When In Rome

“When in Rome,” I have been told, “do as the Romans do.”

I never thought to ask if this would still be valid if the Romans are laying waste to their empire. Does it still apply?

When your very existence centers around balancing on a cross-cultural tightrope, you think a fair bit about Rome and Romans- at least the proverbial ones. Critical applied linguists like Adrian Holliday, Alistair Pennycook, A. Suresh Canagarajah preach that applying “Western” standards on the rest of the world is cultural imperialism, more insidious and more barbaric than anything ever imposed by any concrete empire. And so, being a reasonable being, I try to abstain from cultural imperialism, since I prefer to be neither insidious nor barbaric. But do I succeed?

In the many little customs and habits and daily demands of Arabian culture, I bend my stubborn will, pretzel-like, to accommodate local demands. It is impossible to colour inside the lines all the time, but I think I do all right and have won the trust of the local community in my orbit, patching up my shortcomings with liberal doses of diplomacy, patiently-won rapport and home baking. It is fair to say that I succeed to some extent, putting my own cultural ideals on the indefinite backburner.

But when Rome is burning, I simply will not fiddle along. I dismally and hopelessly fail, and messrs Holliday, Pennycook and Canagarajah are welcome to fling me on the conveniently smoking pyre. When local ways are costing lives and laying waste to the land, I do believe that a little dash of cultural imperialism is in order. In fact, I would like to ask these fine gentlemen whether, in such a case, “imperialism” would not be better described as “enlightenment”. Allow me to demonstrate. And bear with me: this does have educational implications.

Ask any Omani and you will find at least one member of his or her family- usually a young man- has been lost to a violent road accident. With a population of under 3 million people spread over a vast territory, Oman sees an unlikely average of 10 000 road accidents a year, slaughtering 680 people and injuring over 7 000, according to statistics. But more telling is the cause of these accidents: ten of the thirteen top causes are patently due to driver neglect. On the road, one notices certain consistent patterns of behaviour that have become acceptable locally, although they demonstrate limited understanding of the workings of traffic. A terrifying is example is overtaking on blind curves and heights, and neither indicating nor looking before changing lanes. When in Rome, I usually do go with the flow. But when the Romans are dying in droves, one has to ask a few questions. Call me a cultural imperialist: at least I will be alive to hear it.

A less immediate peril is the perennial popularity of the plastic carrier bag. Although the best-placed hypermarket in the country has finally issued a strong, reusable carrier bag, people do not know its purpose. They buy several, put them in the usual plastic bags and proceed to have their trolleyfuls (often two trolleys per family) of monthly groceries packed into yet more plastic bags, often one item to a bag. For two and a half years I asked, cajoled, begged, wept and wrestled with the packers to put my modest pickings in one bag. Now that the reusable bag is available, I offer it triumphantly to the packer, who proceeds to pack the egss and tomatoes at the bottom and objects when I intervene. At the very end of my tether I stop to ask myself why this is happening.

Stop. Breathe. Count to ten.

Repeat a few times.

The packers have ceased to consider me eccentric and have concluded that I am patently insane. They truly do not understand what my problem is. But how could they? Environmental issues are displaced by more immediate emergencies in the Arab media, while the international media are hampered by a language barrier and an irremediable credibility problem. Moreover, while literacy has increased to a reported 75%, reading is not a major pastime for most folks. (The technician who installed my telephone looked at my modest nomad’s collection of books in puzzlement, musing: “What for?”) The plastic carrier bag is still considered here as a banner of modernization. The fact that it waves from an increasing number of thorntrees is not yet raising significant alarm.

As promised, all this does have implications for education. I back the critical linguists up one hundred percent when they decry the imposition of subjective “Western” standards on the rest of the world. However, there are areas where it is critical to decide on objective standards that apply to everyone. If I play by the rules of cricket while you play by the rules of football, we won’t get very far: we all lose. A certain scope of standard behaviour needs to be agreed upon when it comes to things like preserving our lives, our planet and the standards of education.

I don’t know if that is cultural imperialism. But the opposite is suicide. Even in Rome.

