San Isidro Labrador

In May 15^th, people from some parts, not all, in Costa Rica celebrate San Isidro Labrador’s day. As a result, there are many people who do not know who San Isidro is. He is patron saint of the farmers. His name is due to san Isidoro, a saint who is appreciated in Spain. San Isidro was known as a peasant who always went to church before working. There were some people who claim that San Isidro went to work late because of going to church, but certainly it seems that somebody else did his work while he was at the church. An angel most said.

Some places in which Costa Rica celebrate San Isidro’s day are Nandayure, Guanacaste, and in Santa Barbara and San Isidro, Heredia. This is celebrated each May 15^th and it is done in different ways. For instance, in Nandayure, people use to prepare a festival. There they have horse riding, bull riding, parades, dancing, and typical food. In San Isidro, people also prepare typical food and festival which are distinguished by the “cimarronas”.

Certainly, I am from Nandayure and this year I had the opportunity of being in Santa Barbara and in San Isidro. I could perceive the differences in celebration. It was a nice experience to share with different people and to know the way they celebrate this day. Sometimes, we take for granted that every tradition is commemorated in the same way, but it does not. We have to learn from others and of course to respect the way they do it if it is not the one we are accustom to. For example, I do not like “cimarronas”, but it does not mean that I have to criticize it. On the contrary, I could see and learn how many people enjoy this type of activities.

These differences reveal different perspectives which are

the explicit and implicit meanings shared by members of the culture, manifested in products and practices. These meanings reflect members’ perceptions of the world, the beliefs and values that they hold, and the norms, expectations, and attitudes that they bring to practices (Moran, 74)

As a result, each community has several ways in which traditions and celebrations are carried out because each community has dissimilar perspectives.

Teaching Experience: A Cultural Lesson Plan

On April 19th, I dedicated 80 minutes of my class to teach culture. I prepared a class in which my students learned about Italian culture. It is important to state that in this class there are thirteen students, but in this there was a student who was absent. Their ages range from 16 to 47; specifically there are five students whose age is 17, two who are 23, three who are 35, two who are 42, and one who is 47 year old.
The first stage of the class was to assess students’ knowledge about how each person’s live is different from one to another. Hence, they had to reflect about how their lifestyle is. Then, they had to watch a video about the Italian Lifestyle. They listen to the video three times since students’ proficiency level is novice-high. They had to take notes, so then they could contrast and compare the information they got with Costa Rican’s culture. In the second stage, students share their understanding and opinions in a round table. It was a very meaningful and nice experience since all my students expressed they learned a lot from the video. For example, they learned that Italian people try to eat at least healthy meals once a week. They also recognized that Italian use to do their activities with passion, dedication and not in a hurry. They say “Rome was not built in a day”. Students could as well notice that as Costa Rican people Italians love to share with their families and friends.
Besides the round table, I applied a survey to my students to know if they knew the information or if they did not. I also wanted to know what they learn and if they know how to get culture understanding. The questions I asked and a summary of students’ answers are below, so you can have a clearer idea about what students said.

SURVEY
A. What did you learn from this class?
As a summary, students expressed they learned about another culture and some particular aspects about Italian culture. First of all, they said there are characteristics in a country which identify it and make it unique. From this video, students said they learned that Italian people do not do everything in a rush. They do everything with love and patience. They say it would be good to take this characteristic as their own. In addition, they argued about how Italians are organized and disciplined people as well as they take care of their bodies because they eat healthy food. They also mentioned that there are many painters in Italy. Italians like to share a lot with their families. They besides learned about Italian food, drinks, customs; that is, Italian life style. Finally, they stated they learned about what these people do and do not and that they enjoyed this experience. But they did not learn only about Italian culture, but also they learn new vocabulary as most expressed.

B. Did you know the information or you did not?
In this question there were nine students who answered they did not know the information, two who knew some aspects and one who said he knew almost everything. This is reflected on the graphic below.

C. What does it mean to you?
Most students expressed it was a funny, interesting, wonderful and meaningful experience because they learned about many aspects of Italian culture they did not know. They said Italians have a very healthy life; therefore, they reflect that this is very important for everyone because our lives depend on how healthy meals we eat. They said they have to learn to be healthy. Finally, they communicated that each culture is different, so they are different. They also said they should adopt some customs from Italy such as avoiding doing things in a hurry and change food habits.

