TSL 3370 Introduction to TESL
Surfer Dude Activities #5 and #6:
WORKING WITH CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Surfer Dude #5 Adjusting to another culture.
(Due Wed April 15)
Return to Tman's TESOL Page and go to the section on cross-cultural training. Email me your answers when you are finished.

1. Explore the links for the Cross-Cultural Communication Guide and the Web of Culture. Give four bits of helpful cultural information about the USA which would have been useful for the person you tutored this semester and say why.

2. The readings at Working on Common Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges and Cross-Cultural Communication: An Essential Dimension of Effective Education: Chapters 1,2,3,4 give helpful insights for understanding students from another culture either in the United States or abroad. Based on the reading, what do you think are the four most important points to keep in mind as you try to build a good relationship with students of another culture? Illustrate your answer with positive and negative experiences you had while tutoring.

3. Return to the Web of Culture. Choose a country you might want to work in. Explore the links for gestures, languages, and religions looking for cultural information about that country. Give two interesting bits of cultural information which might come in handy as you try to maintain good relations with host nationals. After identifying the languages spoken in the country, go to the Human Languages Page and find out what kinds of language materials are available on the internet.

Surfer Dude Activity #6 Teaching about America
(Due Wed April 22)
For this activity you will create a lesson plan based on some aspect of American culture using the internet as a resource. You might want to look at the American Studies Electronic Crossroads link in the cross-cultural section of Tman's TESOL Page to get some ideas. However, don't feel limited to that site. Now that you have explored links from all over Tman's Page, feel free to go back to other links. Be sure to give the URL for all sites you want the students to use. Think of them as your handouts. Be sure to keep in mind good lesson plan design. Email me your answers when you are done.