The Art of Culture

I look forward to being a bilingual educator not just to enrich the learning process through the use of two languages, but also to form a multicultural community accepted and encouraged by all. I really enjoyed Hinkel’s chapter about “Second Culture Acquisition” and whether adults can truly acquire a second culture. It was interesting how many people who live in a non-native country for an extended time still don’t feel as though they truly belong. I lived in Spain for five months and definitely experienced a different culture, such as their late meals, siesta time, and laid back lifestyle. While abroad, I fully embraced each of these aspects so I truly did feel as though I belonged. However, I realize it is hard for many people to do this, as it takes risk and vulnerability to live in a new way. According to Vygotsky, cultural development appears twice, both on a social plane and psychological plane. Actually immersing one’s self in a new culture and lifestyle proves to help one acquire a second culture in a more meaningful way than just in a classroom environment learning about another culture. The readings this week inspired me to share what I learned and what I experienced from each of the seven countries I traveled to while studying abroad. Vygotsky made another good point in saying that the organization of concepts varies across cultures. For example, the English language uses the word ‘candle’ while the Mayan say “one long thin wax.” This reminds me of another TESOL class I took where we learned that different languages and cultures around the world have different counting systems. In the United States, we count to ten using our fingers. However, in some areas, people count the spaces in between their fingers instead of counting their actual fingers and end up with eight. As Bourdieu stated, cultural formation foundation has early on-set and the power of culture is developed with the habitus, which I will discuss later.

The Wintergerst article entitled, “Exploring Culture,” offered some very applicable classroom points and ideas. Something I really liked was the idea that students are linguistically corrected often, especially in their second language, but tend to miss chances to increase cultural knowledge through correction. For example, if a student does not learn early on to raise his or her hand before answering a question, they may be embarrassed in high school when they call out the answer out of turn.  I know many of my international friends are used to hugging or kissing on the cheek when greeting others, but in the US this may be frowned upon, especially within certain contexts. Many students enter school thinking that their values and beliefs are the norm. This is not the case, and it is important to gently show students the many different cultures enveloped in the world.

I like the idea of Big C vs Lower c. It is a great way to teach students different levels of cultural differences and significances. Big C includes creative endeavors, institutions, historical figures, etc. Lower C includes beliefs, morals, customs, and norms.

I would like to briefly discuss the idea of habitus, which was referenced in multiple readings this week. According to Bourdieu, individuals acquire a set of durable dispositions through intensive and extensive involvement in their daily lives. These dispositions are known as habitus which conditions words, deeds, attitudes, and socially constructed principles. It is very important when looking at culture and its acquisition.

After reading about the idea of private speech, I was left with a few uncertainties. I realize that it functions to organize and guide a child’s mental activity, but how is it different than inner speech? Inner speech concerns semantics and word meaning but isn’t this a component of private speech (self as interlocutor)?

One of the most interesting parts of the readings this week was the research study regarding Word Affiliation. When New Year’s Day was presented in English to Japanese, words like party and holiday were recited back. However, when New Year’s Day was stated in Japanese, the word affiliations consisted of Japanese words like kimono. I have noticed since my return from Spain that when I overhear someone talking in Spanish and then my friend asks me a question, I have a tendency to begin answering in Spanish!

Lastly, collectivism vs individualism was another main point from the readings. They are both sociocultural patterns, but in collectivism, individuals see themselves as part of a collective item such as a tribe or family. They are motivated by norms and duties imposed on their collective units. Individualism is where there are loosely linked individuals that are independent. They are mostly motivated by needs, rights, preferences, and personal goals.

In conclusion, second culture acquisition has been investigated from social, attitudinal, and cognitive standpoints. Adults are indeed capable of restructuring the culture to some extent but with the right motivation and context. Culture is better labeled as a verb, not a noun, because it is a dynamic process of transforming order in society and identifying formation. It is a prism through which we view life.