I Am Canadian, eh? A Study on Canadian Cultural Perceptions - s. packer & d. lynch (tesol)
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Transcript of I Am Canadian, eh? A Study on Canadian Cultural Perceptions - s. packer & d. lynch (tesol)
I Am Canadian, Eh?: A Study on Canadian Cultural Perceptions
TESOL 2013, Dallas, TX
Shira Packer & Dana [email protected] [email protected]
York University English Language InstituteToronto, ON
NOT FOR REPRODUCTION OR CIRCULATION WITHOUT THE EXPLICIT PERMISSION OF THE AUTHORS
Link to Presentation
http://slidesha.re/14c5BqG
Warm-up Question!
Think about all the people you’ve met from Canada.
What are 5 personality traits that you immediately think of to describe them?
(Keep in mind, personality traits are those that describe the way that people act, not look.)
Agenda• Purpose of study• Research question• Methodology• Data analysis• Implications for ELT
The Social Context of SLA
• Language is not an isolated system but part of daily social communication (Dell Hymes, 1972)
• Sociolinguistic competency as one of the three main linguistic competencies (Canale and Swain, 1980)
Importance of Acculturation for SLA • Acculturation & Adaptation (Berry & Sam, 1980)
=cultural changes resulting from intercultural encounter
• There is a direct relationship between a) a learner’s potential to learn a second language and the
degree of acculturation to the target language group (Schumann, 1978)
b) academic achievement and acculturation process among second language post-secondary (Cheng & Fox, 2008)
Other Relevant Cultural Theories
• Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions (1980) 1. Power Distance2. Individualism3. Masculinity4. Uncertainty Avoidance5. Long-term Orientation
Current challenges with existing research
• Ambiguity of Canadian culture– Immigration– US influence– ESL/EAP classroom disagreements
• Lack of acculturation studies
Research Question
How do Canadian-born post-secondary students and
recent graduates’ (CBs’) and
internationally-born Canadian post-secondary students and recent graduates’ (IBs’)
perceptions of people in Canada differ (if at all)?
Methodology
Format: 1. Cross-Canada online survey (n=299)
a. Background information questionsb. Unprompted adjective ranking questionc. 30 Likert-scale questions
2. E-interview (n=16)
Social Media Outreach: 3. Video: ttp://vimeo.com/185468624. Email5. Facebook: 6. Twitter
Respondent Profile
• CBs = 130; IBs = 169
• 64% female; 36% male
• Represented 84 different post-secondary institutes across Canada
Canadian Post-Sec Institutions Represented1. Acadia University2. Algonquin College of Applied Arts
and Technology3. Athabasca University4. Aurora College5. Bishop's University6. Brandon University7. British Columbia Institute of
Technology8. Brock University9. Canadian Mennonite University10. Canadore College of Applied Arts
and Technology11. Cape Breton University12. Capilano College13. Capilano University14. Carleton University15. Centennial College of Applied Arts
and Technology16. Collège universitaire de Saint-
Boniface17. College of New Caledonia18. College of the North Atlantic19. Concordia University20. Crandall University21. Dalhousie University (10)22. École polytechnique de Montréal23. Fanshawe College of Applied Arts
and Technology24. George Brown College of Applied
Arts and Technology25. HEC Montréal26. Humber College of Applied Arts
and Technology (10)27. Huron College28. Keyano College
29. Kwantlen Polytechnic University30. Langara College31. Laurentian University32. McGill University (11)33. McMaster University34. Medicine Hat College35. Memorial University of
Newfoundland36. Mohawk College of Applied Arts
and Technology37. Mount Royal University38. Mount Saint Vincent University39. MTI Community College40. Nipissing University41. North Island College42. Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology43. Nova Scotia Community College
(various campuses)44. OCAD University45. Queen's University (14)46. Redeemer University College47. Ryerson University48. Seneca College of Applied Arts
and Technology49. Sheridan College of Applied Arts
and Technology50. Simon Fraser UniversitySimon
Fraser University51. Sir Sandford Fleming College of
Applied Arts and Technology52. Southern Alberta Institute of
Technology53. St. Lawrence College54. St. Thomas University55. Thompson Rivers University
56. Trent University57. Université de Montréal58. Université de Sherbrooke59. Université du Québec à Chicoutimi60. Université du Québec à Montréal61. Université Laval62. University College of the Fraser
Valley63. University of Alberta (6)64. University of British Columbia (6)65. University of Calgary66. University of Guelph67. University of King's College68. University of Lethbridge69. University of Manitoba70. University of New Brunswick71. University of Northern British
Columbia72. University of Ontario Institute of
Technology73. University of Prince Edward Island74. University of Regina75. University of Saskatchewan76. University of Toronto (UofT) (36)77. University of Victoria78. University of Waterloo79. University of Western Ontario
(Western)80. University of Windsor81. Vancouver Community College82. Wilfrid Laurier University83. York University (119)84. Yukon College
Adjective Ranking Question
Think about all the people you’ve met in Canada. What are 5 personality traits (characteristics or
adjectives) that you think of to describe them?
1. ____________2. ____________3. ____________4. ____________5. ____________
‘Weighted Ranking’ Method of Analysis
The score for each adjective is determined as follows:
If a S’s… 1st choice 52nd choice: 43rd choice: 34th choice: 25th choice: 1
friendly polite helpful kind nice open-minded0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
1.681.57
0.72 0.75
0.3 0.34
1.83
1.05
0.83
0.36 0.4 0.37
CBs IBs
Perc
enta
ge o
f Res
pond
ents
Results: Top Adjectives Average Score per Respondent
Results: Adjectives with the Greatest Differences
Adjective Difference in points per respondent
CB points per respondent
IB points per respondent
Polite .52 1.57 1.05Kind .39 0.75 0.36Caring .25 0.34 0.09Friendly .16 1.68 1.83Generous .05 0.23 0.08
Likert-scale QuestionTo what extent do you agree with the following statements, where 1 represents strongly disagree and 5 represents strongly agree:People in Canada are…..
