Tony and Fernando,
Of course you are both eminently right. And I am sufficiently
culturally aware to recognise this. I have also travelled extensively
in Latin America (where I met only courtesy, gentle laughter and
kindness as the response to my rather pathertic Spanish).
But it still remains a cultural problem. It is NOT an issue of
intelligence. Time and again, when I ask foreign students if they
understand they say "Yes", but when I ask them to explain it, they
can't. In these cases, "yes" obviously means "I have seen your lips
move." Merely repeating the same explanations doesn't help, neither
does the old English habit of saying it more slowly and louder. So I
work around it with these students and try to find the links that
will help them.
Frequently part of the trouble is the culture of the GOD-PROFESSOR
that is so common in many cultures. My ex-wife was educated in this
in Argentina many years ago, and it took her a long time to come to
grips with university education in Australia where she could and was
frequently expected to question / challenge the lecturer.
BUT, and this is important, I teach large numbers of Australian
students who are so bloody passive that they drive me to
distraction. I am sure that if I came in one day and dropped my
pants, they still would not react! The sadness here is that they
should have no excuse for not being able to cope with my accent,
or my rather extrovert style or the social difference between
Australia and some other country. But in every class I get a very few
who make it all fun. Questioning, demanding clarification, objecting
to my more outlandish outbursts, stimulating. Great students.
Unlike some of my colleagues (NOT in my school!), I don't regard the
cultural issues as an imposition or waste of time. Challenge, yes.
Rewarding, very!
I remember some postings about the repulsive person who flamed
Fernando. As I recall, he/she didn't like your English. GET A
LIFE!!! The fact that you can discuss the astronomy of sundials
in another language is huge reason for congratulation, not derision
and insult. I can read scientific Spanish moderately, but I can't
cope with a newspaper. I certainly could NOT cope with a Spanish
sundial list!
Oh well, way off topic now. But I felt that I had to go on a bit in
case I was labelled a racist pig (not all Australians try to emulate
our Prime Minister!)
Cheers John, after watching a glorious sunrise. Makes it all
worthwhile.
Dr John Pickard
Senior Lecturer, Environmental Planning
Graduate School of the Environment
Macquarie University, NSW 2109 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9850 7981 (work)
+ 61 2 9482 8647 (home)
Fax + 61 2 9850 7972 (work)