D. How did you develop your understanding through this lesson?
Few students stated they develop their cultural understanding by comparing and contrasting Italy with Costa Rica. For example, they said they are healthier than us. They eat healthy food, and that this culture is similar to our culture in some aspects, but very different in others. However, most affirmed that the video was difficult, interesting, productive, funny and good. Others that there are many different cultures, but that the Italian culture is very organized. One expressed she develop her cultural understanding by teaching culture to her son and by sharing with her family and friends. Another one said that each culture is different and no one is perfect.

As it was perceived most students argued they learned many aspects about Italian lifestyle that they did not know before. However, it is noticeable they do not know how to develop their cultural understanding. Most of them wrote about how nice or interesting the video was, but not about how they developed their understanding through the lesson. This means that students need to be taught how to develop their cultural awareness and that there has been lack of culture practices in this English class. I encourage you, to take time for your classes and dedicate it to teaching culture. Culture is everywhere and it cannot be deny in any sense.

A Cultural Learning Experience: Moroccan Culture!

How much do we know about our friends or neighbors? It is amazing how much can we know from someone if we get interested in knowing his/her culture. We usually have been talking and sharing with friends from other countries or from other places, but we have never asked them specific questions related to their culture. Certainly, I have a friend from Morocco, but I did not know much about her. I only knew her name, and that she has a daughter and a son. But some weeks ago, I told her I want to know about her culture and she sent a e-mail telling me a lot of things about her. Information that I really like and that made me be aware of many aspects of the Moroccan culture and about her. Below in italics is written what she sent me, so you can read it and learn a lot as I did. I hope you enjoy this information.

My name is Jamila and that means beautiful in Arabic language. I was born and raised in Morocco Casablanca in a huge house because we are a big family five girls and four boys. In the past, it was very important that each couple has minimum of four kids and having a child boy is the greatest think because the reality in my culture men have more power than women and that’s the way how I was raised. Now certain things change people are trying to do not exceed a number of two on having children.
I love Moroccan foods because it’s delicious; women spend a lot of hours in the kitchen to prepare different dishes for only one meal and all made from the scratch, bread is offered at every meal and we eat with the fingers of one hand while bread on the other hand is used as a utensil. Myself I love cooking, I learned to cook when I was ten years old and I learned from my oldest sister because that time I lost my mother. It is very important in Morocco girls learn how to cook from their mothers to make them ready for their future home as I was hearing always from my sister “if you want to gain man’s love is trough his belly”.
Friday is very special day for us as know in other countries “Good Friday” almost all Moroccans go to the mosque to pray the middle prayer for that day because in Islam we must pray five time a day, after that prayer we eat our special dish the name is couscous and that take almost five hours to be prepared.
Before entering home we must take off our shoes because is of kind of respect and hygienic at the same time. Respect of our parents is very important we cannot raise our voice while we are talking front of them and we love to kiss their hands in entering or leaving the house at each time.
Girls in Morocco are not allowed to have boyfriends because we can’t have sex without marriage, some rare girls dose, but if they do it must be in secret and for that reason girls get married at very early age. It is very common that men get married and live with their families if they are not eligible to have their own home in fact for parent to encourage them to get married.
When I was a teenager my father started to make comment on the way how I dressed, I wasn’t free to wear what I want, for instance, I can’t wear short skirts and dresses or sleeveless, I must pay attention on what I need to buy and most of the time buying something for myself was under my father’s control, I understood it’s his responsibility to protect his daughter especially I’m the youngest.

A Cultural Encounter with Texas

On March 13^th, a woman from Texas visited us (Culture and Target language course’ students) at the Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica. Her name is Jonna Beck. From her visit, I learned a lot about Texas and even about the United States, Costa Rica and myself. First of all, I could recognize that people from Texas are dissimilar from those who live in the United States since Texans do not consider themselves full Americans. They are independent people and they think they are bigger and better than anyone else. Below I listed some differences and similarities that there are between Texas and the Unites States and Costa Rica as well as between Jonna and me.

Differences between Texas and the United States

- In Texas people can live together and take care of each other even if they are 18 year old or more, but in the United States they have to move from their home because of self-reliance.

- Her family is serious, but her husband family is not.

Similarities between Texas and Costa Rica

- There are strong family ties.

- Families consider their pets as family members.

- Women are not feminist.

- Families get together in special occasions such as religion traditions and other celebrations.

Jonna’s opinion about Culture

- She said that culture is what you are. For her, multicultural does not exist because each person has his/her own culture, not many. A person can go to a lot of countries and take pieces of each country’s culture, but he/she will still preserve his/her culture.

