LESSON TEN The Green Banana Donald Batchelder

exercises 1. What is “learning moments”? Have you ever experienced “learning moments”? 2. Have you ever heard of or encountered the experience of cultural differences? List the examples.

Background The text is taken from Beyond Experience: An Experiential Approach to Cross-cultural Education edited by Donald Batchelder and Elizabeth G. Warner in 1974.

Batchelder’s view on cross-cultural education: “If some of the goals of education in modern times are to open up possibilities for discovery and expand learning and the chance for mutual acceptance and recognition in a wider world, it may be important to offer students a perspective on their own immediate center of the world by enabling them to participate sensitively as cross-cultural sojourners to the center of someone else’s world.”

Ethnocentrism (种族优越论) provincialism regionalism Cultural chauvinism Relativism racism cultural imperialism (文化扩张)

Ayers rock

In the central area of Brazil, steep mountain road importance of the rock? Special potential of green bananas In the central area of Brazil, steep mountain road Cultural relativism reached destination My jeep stopped. The radiator leak. Stopped for help went on

Telling the first part of the Story: Story (Narration) Telling the first part of the Story: Climax learning experie-nce(para.5-8) Development Ending Beginning

Sentence Understanding: It refers to a mountain,which looks like a sugar loaf. …so that I will be safe if my radiator should give me trouble again. As someone educated in the United States, (I naturally had never paid any attention to the green banana) …to regard it as a fruit which was not yet ripe or which was not ready to be picked and eaten.

5. It was me who had come to know the green bananas, and everything connected with it. What the author is saying here is that every civilization has special geniuses, which have existed for many years. But they will not come to your notice and benefit you until and unless you are ready to go out and meet them.

6. The author here is talking about two of those learning moments 6. The author here is talking about two of those learning moments. The two things that suddenly dawned on him are: the fact that every civilization has wonderful treasures to share with others and the idea that every village, town, region or country has a right to regard itself as the center of the world. 7. The author obviously was born and brought up in New England. Therefore he had always regarded it as the center of the world.

8. This is often the source of provincialism, regionalism, racism and imperialism.the existing ethnocentrism calls for a special warning. Unless people are all ready to understand and respect other cultures, the world will not live in peace. 9. But once you make a serious effort to overcome your prejudice and go out to meet different cultures, you will begin to have a new outlook that will affect you for the rest of your life, and you will probably start collecting the culture treasures of other nations. 10. Here the green bananas have become a symbol of hidden treasures from every culture.

include .. as its main parts or aspects, be composed of … constitute Language Understanding: consist of ...: include .. as its main parts or aspects, be composed of … constitute be made up of … fall into… E.g. 这本书是有八个章节构成的。 The book consists of eight chapters. The book is composed of /is made up of /falls into eight chapters. Eight chapters constitute the book.

adj. (predicative only) Be sure to do sth. make sure that… 确信 　Be/feel sure of (about) sth./ that… adv. I said it’d happen, and sure enough it did. I don’t know it for sure. Compare: assure I assure you (that)there's no danger. 　 ensure We can ensure that the work shall be done in the right way. E.g. I assure you that there is no danger.保证 　　　We tried to assure the nervous old lady that flying was safe.使相信 He assured me of his readiness to help.使相信 I can’t ensure that he will be there in time.确定　The documents ensure to you the authority you need.保证得到 We ensured against possible disappointment.使安全，避免

work out This problem will not work out. (solve) They ‘ve worked out a method of sending a spacecraft to Mars. devise; plan) The champion is working out in the gym. (exercise) How will things work out? (develop) I wonder how his ideas worked out in practice? (prove effect) 可以解决; 设计发明制定; (为参加竞赛)练习训练; 结局,结果是;develop (esp. favorably)我想知道他们的想法怎样在实践中实现？

ignore: take no notice or refuse to take notice of E.g. 她看见他走过来, 但装做没看到他。 She saw him coming but she ignored him. 他完全无视这一切, 好象它们根本不存在似的。 He completely ignored all these facts as though they never existed. Variants: ignorant: adj. unaware, knowing little or nothing E.g.我一点也不知道他的计划是什么。 I am quite ignorant of what his plans are. an ignorant person 无知的人 ignorance: n. being ignorant E.g. 不懂法律不能成为借口。 Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Compare: neglect: pay no attention to/give no notice E.g.别忘了时常去看看他。 Don't neglect paying him a visit now and then. 他昨天忘了锁门。 He neglected to lock the door yesterday. neglect one’s duty玩忽职守 negligent: taking little care E.g. be negligent in one's work 工作马虎 negligible: that needn’t be considered; of little or no importance or size E.g. 买一套衣服价钱只差一角钱是无所谓的。 In buying a suit, a difference of ten cents in prices is negligible.

call for: demand, require, need E.g. 这种场合需要冷静的头脑。 The occasion calls for a cool head. Someone is calling for help. 有人在大声呼救。 call sb./ sth. up: telephone to / bring back to mind/ summon for military service E.g. I will call you up the morning. If the war breaks out, we shall be called up at once. The scenes called up my childhood memory. Call sth./sb. up: 1）打电话给。。 2） 使想起，使忆起 3）征召。。服兵役

call by: visit briefly when passing house call on/upon sb.: make a short visit to 明天我去拜访他。 I'll call on him tomorrow. call on/ upon sb. to do sth.: ask sb. To do sth. 　　The teacher called on them to work hard.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 call off E.g. 会议取消了。 The meeting has been called off.

relate vi. eg.我没法把他做的和说的联系起来。 I can't relate what he does with [to]what he says. related adj. 她和我有姻亲关系。 She is related to me by marriage. relative adj. 困境过后，他现在比较舒服了。 After his troubles, he's now in relative comfort. relation n. 他们和我们公司有生意来往。 They have business relations with our firm.

tend：vi. tend to— E.g.处于压力下的人容易发挥自己全部的潜力。 People under stress tend to express their full range of potential. vt. tend the sick tendency: n. 他老是说话尖刻,使同寝室的人和他疏远了。 His tendency to utter acrimonious remarks alienated his roomates. intend v. 今天我打算读完这本书。 Today, I intend to finish reading this book. intention: a plan or purpose 好的行动胜于好的意图。 Good acts are better than good intentions.

Topic discussion What is a symbol of the green banana? It is a symbol of the unknown treasures of each civilization. Do you agree that the 21th century will see the bitter conflicts between the west culture and the east culture? What do you think is the right attitude towards cultural differences? Cross-Cultural Communication Strategies The key to effective cross-cultural communication is knowledge. First, it is essential that people understand the potential problems of cross-cultural communication, and make a conscious effort to overcome these problems. Second, it is important to assume that one’s efforts will not always be successful, and adjust one’s behavior appropriately