Job Discussion Forums

[pants]

ccfan, you raise an interesting issue about passing on Western values via English teaching. I agree that culture is inherent in language, and so to an extent this is unavoidable, although you can try to be aware of this and point it out where possible. But it seems to me that in Vietnam, many students are actively trying to gain understanding of Western 'values' (ha) and culture, and are keen to become as 'Western' as possible.
I taught adult Aboriginal people in Australia for a couple of years, and cultural sensitivity was a BIG issue in that field. Extremely delicate issues from who should be 'allowed' to teach what to whom, and the danger of forcing 'speak up' culture on people with entirely different communication strategies, to the fact that traditional people don't like to make the eye contact we so uphold as 'honest' and 'direct'. Not to mention that Westerners had done their very best to strip these people of their culture entirely, so some reparation was in order...
But here, most students CHOOSE to learn English, and know laguage is a vehicle for culture. There is no point limiting language taught to protect cultural sensitivities if students are trying to gain survival skills for living within/exchanging with, Western culture. You want to make it as easy as possible for them.
As for Western values, I can't really see what they are at the moment apart from, beneath the hypocrisy and individual acts of originality, a driving imperative to get more money and Armani suits (hell, I know jack about suits, lets say Manolo Blahnik shoes...fabulous).
And we are in little danger of corrupting the Vietnamese on that score...If a preoccupation with money, a high status job, education, car, etc etc is part of Western culture I think half the Vietnamese who I teach are already more Western than I am.

[slada]

Snaff, if you're going to continue down this avenue, for God's sake learn a little something about wine. There is no "Burgundy" area in Italy. Burgundy is a region of France. The grape that Burgundy wine is produced from isn't even grown in Italy. Oh, and only a trencherman would be caught dead at a decent restaraunt eating a pork "cutlet". If you need advice on fine dining and suitable wine choices, plese contact me before you make any further posts. You should also get in contact with my tailor in Saville Row, although he may not be accepting any new clients at this juncture. Trevelli's in Milan is a good alternative, but just a bit pedestrian for my tastes.

[ccfan]

Thanks, Pants. That's helpful. You mean you wouldn't consider the spreading of freedom and democracy through superior firepower to be an excellent western value? (totally kidding). In Vietnam I couldn't take a walk in the park or sit in a train station without a few college age kids coming to talk to me. They showed great enthusiasm to learn and correct their English. I guess when they think about English they probably also think of the things that go along with English speaking nations - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I had several conversations where I had to dissolve a few of their misconceptions about American culture and they helped me see their culture more clearly as well. This kind of dialogue, I imagine, is probably quite common and could be a good way to discuss those values while adding perspective to the mix. I guess I'd rather show them our good values and leave the dissemination of bad values to MTV.

[Snaff]

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