For my ethnographic study I chose to interview my schoolmate about her language learning experiences which relate to her culture. The main focuses of this ethnographic study are to enhance the teaching quality and facilitate positive curriculum development through the interview. Last week I had an opportunity to interview a schoolmate of mine, a doctoral degree student who studies in TESOL program at Alliant International University. The name of my schoolmate called April and she is a Taiwanese. April is a multi-lingual who masters four kinds of foreign language: English, Japanese, Spanish and Taiwanese. Except for her mother-tongue language Taiwanese, English is the one she spent most time on it. She has been learning this language for more than nine years. The first time she contacted with English was in her childhood. She studied the language just for the fun of it and she was really interested in games in the process of study. Her first English teacher was a Malaysian woman. One left a great impression on her was that the place for the class was in a church. She studied English with a friend of her neighbor in the church for a year. So far she still missing the time she learned English at the church. Because of the development of foreign trade, English becomes a popular language in Taiwan. April told me that English is one of the compulsory course in the curriculum during her student days in Taiwan. However, different from the happy time she spent
Ethnographic research is the scientific description of specific human cultures, foreign to the ethnographer. Each ethnographer has his or her own way of conducting research and all of these different ideas can be transmitted and understood in a number of different ways. Because there is no one set idea of how an ethnographer should go about his or her research, conflicts arise. In Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco, Paul Rabinow uses a story like process to discuss his experiences during his research in Morocco. This makes it easier for the reader to understand his ideas then just having a technical book about the many different aspects of Moroccan life that he may have discovered. In Writing Culture: the Poetics and Politics of
There is an ancient Chinese proverb, that goes by “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. Today, I would like to discuss my cousin, Stephanie Lam, who went to Taiwan one summer to teach English in a two week enrichment program. Her students, ranging from 12 to 17-year-olds, came from low-income families around Taiwan, seeking help in learning English, as they do not normally have the proper resources to do so. Though the language barrier was a formidable obstacle, Stephanie bonded with her students and other teachers, and greatly improved their English proficiency. Now, thanks to her, they understand a new language even better than they did before, and therefore have access to
Many kids in school are wanting to learn a new language away from their native language but many students are wondering what language is going to help them the most in the future. English is the clear answer for these students that are wondering what new language to learn for a number of reasons. Through different articles through the book “Language: A Reader for Writers” it discusses how language is the most successful and most useful language to speak. College students who want to learn a second language, that have not learned English, should learn English because it is the most widely used language in the world and it is the most useful language to learn.
Cindy and the teacher had a trusted relationship. Having no friends that didn’t speak Chinese motivated Cindy to learn English; it her one year to learn to speak and understand English. However, it wasn’t until 6th grade that Cindy felt that she has mastered the English language. Cindy felt the difference between the two school systems. For example: Hong Kong teachers were a lot stricter then the teachers in the United States. Just like every other kid in a new place Cindy experienced fear and exhaustion. She shared how she felt through her film-strips. The filmstrips helped Cindy overcome her shyness. Just like the others; Cindy felt that the was caught in the middle of the two cultures. Cindy experienced some difficulty with cultural identity because of her dual cultural experience and language (p. 89).
Anthropology is defined, in the most basic terms, as the study of other cultures. This field can subsequently be divided into more specific sects, and contain more precise defining characteristics, but this definition is essentially all that is needed. Anthropology is a science that attempts to look at other cultures and draw conclusions to questions that are raised while studying. An anthropologist is someone who accepts what is presented before them and is driven by an urge to understand each presentation as thoroughly as possible. Once the concept of anthropology is accepted, one must identify the means of reaching the goal of this field. In the sect of social anthropology, this vehicle is known as
The language and cultural barrier between Mrs. Stewart and Anna would be a difficult obstacle but one that could be overcome with modifications and adaptations. Although Mrs. Stewart has many years of experience, this would be her first time having ELL student. This will require for her to learn about Anna’s diverse background, her culture and linguistic experiences, since research has proven that“just good teaching” is not enough.
A dusty, scarlet photo album lay on my parent’s homemade drawer. Curiously, I flipped a few pages and landed on a section of an unfamiliar, quirky-looking boy. Upon closer examination, I realized that the boy was none other than myself! In a state of awe and nostalgia, I quickly scanned the miniscule two-inch squares, each subsequent one capturing physical maturity along with the loss of baby fat. As I reviewed each photo, I began to contemplate my past and realize how much I have grown through the years.
Lack of language facility tends to cause international students to become more silent and reticent. According to the descriptions of Vi Lieu, an international student from Vietnam, “Although she started to learn English when she was younger like most other Vietnamese, the way English is taught in her country emphasizes more on the written form than the spoken form. English is taught mostly through the traditional grammar-translation method” (Lieu). Although some international students have to take English courses before they move forward to their career programs, they still cannot use English as a native speaker.
This essay is an ethnographic study of Whole Foods Market which is located in Kensington, London. Whole Foods Market is a niche supermarket that sells high quality organic and natural products at high prices. In this essay, I will provide a brief orientation of ethics with regards to the concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility - macroethics and Business Ethics - microethics and the theoretical frameworks of consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics. I will be using deontology framework in ethics devised by Immanuel Kant to assess if the marketing strategy and the products sold at Whole Foods Market support their principle of ‘organic and natural’.
The second language learner that I have chosen to assess in my case study is an international student from Korea who is now attending year 11 and does the ESL course at my school, the Hills Grammar School. I will refer to my student with the name ‘John’ for confidentiality reasons.
While others claim that photography captures the inner soul of a person, or deliberately defines it as painting or writing with light, but in my case, it is just simply a newfound love hobby. I undeniably adore and look up to expert photographers I encounter down the road may it face-to-face or the other way around. In my heart, I silently desire that someday, with hard work, determination, and perseverance, I will become professional and famous as they are. Since my husband bought a Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) as an anniversary gift, my penchant for photography commenced and ignited. Let me detail the essential truths behind my passion over photography.
Anthropology is field where research plays the biggest part in dissecting and understanding a topic. Surveys and questionnaires, are not as effective in this field as it would have been in engineering is because, anthropology deals with people. According to me people would not be slight bit interested divulging the details of their life with a stranger, whom they just met on a piece of flimsy paper. Even if they are willing to do that, they may only give a vague sketch of their life or the worst case scenario, where the participants are illiterate. Thus Field work regardless how excruciatingly long and hard it is, it is very important because it gives the holistic view on a topic as an outsider as well as an insider.
I was born in Hong Kong and moved alone to Taiwan to live with my grandmother when I was 12. I struggled to learn the language, Mandarin, and to live and learn alongside children from a very different culture. I was like some alien from outer space in Taiwan – generating stares but not acceptance. However, by being open minded about both my potential and the potential of this little island, I succeeded in adapting. I spoke back to the television set to practice Mandarin; I read books and watched videos to learn Taiwan's culture, history, and literature; and I helped my fellow classmates in our
The learner I have chosen has a general level of education from her native country, having attended nursery, primary and secondary schools. In her period of education in secondary school, she managed studied the English language for approximately 5 years.
There are many bilingual and multicultural people in the world today. For many, the choices of which language they use, and how they use it, correspond to what social or cultural community they belong to. Amy Tan, a Chinese American novelist, portrays this well in her short essay "Mother Tongue." Tan grew up in two vastly different worlds, using different "Englishes." The first world, which consists of her close family, she speaks what we may call "broken" or "limited" English. The second world, which is her business and professional world, Tan speaks and writes perfect standard and academic English. Having to "shuttle" between these two communities with very different languages has had many different positive and negative effects on