1. Applied Diversity
.more than just a topic.
Elisabeth L. Chan
Northern Virginia Community College

2. My Lens
• 4th generation Chinese-American from
Memphis, Tennessee
• ESL in the US
• EAP
• Higher education
– 4 year universities (IEP)
– 2 year community college (semester-based)
• My research: race, language, and culture

3. Student Pondering
• “Why are Americans unfriendly?”
– Saudi male
• “(A little boy) calls me China Man. I don’t
like it, but I don’t know what I can say.”
– Chinese male, 19 years old

4. Student Reflections
• “My customer yelled at me that I should
learn English or go back to where I came
from. Then my manager told me the
customer is always right.”
– Ethiopian female
• “I’m unlucky because I was born speaking
Chinese and not English.”
– Chinese female

5. Me Pondering
How do I avoid
imposing my
cultural views? What is the
extent of my
social
responsibilities?

6. Me Pondering
What makes it
more than just
another topic? Where does the
language
instruction play
in?

7. Me Pondering
What does it
look like in the
classroom?
What will have
the greatest
impact?

8. Me Pondering
Is it really
worth it?

9. Imposing?
• Rapport
• To be or not to be neutral
• Cross-cultural conflict resolution
– http://www.mediate.com/articles/ford5.cfm
• Education, children, customs, beliefs
– http://www.ehow.com/info_8773113_not-impose-
customs-beliefs-others.html

10. Social Responsibility
• Educator
• Teacher
• Advisor
• Counselor
• Cheerleader
• Referee
• Confidant
• English
– Formal
– Informal
• Culture
– Cultural norms and
mores
– Academic culture &
expectations

11. “Tourist” Multiculturalism
• Stages
– Acknowledge differences
– Learn about differences
– Respect differences
– Celebrate differences
– Recognize similarities

12. More than a topic
• Hometown
• Pets
• Money
• School
• Jobs
• Travel
• Music
• Hobbies
• Family/Friends
• Work
• Stories/Novels
• Poetry
• Movies
• Sports
• Food
• Clothes

13. Class Time
• Beginner
– “Cultural Myth vs. Truth”
– Simple present; true/false
• Intermediate
– “Poetry: Maya Angelou” (tolerance.org)
– Present Perfect, Passive; analysis
• Advanced
– “Culture, Not a Costume” (Ohio Univ.)
– Conditionals & Noun Clauses; debate

14. So What?
• Impact
– Subtle (passive osmosis)
– Evident
•need a tangible outcome
•Task-based (TBLT)

15. Worth it?

16. Thank you!
Elisabeth L. Chan
elisabethlchan@gmail.com;
echan@nvcc.edu
Northern Virginia Community College,
Alexandria campus
TESOL Diversity & Inclusion Committee
TESOL Social Responsibility IS Chair-Elect
http://www.slideshare.net/ElisabethChan