Episode 012: “Where can I get a Brazilian wax?”
Update: 2014-06-26
Description
Show Notes: The Minimal Pair
Title: “Where can I get a Brazilian wax?”
Episode no: 012
Date: Recorded on 6/25/14
Topics in Language Learning
English for Specific Purposes
- Sources:
- What is it? How is it different from ESL? (from UsingEnglish.com)
- Types of learners
- Types of instruction
- Learner motivation
- What are “specific purposes”?
- Business
- Law
- Architecture
- Engineering
- Medicine
- Tourism
- Restaurant industry
- Instructor responsibilities (from UsingEnglish.com) and challenges
- Setting goals
- Learning environment
- Evaluating students
- Who is qualified to teach it?
- Is a TESL certification enough?
- Do instructors with content specific backgrounds (like an MBA or J.D.) have an advantage?
[19:10 ]
Methodology
Authentic situations
- Online presence
- Email
- Social media
- Students who are new to the country and dealing with lots of “real-world” issues
- Finding housing
- Setting up utilities
- Figuring out public transportation; getting cars and driver’s licenses
- Getting acquainted with a new city: what to do, where to go for fun, etc.
- Overlooked things: where to get a haircut, how American pharmacies work, etc.
- Remaining approachable; validating their challenges
- Having authentic situations in ESP classes
- Product pitch
- Writing emails
- Good news vs. bad news
- Requests & reminders
- Job interviews
- “Water-cooler” conversation skills
- Book recommendation: Americans at Work: A Guide to the Can-Do People (by Craig Storti)
[36:15 ]
Culturally speaking…
High-context vs. low-context cultures
- Sources:
- Worldwide ERC
- What’s the difference?
- High-context – indirect (Asia, Middle East, Africa, South America)
- Less likely to share thoughts and feelings
- Stress expressed non-verbally or accidentally
- Conversation is monotone (lack of inflection and enthusiasm)
- Communication is indirect (evasive, talking around the point, tactful, ambiguous)
- Conflict (harmony valued)
- Low-context – direct (North America, most of Western Europe)
- More open with thoughts and feelings
- Don’t hide stress/tension
- Conversation is enthusiastic
- Communication is direct (precise, blunt, to the point)
- Conflict is a means of expressing (and having pride for) personal opinion
- Tips for teachers
- Make students aware of the difference (validate both)
- Be specific with directions for assignments (putting it on paper helps indirect communicators)
- Modeling being direct (i.e. through teacher feedback)
- Prefacing authentic situations with a discussion about being direct vs. indirect
- Encouraging classroom participation (challenging for indirect communicators)
- Students who want to tell the teacher how to teach
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