Job Discussion Forums

[Sashadroogie]

How many EFL teachers consider themselves to be cultural ambassadors also? Just curious...

[spiral78]

Not me. It's been tough to admit I'm American for a long time now. Slightly better this year than for the past 8, but, well, I'm not personally interested in US 'culture' in any case.

In terms of international business or academic culture, yes. Count me in. That's a large part of what my courses aim to convey to our students, who must communicate successfully with other non-native and native English speakers in international academic and professional contexts.

It's different to teaching immigrants to native English-speaking countries. They have legit needs/reasons for understanding and incorporating some elements of the culture.

[Glenski]

Whether one has been home every year or very rarely, one has to consider oneself as a cultural ambassador. The locals will consider you as such, no matter what.

Why do you ask, Sashadroogie? And, what is your answer to your question?

[spiral78]

I don't think it's always true that the locals consider one to be an ambassador of culture. It's likely more true when one is a visible minority. I'm not, here.

[Sashadroogie]

I ask for many reasons, but mainly because I do not share the view. May I ask why you believe you are a cultural ambassador?

[basiltherat]

yes, i regard myself as one to a fair degree. after all, if not me, ... who ?
best
basil

[rusmeister]

[jdl]

As Glenski and Rusmeister say, regardless of how we regard ourselves personally, we come to represent the country from which we originate simply because we are often the immediate of the few examples of our nationality in residence.

Accept it or not, we are the stereotype which is remembered and perpetuated as representative of our nationality. We have all heard the stereotypes......they came from our predecessors. What legacy of image do we leave?

Like it or not so much?

[spiral78]

OK, apparently I've only lived and worked in very international places - there are hundreds of Americans living in my little city here, and thousands in Prague where I was before, and many in Luxembourg too. I've never been a stand-out for any of my students based simply on my origins.

It's simply not the same everywhere.

[gaijinalways]

spiral 78 posted

[spiral78]

That could be true, but do your students have daily access to many of these other people?

Yes. Lots of them here are their fellow students and their content teachers

[spiral78]

By the way, they haven't got daily access to me, in any case! We don't teach general English, and I generally have any given student in one of my classes for max 12 hours per year. It's not an establish-personal-bonds-and-share cultures kind of teaching situation.

[jdl]

It may not be so much a question of how we see ourselves as one of 'how we are seen by others'; although, our own self percetion will certainly influence our behaviour and have an effect.

We are here and active....our presence in itself is an influence. The question is not one of do we have an influence or impact but one of what impact or influence do we wish to have. We are not invisible and we are not without impact. We do leave behind more than footprints.

Our actions whatever they are will have consequence as is the case wherever we may be located.......do we accept the responsibilities for our actions?

[spiral78]

Yes, but that's true of us irrespective of our nationalities. My persona isn't bound up to any great degree in the fact that I was born in the US.

[TwinCentre]

Erm, always thought the cultural ambassador thing to be ridiculous, but I'd say if any of you really feel that you are one, hope you are paid extra for it.