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Teaching Culture through Technology Mingyu Sun Zafer Lababidi Challenges • Not related to any language/s learnt before. • Very little is known about the language, its people, customs, and culture. • Different orthography (alphabet system) • Not a lot of materials to work with and create an authentic scene. • Overcrowded curriculum. What is Culture? •Language •Customs and Traditions •Body Language •Religion •Relationships •Food •Celebrations & Holidays •Family Ties •Music The United Nations Education, Social and Cultural Organization UNESCO (2002) defined culture as: “culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs” Traditional Culture Teaching Benefits of Integrating Technology: • Rich Material to Work with • Fun and Interesting • Use of More Authentic Material • More Cultural Topics to Discuss • Saves Time and Money • Increases Audio/Visual Impact BUT!!!! Virtual World: Second Life Distance Learning: Webcam Videos 1. Open the link to an interview with Junot Díaz: 2. Read the first four paragraphs, which tell a little bit about the author. 3. Review the vocabulary list to help better understand the interview. 4. Click on the audio stream. Read and listen to the interview at the same time. 5 . Afterwards, meet with two or three classmates to talk about the interview. What did you understand? Were any parts difficult to understand? What stood out? Read the following discussion questions and give your opinions: A) In 1919, Theodore Roosevelt wrote: “We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns out people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.” Compare this idea to Junot Díaz’s vision of bilingual countries. Who do you agree with—Roosevelt or Díaz? Would you send your children to a bilingual school? B) What do you think about Spanish and Angloñol? Is mixing languages positive or negative? Do you and your friends sometimes speak Spangish or Angloñol? 6. Now, record your ideas in a web-cam video. Respond to at least three of the questions. You can prepare notes and consult them, but do not read a written response. After recording, send your video to your instructor and three classmates before leaving class. At home, listen to the responses that your classmates have sent you. Student Assignments http://www.tokbox.com/vm/yvn9g80znhq3 http://www.tokbox.com/vm/k0fc5iafdbis Mobile Computing: Jigsaw Puzzle Quizbreak Activities The Matching Maker Glogster Resources Second Life: www.secondlife.com TokBox: www.tokbox.com Jigsaw Puzzle: www.jigsawplanet.com Quizbreak: http://clear.msu.edu/quizbreak/ The Matching Game Maker: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/games/matching/ Glogster: www.glogster.com