• Friendly• Peaceful• Helpful• Polite• Selfish• Respectful• Loyal• Competitive• Open-minded• Caring
• Modest• Funny • Hardworking• Self-confident• Boring• Cooperative• Optimistic• Dissatisfied• Materialistic• Risk-taking
• Easygoing• Patient• Outgoing• Generous• Honest• Cold• Afraid• Individualistic• Reliable• Intelligent
Results: Are there significant differences in perceptions?
Overall P-value @ 95% confidence interval
CB mean (n=130)
IB mean (n=169)
Positive Characteristics .1409 3.79 3.63
Negative Characteristics .2239 3.01 3.16
Overall, no significant differences in perceptions between CB and IB groups
Characteristic P-value @ 95% confidence interval
CB mean (n=130)
NCB mean (n=169)
Intelligent <.0001 3.92 3.5Funny <.0001 3.93 3.44Caring .0006 3.89 3.48Hardworking .0009 3.94 3.56
Results: Extremely Significant Differences in Perceptions (cont.)
CB & IB E-Interview Sample Quotes Positive experiences
CB
“I was walking through my grocery store one day with my mom and we saw a man accidentally bump into a girl . . . The girl explained about the man saying sorry, and the friend just said, “oh, yeah, we have to say ‘sorry’ here, it’s a Canadian thing.””
IB
“When i came to Canada many people in University helped me to adapt to the environment and to reduce the culture shock.”
CB & IB E-Interview Sample Quotes Negative experiences
CB
“. . . many Canadians seem to have an impenetrable wall that keeps them from showing others who they really are”
IB
“Even though Canadians generally seems to be acceptance of others, deep down the heart, they do not really understand others.”
Implications for ELT1. Sociolinguistic forms of politeness should be carefully
attended to by both language teachers and learners
2. IBs students may have a different understanding of: a) “intelligent” responses to classroom discussions b) expectations of work quality and quantity
3. Lessons that explore cultural humour may help IBs adjust to foreign cultures
4. While there is some evidence of a positive acculturation process for IBs, potential exists for further social integration; therefore, the acculturation process should be explicitly addressed in ELT programs.
Works CitedBerry, J. W. & Sam, D. L. (1980). Acculturation and adaptation. In J.W. Berry, Segall, M. H., Kagitcibasi, C.
(Eds.), Cross-cultural psychology: Social behaviour and application (Vol. 3, p. 291-326). Needham Heights: Allyn and Bacon.
Cheng, L. & Fox, J. (2008). Towards a better understanding of academic acculturation: Second Language Students in Canadian Universities. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 65(2), p. 307-333.
Council of Europe (2009). Autobiography of intercultural encounters. Language Policy Division.
Katz, D., & Braly, K. W. (1933). Racial stereotypes of one hundred college students. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 28, 280-290.
McCrae, R. R., & Costa, R. T., Jr. (1987). Validation of the five-factor model of personality across instruments and observers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 81-90.
Norton, B. P. (1995). Social identity, investment, and language learning. TESOL Quarterly, 29(1), p. 9-31.
Paunonen, S. V., Jackson, D. N., Trzebinski, J., & Forsterling, F. (1992). Personality structure across cultures: A multimethod evaluation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62(3), 447-456.
Schumann, J. (1976). Social distance as a factor in second language acquisition. Language Learning, 26, p. 135-143.
Link to Presentation
http://slidesha.re/14c5BqG
Q & A
Discussion Questions1. How, if at all, do you address Canadian culture in
your classroom and/or at your institution?
2. To what extent do you feel that your students (and/or students at your institution) have an “accurate” understanding of Canadian culture/perception of Canadians?
3. To what extent can ESL instructors and administrators assist acculturation?
EXTRA SLIDES
Culture is……
“[the] practices, beliefs, values, symbols and traditions, with particular ways of understanding the world. Cultures can be understood as the fixed, inherited features of different national, ethnic and religious groups…Cultures can also be understood as dynamic and changing, continually being redefined by individuals and groups as they interact with others of different backgrounds or respond to changing circumstances ”
(Byram, Barrett, Ipgrave, Jackson & Méndez García, 2009, p.9)
Respondent Background Profile
CBs Profile (n=130)
IBs Profile: in Canada (n=169)
IB Profile: English Education (n=169)
friendly polite helpful kind nice open-minded0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
3941
24
20
10 10
45
28 28
1012
10
CBs IBs
Perc
enta
ge o
f Res
pond
ents
CBs vs. IBs: Top Adjectives as a % of Mentions
Adjectives with less than Extreme Significance
Characteristic P-value @ 95% confidence interval
CB mean (n=130)
NCB mean (n=169)
Loyal .0038 3.67 3.34
Reliable .0041 3.76 3.46
Generous .0314 3.68 3.44
Friendly .0351 4.22 3.97
Cold .0126 2.58 2.92
Results: Highest & lowest means (n=299)
Limitations of Study• Sample size (n=299)• Sample of convenience • Significant York U and other urban
representation• CBs and NCBs are heterogeneous groups• Our video may have promoted positive
responses• Respondents with frequent social media
access may be more likely to respond