Culture Bumps in Global Classrooms:

Classroom Differences and Commonalities

•

OVERVIEW

I Culture Bump Foundations

A little history

A little theory

II Culture Bump App

What it looks like

How to use it

How to get it

What is a culture bump?

• A culture bump is merely a cultural difference….

• Watch two young men as they culture bump…Josh from the USA and Mazenfrom Syria

What is a culture bump?

A culture bump is merely a cultural difference….

• An “apparent absurdity” - Hans Georg Gadamer

• A “cultural trace” - Martine Abdallah-Pretceille

1978

• Cross Cultural

Communication

• Course developed

• for LCC at advanced

level• For students

• For teachers

• Best Practices

Stanford U Institute

– LSU: Pierre Casse

– UT – Dana Adelman

– Corporate training

• George Renwick &

Associates

• http://www.culturebu

mp.com/uncategorize

d/the-beginnings-of-

the-culture-bump-

journey

1980s

• Cross Cultural

Communication

• Course developed

• for LCC at advanced

level

• Became a reverse

ICW– Perceptions

– Cultural Values

– Communication

– Cultural Adjustment

But with Culture Bump

added…

Living with Strangers in

the USA

1990

• Cross Cultural

Communication

• Course developed

• for LCC at advanced

level

• https://www.youtube

.com/watch?v=rGOq

JHPrJHk

• Basic course with

text (ICW)

• Advanced course

built on the basic

course

• Advanced Individual

Coaching

2004

• Toolkit for Culture &

Communication

Marketed through the

Intellectual Property of

UH and Continuing

Education at UH

Toolkit for Culture and Communication

Perceptions

Culture Bump

Values & Behaviors

Communication

Human Commonalities

Emotional Intelligenc

e

Cultural Adjustment

2010

• Toolkit for Culture &

Communication

Licensed to Auburn

University

Faculty Development

Publishing

Train Trainers

Outreach K-12

On-line classes

Training EFL teachers

Cyber training with

students

Culture Bump Approach

2014

Global Classroom Culture Bump App

January 2015 launch….

Think and Share

• How do you show respect to a teacher?

Showing respect to teacher by using two

hands

What is the difference between looking at this before or after you

have examined your own “expected” behavior for showing respect

to a teacher?

Culture Bump Protocol

1. Pinpoint the bump

2. Describe what he/she did

3. Describe what you did

4. List your emotions when it happened

5. Find the universal situation in the incident when it

happened

6. List your expectations for that universal

7. Find the meaning for you when your expectations

are met

8. Have a conversation with “them” about how they

find that meaning

Global Classroom Culture

Bump App

1. Pinpoints a bump

2. Describes behavior in USA

3. Describes behavior in____

4. Regarding a universal situation in university

classrooms

5. Clarifies and contextualizes expectations for that

universal

Expected behavior that is

learned in context allows…

1. The new behavior

to be demonstrated

2. Practiced

3. Learned

without

damaging self

4. Transferred

and adapted to

other situations

A discussion of the app

content looks like this…

This is a conversation about life – about

living life

• A conversation that can continue for a

very long time and one that deepens

our human connection…

• Includes cultural information but

• Allows for personal and individuality

• Includes self-reflection

What does the app look like?

Select cont inent of origin...

Click on continent…

Select cont inent of origin...

Click on the flag

Click on the flag

The App

Click on Flag etc…

Countries include

• China, India, Korea

Thailand, Vietnam

• Japan

• Mali, Angola,

Ivory Coast,

Congo

• Mexico,

Venezuela, Brazil,

Colombia

• Saudi Arabia,

Kuwait, Iraq,

Jordan, Egypt,

Libya, Turkey

How to use the app

Step 1. Put students from the same or

culturally similar backgrounds together.

Have them look at each of the categories

and decide if the behaviors are accurate

for their country (or region). They can

make notes on any changes.

How to use the app

Step 2. Have students sit in culturally

diverse groups and share their answers.

How to use the app

Step 3. Still in the diverse groups, have

the students describe in detail the

behaviors in USA classrooms.

How to use the app

Step 4. As the groups share their

answers with one another and with you,

you can add the nuances.

e.g. Not all professors like students to eat

or drink in class. How do they “let” the

students know they don’t like it?

How to use the app

Step 5. As the groups share their

answers with one another and with you,

you can give the students your

expectations in your class – and an

explanation for why you expect that

behavior.

How to use the app

Step 6. Still in culturally diverse groups,

have the students describe how they

“feel” when they do each of the behaviors

back in their home country.

How to use the app

Step 7. Still in culturally diverse groups,

have the students interview American-

born students about their behavior in the

classroom and their feelings about the

behavior.

How to use the app

Step 8. Students can use the behaviors

to create a “Chart of expected behaviors”

to facilitate their own learning in the

classroom...

How to use the app

Step 9. Other activities can emerge from

the work such as comparison and

contrast writing or descriptive writing.

How to get the Culture Bump

Global Classroom App

• 1. Register on www.culturebump.com

• 2. Follow Carol Archer@culturebump

on twitter

• 3. Leave your contact information today