A Comparison of Power A Comparison of Power Distance of English Distance of English Teachers and Non-English Teachers and Non-English Teachers in Classroom Teachers in Classroom Communication Communication
-----------A Case Study of -----------A Case Study of Guangxi Normal UniversityGuangxi Normal University
Presenter: Li Dongmei
Research BackgroundResearch Background
The relationship between language The relationship between language and culture.and culture.
Language functions not only to Language functions not only to report information but can actually report information but can actually shape the language users’ shape the language users’ thoughts and values (Whorf, 1956) thoughts and values (Whorf, 1956)
Two Research Two Research QuestionsQuestions 1. If people learn or use a foreign 1. If people learn or use a foreign
language for a long time, do their language for a long time, do their cultural values change? cultural values change?
2. Will the change be reflected in 2. Will the change be reflected in their daily communication their daily communication behaviors? behaviors?
Comparing GroupsComparing Groups
College English teachers and College English teachers and Non-English teachers.Non-English teachers.
In Guangxi Normal UniversityIn Guangxi Normal University
What to Compare?What to Compare?
Value-------(Value-------(power distancepower distance)) Classroom communication style---Classroom communication style---
by observationby observation
Why Power Distance?Why Power Distance?
Hofstede’s culture dimension theoHofstede’s culture dimension theoryry
Chinese culture as a high power distChinese culture as a high power distance cultureance culture
Value may be changed Value may be changed
How to Measure Power How to Measure Power Distance?Distance?
According to Hofstede, power distance is thAccording to Hofstede, power distance is the acceptable degree of the less powerful soe acceptable degree of the less powerful social members toward power inequality in ocial members toward power inequality in one social group or organization. So the best ne social group or organization. So the best way to measure power distance is to ask thway to measure power distance is to ask the less powerful ones’ perception toward te less powerful ones’ perception toward the more powerful ones. As a result, College he more powerful ones. As a result, College English and non- English teachers’ power English and non- English teachers’ power distance tendencies should better be measdistance tendencies should better be measured through the students’ answers. ured through the students’ answers.
Observing Teacher’s Observing Teacher’s Communication Style Communication Style teachers request strategies, teachers request strategies, discourse,discourse, students participation, students participation, humor use humor use non-verbal languagenon-verbal language
Data Collection-Data Collection-samplingsampling Why Guangxi Normal University?Why Guangxi Normal University?
College of Foreign Studies--College of Foreign Studies--English TeachersEnglish Teachers
College of Chinese linguistics and literature , CollCollege of Chinese linguistics and literature , College of Politics and Administration, College of Matege of Politics and Administration, College of Mathematics and College of Chemistry & Chemical Ehematics and College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering –ngineering –Non-English TeachersNon-English Teachers
Gender, professional titleGender, professional title
Table 5 : Teachers Sampling( N=26)
MajorTitle/Gender
English teacher Non-English teacher
male female male female
Professor 1 4
Associate Professor
1 3 2 2
Lecturer 2 7 1 3
Table 1: Teachers Sampling N=26
Table 6 : Questionnaires Distribution( N=1172)English Major
College of Politics and
Administration
College of Liberal Arts
College of Chemistry &
Chemical Engineering
College of Mathematics
CE MC CEC MC CEC MC CEC MC
Questionnaire Distributed ( 1195)
113 72 148 52 138
120
175
162 210
Questionnaire Returned( 1172)
113 70 144 52 135
118
171
160 209
(CEC = College English Courses; MC=Major Courses)
Table 2: Questionnaires Distribution ( N=1172 )
Data TreatmentData Treatment
The data collected from the teachers’ poThe data collected from the teachers’ power distance questionnaire are first testifiwer distance questionnaire are first testified through homogeneity reliability analysied through homogeneity reliability analysis to prove the reliability of the questionnais to prove the reliability of the questionnaire. Then they are analyzed through Univarire. Then they are analyzed through Univariate Analysis of Variance in SPSS 10.0 to deate Analysis of Variance in SPSS 10.0 to determine the effects of three independent vtermine the effects of three independent variables (major, gender and professional tiariables (major, gender and professional titles) to the dependent variable: teachers' tles) to the dependent variable: teachers' power distance.power distance.
Data TreatmentData Treatment
The observation scales are The observation scales are analyzed by classification and analyzed by classification and computation of the data computation of the data manually. manually.
Table 8: Mean Scores of Non-English Teachers and English TeachersMajor
Mean Std. Error
95% Confidence Interval
Lower Bound
Upper Bound
Non-English Teachers
44.752 .302 44.112 45.392
English Teachers
41.361 .324 40.674 42.048
Table 3: Mean Score on Power Distance of English Teachers and Non-English Teachers
Table 4: Summary of Results of ANOVA on Data from Teachers' Power Distance Questionnaire
Mean SquareF Sig. Eta. Squ
ared
Major 55.474 62.880 .000* .797
Professional Titles
1.900 2.154 .149 .212
Genders 1.855 2.103 .166 .116
﹡significant at the 95% level
Observation ResultObservation Result
1. English teachers’ requests are 1. English teachers’ requests are more indirect and soft than that more indirect and soft than that of non-English teachers.of non-English teachers.
2. English teachers begin lessons 2. English teachers begin lessons by prompting some questions, by prompting some questions, while non-English teachers while non-English teachers usually begin lessons directly.usually begin lessons directly.
Observation ResultObservation Result
English Class English Class
Teacher talk Teacher talk 50%50%
Student talk Student talk 50%50%
Non-English Non-English ClassClass
Teacher talk Teacher talk 67%67%
Student talk Student talk 33%33%
Observation ResultObservation Result
4. Among 12 non-English 4. Among 12 non-English teachers, only 3 teachers use teachers, only 3 teachers use humors or jokes during a class humors or jokes during a class hour. While among the 14 English hour. While among the 14 English teachers, 6 of them use humors teachers, 6 of them use humors or jokes.or jokes.
Observation ResultObservation Result
5. In non-English class, the teachers 5. In non-English class, the teachers stand in front of the class or behind the stand in front of the class or behind the platform most of the time. The distance platform most of the time. The distance between teachers and students is kept between teachers and students is kept within the public distance/zone. within the public distance/zone.
But in the English classes, the English But in the English classes, the English teachers try to approach to the students teachers try to approach to the students 2-3 times in 40 minutes from public 2-3 times in 40 minutes from public distance to social distance/ zone or even distance to social distance/ zone or even personal distance. personal distance.
ConclusionConclusion
The English teacher’s power The English teacher’s power distance is significantly lower distance is significantly lower than that of the non-English than that of the non-English teachers.teachers.
This difference is mainly caused This difference is mainly caused by the different time of learning by the different time of learning and using English language.and using English language.
Conclusion Conclusion
The research strongly proves that The research strongly proves that learning and using a language for learning and using a language for a long time, people will be a long time, people will be influenced by the value contained influenced by the value contained in that language.in that language.