Chinese Culture and Interculturality
Code: 43973 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4316481 Teaching Chinese to Spanish Speakers | OB | 0 | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Helena Casas Tost
- Email:
- Helena.Casas@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
Teachers
- Xavier Pascual Calvo
- Mireia Vargas Urpi
External teachers
- Gao Yuan
Prerequisites
None
Objectives and Contextualisation
The main purpose of thismodule is to describe some basic concepts of Chinese culture and their relationship to language, as well as to promote awareness for the teaching of cultural elements in the classroom of Chinese as a foreign language. At the same time, it will offer guidelines to the teaching of cultural contents in the classroom and the emphasis will be placed on the development of the intercultural competence.
This module will work on all the aspects involved in the teaching of Chinese culture from a practical perspective, from intercultural management in teaching and knowledge about Chinese culture to the relationship between Chinese culture and the teaching of the language.
On successfully completing this subject, students will be able to:
• Foster cultural and intercultural awareness and cultural sensitivity in Chinese-language learners.
• Apply intercultural communication theories in the teaching of Chinese as a second language for Spanish speakers.
• Integrate cultural elements and create teaching materials about Chinese culture in the teaching of the language adapted to the linguistic and cultural context in which the teaching is carried out.
• Integrate materials of cultural education, either other people’s or of their own creation, in the language teaching activities, applying different didactic methods.
• Manage and solve possible cases of cultural conflict arising in class.
• Develop and strengthen the communicative and intercultural competence of the students.
Competences
- Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
- Make a comparative analysis of linguistic and cultural aspects of Chinese and Spanish for teaching purposes.
- Make a critical self-reflection and identify strengths and weaknesses.
- Manage cultural differences in the teaching and learning process in the classroom.
- Recognise the specific characteristics of Chinese language and culture to apply them to the teaching of Chinese for Spanish speakers.
- Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
- Work individually and in a team and be able to analyse, interpret and synthesise the information generated.
Learning Outcomes
- Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
- Describe the philosophical values of Chinese culture in order to relate them effectively to the language and its use in society.
- Design activities to stimulate reflection on particular cultural topics and develop students' intercultural competence.
- Identify and analyse fundamental texts on Chinese culture for teaching purposes.
- Identify and analyse the cultural charge in linguistic features: both verbal and non-verbal.
- Identify the expression of formality in Chinese culture.
- Identify tools for managing cultural differences: in the classroom itself and throughout the learning process.
- Make a critical self-reflection and identify strengths and weaknesses.
- Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
- Work individually and in a team and be able to analyse, interpret and synthesise the information generated.
Content
- Intercultural communication theories. Principles and strategies in intercultural communication and the relationship between the teaching of language and culture
1. Conceptual delimitation. Fields and issues in the foreign language classroom.
2. The concept of intercultural and multilingual competence according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
3. Communicative and intercultural competences.
4. Development of intercultural competences in teachers and students.
5. Teaching processes. Case study.
- Cultural knowledge teaching in classrooms of Chinese as a second language: problems and their management. Categorizing cultural knowledge and adapting it to the teaching of the language (Part I)
1. Evolution of the intercultural communication study in China. Necessary competences for teachers of Chinese as a second foreign language.
2. Cultural conflicts reflected in different levels in the Chinese-Spanish communication (Classroom debate).
3. Case-based analysis: traditional Chinese thinking and its influence on Chinese culture.
4. Differences between Chinese and Spanish cultures in general terms (terminal and instrumental values).
5. Chinese cultural diversity. Detecting possible problems and how to manage them (Classroom debate).
6. Management of the linguistic differences (first part)
7. Management of the linguistic differences (second part).
8. Non-verbal communication: contrastive analysis of the general norms of non-verbal communication in China and Spain. Analysis of cases.
9. The leveling of cultural knowledge and its integration into the Chinese language teaching.
10. Culture teaching in the classroom: development of activities for adults and children.
- Cultural knowledge teaching in classrooms of Chinese as a second language: problemsand their management. Categorizing cultural knowledge and adapting it to the teaching of the language (Part II)
1. "Teach China in Chinese": the generalities of modern Chinese society. Parties.
2. Regional differences and generational changes.
3. Protocols of Chinese culture (Greetings, presentations, food, gifts)
4. Interpersonal relationships and social culture: privacy, face / 面子, interpersonal relationships / 关系, interpersonal distance / 人情, hierarchy / 等级, etc.
5. Sense of humor and word games.
6. “East – West” interculturality: Perception of the Chinese culture and the non-Chinese world.
7. Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism, cultural empathy.
8. Intercultural classroom: Teacher-student interculturality, multicultural students.
9. Class organization and dynamics, motivation and learning styles.
10. Inclusion of cultural elements in didactic sequences.
Methodology
In this module various teaching methodologies will be combined. All of them presuppose an active role on the part of the students. Throughout the module, the following methodologies will be used:
- lectures
- problem-based learning
- debates and discussions
- work and oral presentations
- readings
- supervised work
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| lecture | 15 | 0.6 | 2, 4, 7, 6, 9, 1 |
| Debates and discussions | 13 | 0.52 | 2, 4, 7, 6, 9, 1, 8 |
| Problem-based learning | 10 | 0.4 | 2, 4, 7, 6, 9, 1, 8 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Practice activities realization | 6 | 0.24 | 2, 3, 5, 4, 7, 6, 10 |
| work presentations | 6 | 0.24 | 7, 10 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Readings and documentation | 60 | 2.4 | 2, 3, 4, 7, 6, 8, 10 |
| Work Elaboration | 40 | 1.6 | 2, 3, 4, 7, 6, 8, 10 |
Assessment
Attendance and participation in classe will be taken and will represent 20% of the final mark.
The rest of the assessment activities will be divided into the different blocks.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance and active participation in class | 20% | 0 | 0 | 2, 4, 7, 6, 9, 1, 8 |
| Student portfolio | 50% | 0 | 0 | 2, 3, 4, 7, 6, 8, 10 |
| Submission of essays | 30% | 0 | 0 | 2, 3, 5, 4, 7, 6, 10 |
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