"Change Forces With a Vengeance"

Book Review
Change Forces With A Vengeance by Michael Fullan, 2003. Routledge-Falmer

Now this book did change my life. Very often the literature about change, especially in education, gets so caught up in methods and prescriptions and little fix-it tricks. This author looks to science for inspiration to find a revolutionary view of deep, self-sustaining change. Drawing on complexity theory, he finds that true change must be implemented at all levels, but that new policies are not enough. Individuals and systems must be driven to be self-motivated by a noble moral purpose, quality relationships between individuals and groups, and, of course, quality information. The reality of systems is organic and self-sustaining, and the only way towards true, deep, lasting change is for all parts of the system to adopt and perpetuate a new way of thinking and acting. There is a fierce idealism here, but one that does not turn a blind eye to the realities. Even if Change Forces does not seem to match your assignment, it is a worthwhile read for restoring a teacher’s faith in what we do. At a mere 113 pages, there is no excuse.

My Verdict: Buy? Beg, steal, borrow? Skim? Skip?

Beg, steal or borrow. If you run with the big dogs and are an educational decision-maker yourself, buy it.

Come Back, All Is Forgiven

Trying very hard not to get depressed over my new-found status as a “manager of dilemmas” (see yesterday’s entry), I swallowed hard on my brimming tears before leaving my office for an 8 AM class. The same lesson that had broken my faith yesterday, even in the same room. Different group, though. Different world. After all the navel-gazing self-flagellation I had put myself through, the very same lesson went down a storm. The students had fun, laughed, made boisterous suggestions, took detailed notes and executed their assignment for the day admirable. No groans about the reading homework- in fact, a few even gave it a quick skim in class.

I also saw the Writing group, and although their session was at the end of the day- traditionally a tough time for all of us- we breezed right through. Before they submitted their second drafts of the essay, I put a chart on the board where the noun, verb and adjective forms of typical words on the theme (television) were listed. They copied this to their notebooks and checked that these words- at least!- were correct in the draft. A snap survey showed that most of them had found up to five words from the list misspelt in their writing. (There was also a 50/50 split in opinion on whether “psychology” started with a s or a c. Oh well. At least they corrected it, not me!) Arabic-speaking learners of English are known- “notorious” is such a strong word- for the discrepancy between their high verbal fluency and their low written accuracy, and spelling is one area where this should easily be corrected, not so? It would be interesting to see how effective this technique is. Unfortunately it is a bit like putting a band-aid on an ulcer, since it doesn’t really solve the crisis of split skills among several teachers who barely know of each other’s existence…

That is one of the matters that can hopefully be addressed at tomorrow’s curriculum planning meeting. It is one section of the quality control project that was launched with great fanfare recently. I just hope there will be more to it than mere fanfare. Judging by the documents, the ministry is making a real effort. Unfortunately many colleagues have had the experience of labouring over proposals that are invariably lost in the bureaucratic abyss. But faint heart never won fair lady.

If I am to be a “manager of dilemmas”, then I may as well get cracking.

The Chandelier Dilemma

We’re heading for a fall here. I do not condone complaining, but an occasional bout of realism is necessary. First thing this morning, I did somersaults to have a full set of transparencies ready for my 10 AM Language Through Arts class. The only printer that can make transparencies has been in for repairs for three weeks, so I wrote four full sheets by hand. When I arrived in class, the overhead projector wouldn’t work, so I went up and down to flights of stairs to replace it. The next projector wouldn’t work either, proving that the electricity socket was out of order. So I proceeded to teach the information-loaded lesson using the whiteboard- after having ventured back up the stairs to return the borrowed projector. A handful of students were engaged and working with the new material, but too many were not.

This lesson was my very labour-intensive response to the students’ lack of involvement in former lessons. I tried to increase their connection to the work by providing a scheme for planning their short film production schedule, narrative and educational elements. The level of involvement was higher than before, but still not enough to ensure results. They claim to want practical projects, but when the time for practical projects arrives, many do nothing while very few students do their work to an acceptable standard. Perhaps not everyone has talent, but I know effort when I see it. What in the world could possibly beat making a short film in a university class? Yet their attitudes are lukewarm at best. I can only continue to do my very best, but at some point I have to ask myself where my responsibility ends and the students’ begins.

