a Class in Oral English in China

Week 7: Cultural differences (expressed in English)

http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/australiaasia.html

aims: 

using English to explain complicated things
an attempt at rational argument
helping the student to understand the teacher and method
a first hand encounter with difference

note: the class is done like a talk show, with people having a few minutes to discuss with each other. Often i get them to stand in order to get them to stop being so passive. (yes my classes are 50 to 90 students)

Watch Summer Heights High

History:

For 50,000 years, nomadic humans roamed Australia. They probably never built cities because Australia lacked a good crop to farm and build a civilisation around.

Between the 15th and 17th centuries, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, Indonesian and Spanish reached Australia, took a look around and then kept going. In the 18th century, the English arrived, took a look around and decided Australia would make a great place to punish criminals. For the next 80 years, England sent its criminals called “Convicts” in Australia. They were political rebels, communists and the poor who lacked food to eat. 

We united the various English settlements into one country in 1901. We have had a history of migration. The Chinese first came to Australia in the 1850s to find gold. This caused social issues and our country started a immigration policy based on ethnicity (which racial group you are). In the 1970’s we over ruled that and adopted a multicultural policy where we allowed people to come and live in Australia based on merit. Once you have an Australian passport you are Australian, no matter where you were born. 

What is a Chinese, that is a citizen of China? Get into pairs or threes and discuss. 5 minutes. 

Can a Australian born Anglo Celtic become Chinese?

Self understanding

Australia is said to be individualist. We place a higher value placed on relying on yourself, not your friends not your family nor your network.  Self-confidence is expected and those with confidence will do much better in life. A parents greatest gift is to prepare their child for the world. High value placed on “freedom”. 

Chinese leaders say that China is different it is about the collective (the group) that is how the individuals fit into the group. For you what is the most important?

Education

From an early age, Australians are taught to believe in themselves. We expect people to achieve as much as they are capable of but be modest. We expect the to do this both in class and in sport. This confidence in ourselves as individuals means we are very comfortable when meeting foreigners.

What are you taught in China? Are you confident when meeting foreigners? 

Australian classes are focused on the teacher. The teachers job is to use the classroom to help the children learn, only a small part of it is by the teacher talking at the students. We found there are ways of teaching that the student remembers more. 

In China is the focus on the students or the teacher? 

Do you learn well this way?

Does Bullying exist in Chinese schools?

Do you have do musicals? What things did you do in high school that didn’t have exams?

Is high school or university more intense (more stress, more work, harder, more happening and more pressure)?

An Australian University is more intense and difficult then Australian High School. How much respect you get does not just depend on which university you went to but which course you did at it. If you do Marine Biology at James Cook people will bring you in for interview, if you did marine biology at New York State they may not. 

At university we need to learn a new way of writing (academic writing). We need to learn how to research and judge (evaluate) information. We need to develop great critical thinking and often creative thinking skills as well. We will be expected to work in groups as well as by yourself. Work we do in groups will be part of your mark. 

In this university do you do assignments? Do you do them in groups where your mark is the same for each member?

We will face exams but these are usually worth 20-35% of the final mark. Research done during the year is also marked and evaluated.  The university’s programme has input from business organisations so that the students are employable and ready to work. Students learn many skills at university, like leadership, team work, being able to speak in front of many people. Each university has many clubs, including many that are especially for Chinese students to make them feel at home. Most of Australia’s politicians learnt their political skills at university. We learn to and are willing to confront directly, criticize, discuss with the hope of finding a better answer a better solution.

What is the priority of a Chinese university?

What things have you learnt there that have changed you?

Three Key Concepts to understand what an Australian is

Egalitarianism - everyone is equal

Australians hold dear the idea we are all different but equal. Most Australians like the idea of a worker being able to sit down and have a drink and chat with the Queen. We hold that idea as part of what it means to be Australian. 

For example, Lindsay Fox (now close to a billionaire) said of Australia: 

‘We don’t have a class structure. We have people who relate to people. No body is superior. No body is inferior. The people who I went to school with collect the garbage around here. But if they want to come in and have a drink, that’s fine with me.’

In China are all people considered equal? If not please discuss how is more important and why? What things give people higher social status? Can a garbage collector have a millionaire as a friend?

Merit - having the skills, experience and attitude to do the job

As we believe all people are equal, they should all have the same treatment by the law. In order for all people to be equal we created a stable and consistent law. If you are rich, you can hire better lawyers, but the judge will make his/her decision based on the facts and the law. No person is ‘above’ the law. Every man is answerable to the law. 

In Australia there are laws that protect people from being discriminated against because of age, ethnicity, religion, sexuality or social status. A company can advertise a job but must put in the skills experience and attitude they require they may NOT say they are looking for a male, female, married, single or Anglo-Celtic, this is against the law. You get a job, or a university position or contract with the government because you are the considered the best person or company for the job. Relationships play a small role they may get you inside information (informally) or get you noticed, the relationship past this is a problem. 

Is this the same in China? How does one get a good job?

Can you work out a way of explaining 밑溝 to a ‘foreigner’?
Do you like the system of 밑溝? 

Tell me two  advantages and disadvantages of each system

Pluralism - many peoples, cultures and ideas much debate with respect

Australia considers itself multicultural. That it has many different cultures living in one land. This at times causes friction, though most people will say that the country is better now. This gives each culture the space to enjoy the traditions of the ‘their ways’ as well as those of Australia. This mean’s we celebrate the new year according to the Gregorian calendar, the Chinese, Thai and many others. We celebrate the festivals and food of each culture, it is not unusual for an Australian to eat food in the styles of 10 or more countries in a week. Most Australian will have friends who are from many different countries. My circle of friends in Melbourne included who are; Anglo-Celtic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Djiboutian, Ghanese, English, Peruvian, Fijian, French... oh and so many more... 

This idea of multiculturalism extends to religion, sexuality and other groups within society, providing they abide by the laws of the country. For example Chinese might also be amazed that Australia’s most famous male actors, Russel Crow(BA), Heath Ledger (BSA), Hugh Jackman, Hugo Weaving, Geoffery Rush (BA) and Guy Pearce have all played gay men in movies two wearing women’s cloths (one for a Chinese director) and our two Academy Award winning actresses have played lesbian women and one played a man. 

That Anthony Wong, a Chinese man played a French man in a Melbourne play or that many Korean and Chinese singers play various European ethnicities in operas. 

Australian believe in pluralism, that its many different types of people with different cultures ideas, religions, sexuality, different ways of thinking, all living together. This we feel makes us the strong creative nation we are. We are all Australian there is no longer a stereotype Australian. You can be Australian if you for fi migration requirements and you accept our core idea of pluralism. 

We often have long debates about things. Most of my lifetime we’ve been having a debate about what is an Australian and what is the meaning of Australian history, the big story. I think we have decided it’s a person who lives in the land that is Australia, has decided that they agree with these three core values and wish to be involved of our political system and are accepted by our laws. 

China says it is multi-cultural what does this mean?

What is China’s attitude to pluralism in thought? Can you discuss anything?

If you use this lesson in some form let me know... I use it to learn about their attitudes.