Promoting Openness toward Culture Learning: Ethnographic Interviews for Students of Spanish

Abstract

Although learning to understand another culture is often mentioned as a benefit of foreign language learning, merely studying a foreign language does not automatically produce crosscultural understanding. Many students study a language only to fulfill requirements and see culture learning as a nonessential element of the curriculum. This article explains how conducting ethnographic interviews can promote openness toward culture learning. Following a brief review of the culture learning process and of attitudinal theory, the article reports on a study that replicated Robinson-Stuart and Nocon's (1996) San Diego State study in a Midwestern setting. Thirty-five college students from 2 second-year Spanish classes were introduced to ethnographic interviewing skills and assigned to interview a native speaker of Spanish. As in the previous study, the results showed that the interviews positively affected students' attitudes toward the target language and its speakers as well as their desire to learn Spanish.

Promoting cross‐cultural awareness and understanding: incorporating ethnographic interviews in college EFL classes in Taiwan

“…Moreover, through the process of producing meaning within interviews, learners progressed from an ethnocentric view to an intercultural perspective which helped them understand and appreciate cultural differences. Bateman (2002) states that as learners come to understand the point of view of an individual from another culture, they become aware of aspects of their own culture that are often invisible until seen in relation to those other cultures. They learn that there are other ways of looking at the world besides their own, and begin to comprehend how they are seen by others.…”

“…They learn that there are other ways of looking at the world besides their own, and begin to comprehend how they are seen by others. This understanding can lead students to a fuller awareness of their own culture and how it influences their world-view (Bateman 2002).…”

“…Bateman (2002) and Robinson-Stuart and Nocon (1996) quantified the effects of ethnographic interview projects on university students' attitudes and feelings about the study of Spanish and Spanish-speaking people. The results of pre-post survey data show that the interview project positively affected students' attitudes towards the target language and its speakers, enhanced their understanding of their own culture and the culture of local Spanish speakers, and increased their desire to learn Spanish.…”

“…The students were given pre-post questionnaires, which were modified from those used by Bateman (2002Bateman ( , 2004 and Robinson-Stuart and Nocon (1996). Before the study began, students were given a pre-questionnaire to elicit information about students' demographics, previous experiences of EFL and culture learning, and reasons for studying English (see Appendix 1 for pre-questionnaire).…”

Does context count? Developing and assessing intercultural competence through an interview- and model-based domestic course design in China

“…Some advocate employing "ethnographic interview" techniques as a culture learning tool in many contexts, such as study abroad programs (Barro, Byram, Grimm, Morgan, & Roberts, 1993;Jurasek, 1995;Roberts et al, 2001;Lam, 2006), teacher training (Byram & Duffy, 1996;Allen, 2000), and classroom contexts (Robinson & Nocon, 1996;Bateman, 2002;Du, 2008). Among many reported results, Du (2008, p.…”