I concur that global-local tensions and a discourse of Othering are evident in classroom materials. The choice of cultural content presented in classroom materials oftentimes promotes these tensions and the discourse of othering. In order to avoid marginalization of the local culture and achieve a balance between global and local concerns as well as reduce Othering, it is necessary to present diversity that exists within all cultures. Moreover, by encouraging students to see "cultural diversity as part of the cultural flow that exists today" and as part of the globalization process, it would be an honest approach to treat both local and global concerns as equally important and not to give preference to Western cultures and values but rather introduce "a sphere of interculturality" (McKay 188). The latter implies that while learning about another culture, students acquire aspects of their own culture as well. In addition, such methods as open text, representation of more diversity in the uses and users of English in the materials, presentation of L2-L2 interactions, and classroom-based social research (CBSR) are good ways to encourage a discussion of cultural values and raise an awareness that English is an international language that can be used in a wide variety of cultural and social contexts.
As for the CLT method which is widely used in Russia today, I have experienced this method when I studied at the faculty of foreign languages. As a student, I considered it as a waste of my time as I was expecting a teacher-fronted grammar lesson with a linguistic component. I tolerated group work as I felt that I was not ready to engage in verbal interactions from top of my head and that I was supposed to have a a ready opinion on different aspect of life. I felt comfortable and in a non-threatening and relaxed atmosphere when a teacher was assuming authority in the class. What I think would be more suitble, however, is a so-called hybrid class. I think it would work best for both a teacher and a student because this way "the method match with local practical constraints and classroom expectations" (195). I see positive sides in both methods but the impementation of any of them should be with accordance with the English demands of the students and with respect to the local culture of learning.
I started to study English in the 9th grade as a private tutoring class. A lot of people in Russia have to take tutoring classes of English as teaching English in public schools is not sufficient enough. My teacher gave me a lot of memorization tasks. I had to learn texts by heart as she believed this is the only way to start learning English. Also, there was a lot of grammar theory and exercises on articles, tenses, mood, comparatives, and everything else. Every aspect of grammar was covered by a huge amount of exercises which i had to write down. Translation was certainly part of her program.
In six months I acquired the program of the mainstream school curriculum. I started with the ABC and by the end of the sixth month I could speak, write, and read as an advanced learner. I successfully entered a linguistic gymnasium, one of the prestigious schools in my home town, Ulan-Ude, in the 10th grade. After her intensive teaching, I realized that I was more advanced in English than my classmates who studied at that school since the first grade. I was not accepted to the most advanced group of the 10th grade students as the teacher was too ambitious to accept me in her group. The backstage play is that my tutor is very well-known in my hometown and certain teachers consider her as a challenge as her students always win different competitions in English. This is just a little story of how ambitions can serve as obstacles to sharing knowledge, methods of teaching and learning from each other. However, back to the main aim of writing about my learning experience. i think that my example can serve as one more narrative that proves the importance of the local knowledge to the discipline. Different learners are situated in different sociocultural contexts and, thus, any relevant pedagogical knowledge has to be locally produced and negotiated.
No comments:
Post a Comment