Language Dealing IATEFL Liverpool Friday, April 12, 2013 Professor Susan Barduhn SIT Graduate Institute Vermont, USA

If English were a drug, expatriate teachers would be the dealers ….

Session Outline The “drug” Postmodernity The knight errant metaphor The “dealers” More “dealers”: teachers of Mandarin/Putonghua So what?

IT I THOU Hawkins, D. (1974). The informed vision: Essays on learning and human nature. New York: Agathorn Press.

Postmodernity

Bill Johnston: “The Expatriate Teacher as Postmodern Paladin” Postmodernity is concerned with: marginality and with those traditionally marginalized in social or other ways Encounters that take place in marginal or border territory He suggests that ELT as a whole is a marginal occupation. He makes provocative parallels between EFL teachers and medieval knights errant.

Appadurai’s “Scapes”: Five dimensions of cultural flow Mediascapes Ideoscapes Technoscapes Financescapes Ethnoscapes Appadurai, A. 1990

The “dealers”

Who are we?

Cultural Identity Perceptual groups vs. identity groups

Cultural Identity Perceptual groups vs. identity groups avowed / ascribed identities Cultural marginality antevasin encapsulated vs. constructive marginals

Cultural marginality Encapsulated marginal Constructive marginal No recognized reference group Conscious of self Troubled by ambiguity Never “at home” Marginal reference group Conscious of choice Intrigued by complexity Never not “at home” Bennett, J. (1993). Cultural marginality: Identity issues in intercultural training.

What motivated you to go to live in each country? Personal development Adventure Professional development Romantic involvement or complications Family Politics Service Love of teaching Looking for greener pastures Culture Foreign language Career advancement Economic reasons Attracted to change or risk Religion Idealism Peace Corps Running away from something Travel

What motivated you to go to live in each country? Country 1: Travel, adventure, Peace Corps Country 2: Prof dev, culture, love of teaching Country 3: Love of teaching, prof dev, career advancement Country 4: Career advancement, economics, prof dev Country 5: Prof dev, career advancement, economics Country 6: Family, attracted to change and risk, prof dev Country 7: Love of teaching, prof dev, attracted to change and risk Country 8: Looking for greener pastures, attracted to change and risk, personal development

What motivated you to go to live in each country? Country 1: Travel, adventure, Peace Corps Country 2: PROF DEV, culture, love of teaching Country 3: Love of teaching, PROF DEV, career advancement Country 4: Career advancement, economics, PROF DEV Country 5: PROF DEV, career advancement, economics Country 6: Family, attracted to change and risk, PROF DEV Country 7: Love of teaching, PROF DEV, attracted to change and risk Country 8: Looking for greener pastures, attracted to change and risk, PERSONAL development

Eight qualitative questions about attitudes and reflections on the teaching of English and its place in the globalizing world 1. In what ways has your attitude changed towards your country of origin since living overseas? 2. In what ways have your attitudes changed towards the teaching of English since working abroad? (Methodology, perceived needs of students, wider attitudes as to the role of English, etc.)? 3. In what ways do you feel that your presence has made an impact on people in countries where you have taught? 4. In what ways do you feel the cultures of the countries where you have lived have had an impact on you?

5. What is your perception of the role of English in the world today  5. What is your perception of the role of English in the world today? Is it culture-bound or truly international? 6.   In what ways do you think expatriate teachers of English have had an influence on the spread of English around the world? 7.   In what ways do you think expatriate teachers of English have had an influence on trends in teacher training around the world? 8.   What have you done for your own professional development since you started teaching English?

More “dealers”: Teachers of Mandarin/Putonghua CLT = Chinese Language Teaching

Eight qualitative questions about attitudes and reflections on the teaching of Mandarin and its place in the globalizing world 1. In what ways has your attitude changed towards your country of origin since living overseas? 2. In what ways have your attitudes changed towards the teaching of Mandarin since working abroad? (Methodology, perceived needs of students, wider attitudes as to the role of English, etc.)? 3. In what ways do you feel that your presence has made an impact on people in countries where you have taught? 4. In what ways do you feel the cultures of the countries where you have lived have had an impact on you?

5. What is your perception of the role of Mandarin in the world today  5. What is your perception of the role of Mandarin in the world today? Is it culture-bound or truly international? 6.   In what ways do you think expatriate teachers of Mandarin have had an influence on the spread of Mandarin around the world? 7.   In what ways do you think expatriate teachers of Mandarin have had an influence on trends in teacher training around the world? 8.   What have you done for your own professional development since you started teaching Mandarin?

So what?

What are we dealing?