My Writing class, too, despite last week’s relative triumph, was completely out of sync once the six absentees from last week rejoined us. Since they haven’t been through the pre-writing process, I had to stagger the lesson to allow others to start self-editing while these students got a recap. It was all so rushed that I don’t know how much the absentees absorbed, though I did invite them to discuss any questions with me and extended their deadline. Perhaps an extra recap class will be necessary if several students are lost.

Returned a few books to the college library, but couldn’t take out new ones since the system was down. There are two shelves of English books, most of them multiple copies of prescribed readings for the courses. Fewer than 2000 volumes in total. There are 560 students in our department. If every student borrowed two books at once, the collection would be halved. Above this very modest English academic collection for the largest English Department among the nation’s ministerial colleges, there hangs a four-tiered crystal chandelier valued at seven thousand Omani Rials- around US$18 203, by today’s conversion rate. As a mere guest, it is not my place to question this Carrollesque allocation of resources, but it is hard not to. The areas where resources are needed for education are flagrantly neglected.

And then I come home to finish my reading of what was intended to be an uplifting book: Understanding Language Teaching: Reasoning in Action (Johnson, K. 2001. Boston: Heinle & Heinle). What do I find but the following passage…

“The image of the teacher as dilemma manager accepts conflict as a continuing condition with which persons can learn to cope. (I)n addition to defending against and choosing among conflicting expectations… the dilemma manager accepts conflict as endemic and even useful to her work rather than seeing it as a burden that needs to be eliminated.” (Lampert, 1985 p. 192, quoted on p. 69)

“Learn to cope”. That sounds so desperate. And how tragic that it seems so apt. My feeling today is one of intense frustration as I try to understand what makes these students tick. They receive their education free of charge, as well as a government stipend for their expenses. Yet the general sense of indifference to their studies is palpable. How many people across the world are hungry for learning which they are unable to fund? When a human being wants to learn, nothing can stand in his or her way. But what will clear the way for the multitudes who couldn’t be bothered? How long will I continue to teach them simply because they can pay me more?

Comfort Zones and Discomfort Zones

I mentioned on Saturday that last week had felt like a year. This week zipped by, and we’re already on the banana peel that inevitably leads to the midterm exam, the grand collective panic (worse for teachers than students, contrary to popular belief) before the final exams, and then, boom, it will be summer again… Then again, all this is subjective. When I mentioned this to one colleague, she replied that this week, too, had seemed like a year to her. If only we had a year’s worth of time….

In most classes this week, I really felt on top of things, and was particularly pleased that the mountains of extra materials I was whipping out in class were well-received by students. Today, though, the new comfort zone became uncomfortable again.

My Foundation Writing students finally went from merrily nodding and enjoying the discussions of planning and outlining an essay to implementing it, and for some their clarity seemed to melt like a sno-cone in the spring sun. My heart was tempted to sink as my hours of preparation seemed to become insignificant. Instinct thankfully kicked in, and I was able to circulate among the desks to keep students on track, returning to the board to clarify any common errors. What does seem to be working well, though, is that this essay format makes it possible for each student to work to his or her level. They are writing about whether television is a force for good or bad, and while some are struggling to attempt even one body paragraph, others have planned up to three. One ambitious student has taken on both sides of the subject, claiming her right to work to her own abilities. That is a sign of great hope, since it’s the first time that I have worked so actively to provide for differential learning. (Ever, I humbly admit.) Another carrot dangling is that all the essays will be collected in their final draft form and published in a booklet to be displayed on the college’s open day. It will be interesting to see what impact actual publication will have on the writing quality.

The Language Through Arts students are keeping me on my toes as always. In their second session of the week, we looked at five different ways to use visual arts in their classrooms, and the discussion went down extremely well, with high participation levels. After the theoretical work, I set up a self-access activity for each medium, having discussed the relevance of self-access areas. It was striking that, although they knew all the theory about learner independence, they hadn’t connected it with the self-access concept, which makes up as much as half of learner independence literature and practice. Not only that, but they also lost direction, even though we had discussed potential pitfalls of self-access, and they had a concrete outcome for the session: to make a mini-project based on one of the styles to use in their short film. In today’s third and last group, four students actually asked if they could leave the class, since the “lecture” was over! (The time wasn’t by a long shot.) There are a few implications here that I need to consider.

