Language

After realising that I haven't written anything here for well what would seem like forever, I've decided to try doing this whole thing over again.

Semester has started again.... finally! After what seems like a rediculously long break I get my students - aka my babies back! Although this semester is a wee bit different to most. Instead of maths - which of course is my version of normality - my main focus for my tutorials will be humanities - covering everything from language and culture to religion, the arts and indigenous culture. An eventful week one has me really looking forward to the rest of the semester...

The focus for week one is culture, language and identity - how interesting is how much the language we use defines us not just as a culture or  society but as an individual. As Aussies we definately have a LOT of slang.... mate, g'day, bluey, drongo, grog, grouse and thats just six! One of my students suggested this morning that this leads to the idea that we're quite a lazy culture - "half assed" I think were his exact words :P something that is emphasised by the language we use.

The conversation was then directed along the lines of how a lack of understanding of language can lead to problems with cross cultural communication and understanding. How very true... Such a lack of understanding is evident everywhere we look. An example used was classroom based. How often do you hear a teacher say to a student, "look me in the eye when I'm talking to you"? From my own experience it happens way too often...

We were talking about indiginous students and how their culture teaches them not to look authority figures in the eye and yet the teacher sees them looking away as a lack of respect when in fact it is the exact opposite. How can we get through this barrier? No one I know goes out telling people about the differences between indigenous culture and our own. Surely we all speak a language similar enough to be able to communicate this most basic of cultural differences!

If we can't communicate differences between cultures that speak the same language how can we expect to be able to communicate cultural nuances between cultures that dont share our language!?

Kazzi