SAMPLE

THESIS PROPOSAL

Cross-Cultural Communications in the Turkish ELT Classroom: A survey on Native-English Speaking Teachers and Turkish Students in.

BY

PLACE , 2012

1. Introduction

It is not an uncommon phenomenon that Turkish students complain that they learn little from

native-English speaking teachers’ classes. The reason for such responses probably comes from

“a large disparity of expectations between teachers and students in terms of teaching style”

(Brumfit, 1986, p. 97). According to the principles of educational psychology, there were some

indications that teachers and students having similar styles formed the most successful

combinations. Undoubtedly, if we want to make effective use of the expertise of native

speaking teachers, we need to know specifically to what extent and at what points does the

disparity exist between native-speaking teachers and Turkish students.

1.2 Aims of the study

This research work aims to achieve three main objectives. First of all, it aims to explore the

teaching styles, methods and contents which the native teachers under scrutiny adopt; and

how their teaching styles, methods, and contents are perceived by Turkish students and vice

versa, analyzed solely on the basis of each party’s expectations. Secondly, it aims to analyze and

better understand how the cultural backgrounds of these native teachers influence their

classroom teaching. Finally, it hopes to point out some disparities between the observed

teaching modes and learning outcomes upon which it will then offer some suggestions aimed at

enhancing cross-cultural communication and thus enabling an effective teaching and learning

experience in Turkish ELT classrooms.

1.3 Importance of the Study

This research work is very important because it would help further knowledge and

understanding in the field of cross-cultural dynamics in English language teaching especially in

the Turkish context as similar work has been done using other countries as context. The

findings from this research work will go a long way to better understand the native speaker-

local (Turkish) student dynamics in the classroom as well as provide pointers to ways of better

enhancing these.

1.4 Research Questions

In order to better understand the subject matter, this research work will try to find answers to

the following research questions.

1. What communication barriers exist between native speaker teachers and their Turkish

students?

2. Is the choice of topics to be taught in class, dependent on the level of communication

which exists between the native speaker teacher and his local (Turkish) students?

3. How do native speaker teachers regulate their teaching to suit the peculiarities and

needs of their Turkish students?

4. What strategies do native speaker teachers use to overcome cross cultural barriers in

the Turkish ELT classroom?

2. Background of the Study

2.1 Culture & Cross-cultural dynamics

2.1.1 Culture

Culture exists everywhere in human society. Even when a baby is born, his thought and

behavior are influenced by culture subconsciously. Due to this inherent nature, it is hard to

reach an agreement on a single definition of culture. There is really very little agreement on

what people mean by the idea of culture since culture has different shades of meanings in

different scientific disciplines and context. Here are several main viewpoints.

The linguist Sapir suggests that culture may be defined as what a society does and thinks, in his

opinion, “Culture is a way of life. It guides the behavior of people in a community and helps

them to know how far they can go as individuals.”

Also, the English anthropologist E.B. Tylor first set his definition in his Primitive culture in 1871:

“Culture…is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals,

law, customs, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of

society”

-(WANG Fu-xiang & WU Han-ying, 1994, p. 79).

E. Adamson Hoebel and Everett Frost, see culture in nearly all human activities as an

“integrated system of learned behavior patterns which are characteristic of the

members of a society and which are not the result of biological inheritance”

-(Larry A. Samovar & Richard E. Porter, 1995, p. 47).

Daniel Bates and Fred Plog advance another definition with detailed descriptions:

“Culture is a system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts

that the members of a society, to cope with their world and with one another,

and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning.”

This definition includes not only patterns of behavior but also patterns of thought (shared

meanings that the members of a society attach to various phenomena, natural and intellectual,

including religion and ideologies), artifacts (tools, pottery, houses, machines, works of art), and

the culturally transmitted skills and techniques used to make the artifacts (Quoted from Larry A.

Samover & Richard E. Porter, 1995, p. 47). No society exists without a culture which influences

the way people think and behave.

2.1.2 Characteristics of culture

It is evident from the above definitions that although they may be different there are certain

characteristics which they all have in common. An evidence of this common characteristics lies

in the work of Brown, H. Douglas, (1980, p.123), who said that these cultural

“thoughts and behavior patterns have universal characteristics: (1) they originate

in the human mind; (2) they facilitate human and environmental interactions; (3)

they satisfy basic human needs; (4) they are cumulative and adjust to changes in

external and internal conditions; (5) they tend to form a consistent structure; (6)

they are learned and shared by all the members of a society; and (7) they are

transmitted to new generations.”

Having all of these definitions in mind, this thesis work prefers to adopt Clyne Michael’s

definition which implies that culture is a

“patterned ways of thinking, feeling and reacting, acquired and transmitted

mainly by symbols constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups,

including their embodiments in artifacts, the essential core of culture consists of

traditional (i.e. historically derived and selected) ideas and especially their

attached values”.

He also holds that culture is the “whole way of life of a distinct people, total set of beliefs,

customs, behaviors and social habits” (Clyne Michael, 1996).

This definition indicates that culture includes not only customs and habits, but also ideas and

beliefs. Cultures are extremely complex and consist of numerous interrelated cultural

orientations, namely cultural values, including values, beliefs, attitudes, norms and material

aspects. Cultures in different countries and areas differ from each other.

2.1.3 A Brief survey on Turkish culture and Western culture

The traditional Turkish world view one which emphasizes peaceful coexistence among its

people, peaceful relations with its neighbors and generally the desire for a peaceful and just

world. Under the guidance and influence of this idea, Turks tend to achieve wholeness,

generality, synthesis a belief in intuition but most importantly a belief in God. Thus there is little

mobility, either socially or geographically.