Jonna and I

- Jonna says she and her husband do not do what their parents do. Their culture is not her culture. This called my attention because she is right since each person in one way or another develops his/her own culture; that is, culture does not have to be strictly the same for people who live in the same house. In my case, I am totally different from my sister. We have completely different personalities. I even do not share many beliefs and ideas with my parents. I am not doing what they do. I am not like them. However, most people use to generalize each person’s personality based on family patterns or place of living. To illustrate, some days ago, I was stereotyped by a taxi driver in Heredia. He told me I could not be from Guanacaste because I am too white. According to him, people from Guanacaste have brunette skin. Therefore, he generalizes that every single person from Guanacaste is brunette and it is not true at all. In Guanacaste, there are lots of white and blue-eyed people, too. This example is based on physical aspects, but the same happens with ways of being. Each person has a unique personality and that means that each person has a unique culture as Jonna said.

Language and Culture

As it has been perceived culture is everywhere, but principally in a second or foreign language classroom because language and culture cannot be separated. Each one reflects the other and according to Moran; “language is a product of culture” (47). Therefore, we as teachers of a foreign or second language must teach the language as a reflexion of culture. Students need to have a wide world view, so they can recognize the differences and similarities that exist among cultures. Of course, that recognition must be done without creating biases. It is appealing how teachers do not know their students’ perceptions about cultures and principally that one about the target culture of the language they are learning. I say this because that is what happened to me. I was totally sure that all my students accept and like the target culture based on what I observe in my classroom. However, once I asked them some questions about the target culture they made me be aware of how wrong I was and of how much I failed as a teacher. To illustrate, in my English classes, my students have demonstrated a high interested in learning English. They have tried to develop their skills by having a great attitude and disposition to learn. Therefore, from those observations I thought my students to be open-minded and tolerant toward the target culture. However, in a questionnaire related to American culture, they certainly agreed with loving the language and being interested in living in the United States in order to improve their language abilities. Nevertheless, most of them have agreed with stereotyping Americans as dirty people. They also perceive Americans as people who only eat junk food and consider other as inferiors. That means that as their teacher I must teach them not to generalize people and to be more tolerant and open-minded by developing activities in which they can learn from other cultures. I failed because I did not integrate culture when teaching English. Most classes were principally focused on developing the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and culture was almost totally apart. Consequently, I encourage teachers not to forget about teaching culture while teaching a language because ,on the contrary, we are denying students to have a better perception of the world and making them unaware of what is happening in all around it. It is our challenge and we can keep students go through an better acculturation process which as stated by William R. Acton and Judith Walker de Felix is “the gradual adaptation to the target culture without necessarily forsaking one’s native language identity” (20).

Stereotypes

When looking at others differences people use to stereotype people in regards to culture. For example, Costa Rican people are stereotyped as unpunctual and North Americans as materialistic; which can be true, but there are cases in which those generalizations can be wrong. Nobody can judge others in view of his/her own culture’s standard; that is, making prejudiced and unreasonable perceptions based on one’s life style. Stereotypes do not allow people entirely know and learn another culture. For example, most of the time, people wrongly generalize ideas about a single country based on what they see or read. However, what it is seemed and read is not the only truth about a cultural society. There are many aspects that are hidden or unknown. I knew this because it is similar to when we know someone for the first time. At the beginning we start creating assumptions, but it is when we share with that person that we realize how she/he really is. Nevertheless, I reaffirmed this when I watch a video which a professor sent me called “The Danger of a Single Story”. It talks about how we risk a critical misunderstanding when we hear only a single story. It is because we use to see anything else than just what we hear over and over again, so that part becomes the only true. This video opened my mind and made me be aware of how stereotypes not merely are untrue, but also incomplete. Through stereotypes we see the differences not the similarities that can exist among people and cultures. Now, I recommend you to take a look at the videos below, so you can learn from them and try to avoid stereotypes. I expect you enjoy them and learn from them as much as I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

What is Culture?

Culture is in truth a way of life because it is everything that characterizes a person such as behaviors, attitudes, thinking, and perceptions of the world, as many others aspects. Hence, when talking about culture people can come out with different perceptions. What appears to me accurate of a person cannot be precise to someone from another culture. Each person has his/her own way of being and that makes the difference in perceptions. Nobody sees the world in the same way or has the same thinking as somebody else. People can agree or disagree with something, but they cannot be completely the same as others. Everyone is a unique individual and that what makes him/her values. The problem is that misunderstanding can occur between people from different cultures. For that reason, people need to understand and recognize everybody’s differences and “above all to respect, value, and prize the personhood of every human being” (Seeley, 167). In that way, we can create a better multicultural understanding.