First of all, in all three these groups of high-achieving students, there is a very high level of theoretical knowledge. The students are remarkably attentive while I speak, but when a student comments, asks or even answers a question, there is immediate side talk. This tells me that the “lecture” format is still what they consider to be the center of class work. Ironically, they have been studying learner-centered teaching methods since their second year, but have seldom actually applied them. The culture of peer learning during such activities has not been established, and I will have to recalibrate for that.

The second implication is from the theory of learner independence, or learner autonomy. As mentioned above, self-access is a prominent manifestation of this movement, perhaps because it is more concrete. Failure of the ambitious self-access programs is often due to the lack of foundational training in learner independence, and students’ inability to use them. In my class, however, it may have failed because students felt the “work” was done, even though I had given an explicit outcome. For many students, I had to return to their groups and be quite insistent on their creating a product for their films before they left, and today the product was the only valid exit pass!

The third implication is particularly significant for me in this course. Although this course is intended to give credibility to teaching and learning language through the arts, the students’ attitude towards the practical aspects are clear proof of the credibility problems the arts have. In all three groups, students take the theory seriously (even though I provide articles explicitly as formative ideas for their own reflective process), but as soon as “making things” begins, the class scatters and very few students are on task. It could be just me, but I think there is more going on here.

There does seem to be a lack of clarity about the film itself, and the way I will tackle this, along with the problems with practical work this week, is by starting off next week with re-clarified parameters for the film project. The practical work next week will center on week-by-week planning of the project on the calendars in the first handout. From there we will move to the language focus of the film, then planning of the media, and finally characters, setting, plot and themes. This time, planning will include a storyboard- and idea suggested by my colleague Mark, and spot-on for this course. In the next session, we will look at scriptwriting, so students can feel their work taking shape. Perhaps asking students to submit their planning is the only way to get things done. Should I modify my own conception of learner independence to acknowledge that learners do need guidance?

Chaff from Wheat Revisited

Bingo. Today I was able to verify my findings about the Language Through Arts Students with the third and final group. To be sure that they were not simply including all the material for the sake of my approval, I tweaked the arrangement of the lesson a little.

Yesterday, the pairs of students reported on their jigsaw reading to the entire group and myself. Today, I split the pairs so that there would be two groups, each with a reporter on each section. And… Bingo! Even when I was not present, students still did not distinguish between main and supporting ideas or omit incidental details. They even included complete explanations and examples I had given to them personally when they had asked for illumination, even if I was not within visible earshot during their reporting.

I discussed this with other teachers, and their findings are similar to my own. We seem to have identified the phenomenon- but what is the reason for it?

The Chaff from the Wheat

Last week seemed to last a year. The weekend, however, was vanished in the blink of an eye.

A number of slow-simmering work pressures came to a head last week, and had an overwhelming effect on me. Although my studies and my job are not inextricably intertwined, it was extremely difficult to stay motivated and keep moving with my reading and planning amidst a flurry of unnecessary stresses that cost me a great deal of sleep. Breaking away for the weekend, and taking a little time off from study, actually helped to restore my perspective. All work and no play, et cetera. Well, this weekend I played and it definitely helped.

This seemed to have done the trick. When I got back to work today, classes went swimmingly, even though Saturdays are heavy teaching days for me. There was a varied pace and a remarkable amount of interest in today’s lessons. One thing did strike me though, and it may point to an area for later research.

In order to cover a piece of marginally important introductory reading, I assigned my final year students sections of a chapter as a jigsaw reading activity. I demonstrated how to summarize a passage with the introduction, boiling one page down to a one-minute briefing. The results were extremely enlightening. I had intended this activity to last for no more than fifteen minutes, but despite my repeated emphasis on the need to summarize for their classmates, students omitted not one single detail, and we went considerably over time. This is in line with the experience of my colleagues, who find that students rewrite entire chapters of their textbooks from memory during exams, with very limited regard to the actual question. I also recall that in the Foundation and First Year Listening courses, students are always flummoxed by activities where they must distinguish main ideas from details. It is true that the latter may be a problem for students the world over, but the memorization of complete texts without extracting the essence seems to be a common factor here. It is not clear whether students are keen to prove that they haven’t missed anything, or whether they are actually struggling to separate the chaff from the wheat. The reality is that under exam situations this much chaff is separating them from success. How can this phenomenon be understood?