Under the traditional education system, Turks respect the old and care for the young, are kind

to neighbors, behave themselves and are modest and prudent. Turkey’s education advocates

discipline and obeying the law, industry and thrift in managing a house and obedience to

superiors.

Turkey has been an agricultural country for many thousand years. This agrarian nature

distributes to the traits and values that characterize the society both in the past and today.

Turkish families are cohesive units in which all members work together and live together. Thus

forms the collective nature of Turkish values.

Western culture is relatively young. People there respect religious freedom and have a great

faith that everyone is born to be equal. Most of the countries were once greatly immigrant;

different values, norms and customs were melted together. Everyone is equal to seek for

wealth and liberty. People depend on themselves rather than others. They develop habits of

survival based on individualism, and also such thought patterns, beliefs, values and attitudes.

Turkish culture belongs to the oriental culture while the western culture is the occidental. As a

result, there is a large difference between these two cultures. Some aspects of each respective

culture seem incredible to people belonging to the other culture. Many westerners even regard

Turkish culture as a mysterious oriental culture.

2.1.4 The differences between Turkish and western culture

The differences between Turkish and western culture are numerous and complicated. To sum

up, there are mainly the following aspects. First of all, culture difference in convention. Culture

difference in convention is the difference in daily life and social intercourse result from the

difference of custom and habit, such as the rules of using words to address, greet, express one’s

thanks, apologize, and phone, etc. Secondly, culture difference in thought. Culture difference in

thought results from the way of thinking. As an instance, Turks have the characteristic of

thinking from top to bottom while the westerners the reverse. Thirdly, culture difference in

psychology. Culture difference in psychology results from the mentality of a nation and

consciousness of a society. Expression of the concept of value, ethics; implicit and roundabout

ways to express one’s feeling; humble words all these fall in this line. Fourthly, culture

difference due to the difference of cultural development in history and accumulation of cultural

legacy. Fifthly, culture difference in posture. Culture can be represented through language. And

without language, other signs of culture (such as gesture, fingering, facial expressions and

clothing) can also represent it.

2.1.5 Culture differences on the layer of language

Culture influences the way language is used and understood. As to the concern of this paper,

culture differences between Turks and the west on the layer of language is to be talked about.

To be specific, the culture differences in language are mainly the following three aspects:

2.1.6 Difference in language

A natural language is produced by the members of the same culture and develops along with its

culture. Language difference is mainly the semantic difference of words. Two aspects should be

discussed here: the literal meaning of a word and its cultural connotation. In Turkish and

western language, the connotation for words with the same literal meaning can be the same,

vacant or conflicting. In cross-cultural communication, using words with the same connotation

in both languages would not meet any trouble, while words with vacant or conflicting

connotation will result in misunderstanding or even failure in communication. Another example

is a typical example of traditional Turkish way of expressing his love to motherland. If we

translate this sentence directly into: “I am Turkish, and I love my motherland and its people”, it

is difficult for the westerners to understand the deep connotation. In traditional culture, Turkish

families are extended families, son is loyal and sentimentally attached to the parents and the

family; he does his duty and devotes himself to the parents and family. On the contrary,

western families are mostly nuclear family.

Once a child is grown up, he or she becomes self-reliant and regenerative through his own

efforts. Then, the members of the family become independent both in economic and in

sentiment. Thus there is not such connotation in western culture as there is in Turkish;

westerners are unable to understand the deep implication of the sentence mentioned above.

2.1.7 Difference in pragmatics

There are two sets of principles: the principles of structure (i.e. sound, vocabulary, grammar

and so on), and principles of usage (i.e. factors that determine if the use of language is

appropriate). When a sentence that is grammatically correct is used in improper occasion, or

unsuitable to the speaker’s status, or violate the local customs, will lead to communicative

failure. This is because those who engaged in talk are not familiar with each other’s customs

and culture background. For example, students in the a certain language school always like to

ask foreigners questions such as “What is your name?”, “How old are you?”, “Are you

married?”, “How much is your salary?”

When talking with them in English speaking sessions, the foreigners feel as if they were in a

police station. These questions are grammatically correct, but in the westerner’s opinion, they

infringe their privacy.

Other differences exist between the Turkish culture and Western culture, and will be address in

more details in the main work. However, there has been practically no previous research

focusing on the cross-cultural barriers which exist in the Turkish ELT classroom between native

speaker teachers and their Turkish students. This thesis work thus seeks to fill that void in

literature.

3. Proposed Methodology

The research will be qualitative in nature and will involve the interview and observation of the

native speakers under review and the interview of their students from both universities.

Descriptive statistics using the SPSS statistical package will be used to analyze and interpret the

results of the study.

References

1. Brown, H. Douglas. 1980. Principles of language teaching and learning. Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

2. Brumfit, C. 1986. ‘Some doubts about Humanistic Language Teaching’ in P. Early.

Humanistic Approaches: an Empirical View. London: The British Council.

3. Byram, M. and M. Fleming. (eds.). 1998. Language Learning in Intercultural Perspective.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

4. Samovar, L. A., & Porter, R. E. 2007. Intercultural communication: A reader (10th ed).

Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.

5. WANG Wei-hua. 1994. Social & cultural factors and foreign language teaching. In:

WANG Fu-xiang, WU Han-ying. (Eds.), Language and culture. Foreign Language Teaching

and Research Press, 324-332.