restaurants around the world experience in details
individualthat culture is dynamic and created;
Listening skills
cultureStudents will understand how they can
Critical thinking skills:
link their knowledge to cross­cultural
Considering “fusion” ininteractions;
cultural artifacts, and theStudents will be able to practice theirflexibility of culture;
listening and speaking skills
HW: Reflection essay about
the effects of globalization
on culture
Work onOptions for projects:
Research and presentation
projects and1. Introducing Japan; skills. Students choose apresentations
2. Ethnography;
project and prepare it
3. Your culturalaccording to theidentity portrait
descriptions. Present orally
4. Fusion culture
and/or as a written report.
research

Working Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

APPENDIX B.​
Reflecting on cultural globality and fusion culture
Directions:​
Please choose ONE question and write your response to it. Please write at least 8
sentences (no limit on the maximum!)1. Think about some other examples of cultures and cultural constituents blending together,and taking on new forms. We talked about this in class, but maybe you got some moreideas: Why does this sort of blending happen? (Hints: You can think about Pop music,
fashion styles, sports, advertisement, stores and so on).
2. Is it alright to change cultural artifacts from other countries? What about values: Is it
possible to take values and ideology from different cultures?
3. Recently, the world has become more international and global thanks to the ease of travel
and the spread of information by Internet. It is easier for people to learn about othercultures, traditions, and other people’s beliefs. How does this access to information aboutother people affect us and our views of the world?
4. Do you think we are born into one culture, or we can form our own culture? Explain youropinion.
5. Is your culture (think about values and social behavior) the same as your parents’ culture?
Is it the same as your grandparents’ culture? If they are the same, what or who helped tomaintain the values? If they are different, what caused these differences?

Working Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

APPENDIX C.​
Feedback on Culture Unit
Please ​underline​or ​highlight​
the answer that best describes your impressions of
the Culture Unit:
1. The unit on culture was…
I.

Not useful at allSome topics were useful, but not all

Very useful

2. The unit on culture was…
BoringSometimes interesting

Interesting, but too long

Very interesting

I didn’t learn anything in this unit

I learned some new things

I learned a lot

3. I feel that…

4. The unit on culture…
Made me annoyed

Did not change my world views at all

Gave me something to think about

Helped me make new discoveries about culture

5. The topics and concepts were…
Easy to understandSometimes confusing, but not too bad

Too difficult

6. The materials were…
Just right for my level
difficultSome were right, but some were difficult

Too

7. I felt that we spent….
Too much time on this unitII.

Too little time on this unit

Enough time

Please answer these questions:
1. What activity did you enjoy the most when we talked about culture?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What activity did you like the least?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Working Papers in Language Education and Research 2015, 14­36

3. Which topic (basic concepts of culture, being Japanese, stereotypes, othering,subcultures or fusion culture) was the most relevant and interesting for you?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Which topic was the least interesting and relevant to you?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What was the most important or memorable thing you learned in this unit?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Was there anything that you would like to learn more about? (a topic we
discussed in class, or some other topic related to culture that we did not
discuss)_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Was there anything you would have liked to spend less time on?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Is there anything else you would like to tell me?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________