Culture In teaching English as an international language.

I remember when I told my bigger brother that this day I had learnt the part of human body, He asked me enthusiastically can you tell me what are they? I told him and suddenly, he laughed at me and I felt as I was a stupid. He asked me was your teacher Egyptian? I nodded and then he told me the right pronunciation of the word mouth, is not mouse, and the meaning is completely different. I do not mean that the Egyptian teachers are not good or can not teach well. But the big problem with them is that they tried to make it English in the Egyptian way. I have some other examples, like sunder instead of the word thunder. I have a funny clip in the YOU TUBE to understand what I mean. this is the link of the clip and I would like you will enjoy it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KArAL8mMKeA

They pronounce the word (think) as (sink). I think I was in a better situation than those who are sinking. I think the problem is not with the native and non native english teacher, but the problem is that who has the intelligibility.

From the second reading and under the title Cultural content in language teaching materials, I think we can not say that this way is better than that way, because it could help for some countries but it could not help for others. In my country, in particular, I believe that the first way which is the text book is from the target culture but the student and the teacher are from the source culture.I used to say to my students 'I am not teaching you the verb and the noun of the sentence but I am teaching you the culture of that country'. What is the language without its culture? we have vivid example "garage sale". I think the the teacher should do his best to define that expression and explore the foreign culture. I do not like the books that my country use which is talking about the source culture text books. They use some names like Hana, Ahmad, Fahad, Riyadh , and so on. where is the authentic material that we believe in. We have excellent teachers but the problem is with the text book that is talking about Saudi Culture.

Bandar

English as International Language

In this chapter, we are dealing with how language can be international like English for example. Kurchu draw a table about some countries that give a very special status to English. However, I think this stable should be updated because these countries may change their position about the English language.

I am wondering about how English countries like America, England and Canada have millions of immigrants and still has not been changed during hundreds of years. But instead immigrants have leaned the English language and their children have acquired it. In my country I hardly noticed people from outside the country like workers or immigrants acquired the Arabic language. I do not know what the difference. I may be try to say because we as Saudi People do not care about the errors and the mistakes that those people made. the important thing is we can communicate with each other. I noticed that we have a very special language which is mixed between the Arabic and his/her language.

The English still have the same patterns during the immigration. The reasons behind that is the English speakers work hard to keep the English a live and fresh.

Breaking Them Up, Talking Them Away: ESL Students In Grade 1

Breaking Them Up, Talking Them Away: ESL Students In Grade 1

By Keleen Toohey, 1998

From the reading the Suzan and Sonia's stories I remembered my first year in teaching. I as Saudi teacher hated the way that it has been used which is students should stay in particular classroom for the whole year. Teachers do the role of coming and getting out of the classroom. I noticed that some students sleep until the end of classes. I asked the principle to activate the role of the students and the teacher as well. I advised him to make the students to seek for the knowledge by moving form class to another. For example, the first class is science, so the class is provided by figures like solar system and some samples of chemical liquid and so on.

He asked me to do so and if I succeed we will discuss the matter with other subject. I bought a projector with english programs and start to design the class as an English Class. What did I do to make it like this. I started with making working group from 5 students and 5 groups. Each group had its leader and vice leader. Each group had pencils, erasers and dictionary. Another thing which is i used some English posters on the walls. I asked for a closet to keep the students' book with me every time they left the school. I kept the students books for more than a reason: 1- to make sure that every one has his book, 2- to have a chance in my free time to correct the home work, 3- to feel the soul of leadership and so on. I noticed that after making groups and the time passed how my students got a benefit of sharing supplies. I noticed that how a good students helped the lazy student in order to win. I noticed that most of the students said thank you teacher through their eyes. I noticed how active my students waiting out side my class waiting the bell to ring.

I felt proud of my self when the I had got a golden model for being the best teacher in the year of 2007. It was not easy to manage all these things but I was really called school as my home because I found myself in it.