Cultural Awareness and the Teaching of Discussion in the Taiwanese University Classroom (Published)
This study looks at the learning styles of Taiwanese university students majoring in English in Taiwan. It discusses whether discussion in class is an activity that is culturally appropriate, and whether traditional cultural norms in a Confucian heritage society can be problematic in the discussion classes frequently offered by universities in Taiwan. It also looks at a methodology designed to see if explicit instruction and guidance in the norms and conventions of conversation can help the students to gain greater motivation and interest in such classes. The article includes a case study of a 4th year university English discussion class at a Taiwanese university designed to see if the class was successful in empowering students to conduct discussions in English.
Keywords: Cultural Awareness, Discussion, Pedagogy EFL