Are you an intercultural person? Mariza Riva de Almeida marizalmeida@ufpr.br marizalmeida56@gmail.com

What do these pictures have in common?

CULTURAL MANIFESTATIONS Heavy metal, piercing, potato chips, tatoos, cell phones and the way of life of different Indian tribes are all CULTURAL MANIFESTATIONS

After all, what’s culture? “Culture means human culture, the whole complex of traditional behaviour which has been developed by the human race and is successively learned by each generation... A culture is less precise. It can mean the forms of traditional behaviour which are characteristic of a certain society, or of a certain area, or of a certain period of time” (Margaret Mead, 1973)

Other definitions “Os homens possuem modelos de pensar, agir e sentir que são aprendidos no decorrer da vida, sendo o primeiro local de aprendizagem a família. Estes modelos formam a especificidade de um grupo ou uma categoria.” (Hofstede, 1993) “A cultura é inerente ao ser humano, que possui natureza social. Através da interação com os outros há o desenvolvimento e a transformação social, cultural e cognitiva, tornando o saber e a cultura algo coletivo.” (Vygotsky, 2000) “Cultura é a busca de conhecimento sobre a natureza humana, sendo esta natureza humana vista de um modo dialético.” (Padilha, 2004)

The elements of culture, according to Gail Robinson literature arts beliefs customs habits values music folklore institutions dress food artefacts leisure

The elements of culture, according to Gail Robinson literature arts music folklore artefacts beliefs clothing habits values customs Institutions food leisure

Culture and language CHOMSKY: É inata, há um dispositivo de aquisição da linguagem presente em todo falante, podendo ser analisada independente do falante. Não analisa a cultura. KRAMSCH: A linguagem simboliza a realidade cultural, sendo que a sua forma escrita torna a socialização e a propagação cultural possível e duradoura. BAKHTIN: A linguagem é repleta de conteúdo e é ideologicamente marcada, sendo impossível separá-la do contexto.

Intercultural Competence “A habilidade de nos vermos como os outros nos vêem, de responder a eles e interagir com eles diante desta perspectiva. See yourself as others see you. E se todas as pessoas numa interação fizerem isto, então teremos uma troca mais política.” Michael Byram, 2003

Some people believe that a foreign language carries within it the power to impose cultural values. Therefore, studying a foreign language would mean submitting to a foreign language. Others see the teaching of a foreign language as a way to reflect upon their own language and identity, thus creating intercultural awareness.

SOCIAL GROUP AND STATUS But within differences! “What are British, Brazilian, Polish people like?” CLASS Region REGIÃO ÉPOCA Ethnicity CITY SEX “Well, it depends on.... ETNIAS SOCIAL GROUP AND STATUS AGE NATION CONTEXT EDUCATION TIME Cultures as “cakes” Zoom In: Hungarian textbook for secondary schools, 2001

Possible activities Posters – contrasts and similarities Postcards – observation/judgement What’s a stereotype? “A tendency to look for the typical and average, usually placed at the national level”

Possible activities Which kind of stereotype is being portrayed? Which cultural aspect is being highlighted?

MAROON 5 - THIS LOVE I was so high, I did not recognize The fire burning in her eyes The chaos that controlled my mind Whispered goodbye as she got on a plane Never to return again But always in my heart [Chorus] This love has taken it's toll on me She said goodbye too many times before And her heart is breaking in front of me I have no choice 'cause I won't say goodbye anymore  

I tried my best to feed her appetite Keep her coming every night So hard to keep her satisfied Kept playing love like it was just a game Pretending to feel the same Then turn around and leave again [Chorus] I'll fix these broken things Repair your broken wings And make sure everything is alright My pressure on your hips Sinking my fingertips Into every inch of you 'Cause I know that's what you want me to do  

The aim of Cultural Studies is to sharpen observation, encourage critical thinking about cultural stereotypes, and develop a tolerance of diversity while leading to a greater understanding of one’s own culture. In the end, it is not the cultural differences that matter, but the fact that people share a common humanity. Jack Scholes  

Bibliography ANDRE, M.E.D.A. A Etnografia da Prática Escolar. Campinas: Papirus, 2003. BORTONI-RICARDO, S.M. O professor pesquisador. São Paulo: Parábola, 2008. CORBETT, J. An Intercultural Approach to English Language Teaching. Clevedon: Multicultural Matters, 2003. ______. Intercultural Language Activities. Cambridge: CUP, 2010. EAGLETON, T. A idéia de cultura. tradução Sandra Castello Branco. São Paulo: Editora UNESP, 2005.

FARACO, C.A. Linguagem & Diálogo: as idéias lingüísticas do círculo de Bakhtin. São Paulo: Parábola Editorial, 2009. FERGUSON, J. W. Teaching Culture in English: Why not? ADFL Bulletin 10, n4 (May 1979): 25-28. HALL, S. A Identidade Cultural na Pós-Modernidade. Rio de Janeiro: DP&A, 2000. KRAMSCH, C. Context and Culture in Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. LARAIA, R.B. Cultura: um conceito antropológico. Rio de Janeiro: Jorge Zahar Editor, 1986.

MATTELART, A; NEVEU, E. Introdução aos estudos culturais MATTELART, A; NEVEU, E. Introdução aos estudos culturais. São Paulo: Parábola Editorial, 2004. MOITA LOPES, L. P. (org) Por Uma Linguística Aplicada Indisciplinar. São Paulo: Parabola Editorial, 2006. SOUZA, L.M.T.M. de. Hibridismos e Tradução Cultural. Trabalhos em Linguistica Aplicada, v. 46, nr. 1. Campinas, 2007. PENNYCOOK, A. The Cultural Politics of English as an International Language. London: Longman, 1984. _____. The Cultural Politics of English as an International Language. London: Longman, 1984.

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Mariza Riva de Almeida marizalmeida@ufpr.br marizalmeida56@gmail.com