Writing Constructs
Writing constructs are perceptions about writing that many people see as natural and definite "rules" to writing rather than as changing and malleable according to the situation at hand. One example of a construct related to writing is the old adage that you must start an introduction with an 'attention grabber'. Certainly, some attention grabbers might be necessary given specific situations, but I can think of many situations where starting with an 'attention grabber' is not a great idea. For example, a few years back a close friend to my family passed away, and his family requested that I write the obituary. When I went about writing the obituary, I didn't think up a catchy 'attention grabbing' intro. I read through many obituaries and replicated the pattern of that particular genre. Likewise, when I recently bought a new piece of furniture that required assembly, I wasn't disappointed that the opening paragraph to my instructions didn't have an 'attention grabber'.
There are many other constructs related to writing. I remember being told that a paragraph should have five to seven sentences, and I also remember constructing thesis statements with three parts. Whether it is related to perceived rules or taught ways to write, what we might think of as rules are actually constructs. Defining rules more accurately as constructs allows us to see that language usage and acceptable writing conventions are created rather than inevitable. Many writing constructs are culturally influenced but remain hard to notice because cultural analysis is difficult unless one steps away from the home culture for a significant period of time.
In standard American English, you are often taught to be concise and precise in delivering your point. This is reminiscent of the three part five paragraph essay that so many of you are familiar with. In many other parts of the world, there are other writing conventions that dictate what is or is not appropriate for different writing situations. Your task here is to research some different approaches to writing that are NOT typical of standard American English. Certainly, if you traverse the Net, you should find some sources that showcase how writing happens in different cultures.
In a brief report (1-2 pages), you should identify at least two writing constructs that are different from conventional American English constructs. These constructs must come from a different writing culture than Standard American English. Certainly, other places around the world will practice different styles.Your report should explore how the culture shapes the practice of writing and underscore the relationship between culture and writing practice. You should cite at least two sources in your brief report and you should write a reflective conclusion that explains why it is valuable to view constructs as created rather than as fixed and unchanging.
As a starting point, you might want to view this series of videos presented by Oregon State University:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quI0vq9VF-c\
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koViA1gqiUs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0wbDcfltIU
You can use these videos as a starting point, but you must use other sources for this assignment. You have freedom regarding which culture or country you want to investigate. If your background is multicultural, you can use personal experiences, but you must still have at least two outside sources for this assignment.
There are many other constructs related to writing. I remember being told that a paragraph should have five to seven sentences, and I also remember constructing thesis statements with three parts. Whether it is related to perceived rules or taught ways to write, what we might think of as rules are actually constructs. Defining rules more accurately as constructs allows us to see that language usage and acceptable writing conventions are created rather than inevitable. Many writing constructs are culturally influenced but remain hard to notice because cultural analysis is difficult unless one steps away from the home culture for a significant period of time.
In standard American English, you are often taught to be concise and precise in delivering your point. This is reminiscent of the three part five paragraph essay that so many of you are familiar with. In many other parts of the world, there are other writing conventions that dictate what is or is not appropriate for different writing situations. Your task here is to research some different approaches to writing that are NOT typical of standard American English. Certainly, if you traverse the Net, you should find some sources that showcase how writing happens in different cultures.
In a brief report (1-2 pages), you should identify at least two writing constructs that are different from conventional American English constructs. These constructs must come from a different writing culture than Standard American English. Certainly, other places around the world will practice different styles.Your report should explore how the culture shapes the practice of writing and underscore the relationship between culture and writing practice. You should cite at least two sources in your brief report and you should write a reflective conclusion that explains why it is valuable to view constructs as created rather than as fixed and unchanging.
As a starting point, you might want to view this series of videos presented by Oregon State University:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quI0vq9VF-c\
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koViA1gqiUs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0wbDcfltIU
You can use these videos as a starting point, but you must use other sources for this assignment. You have freedom regarding which culture or country you want to investigate. If your background is multicultural, you can use personal experiences, but you must still have at least two outside sources for this assignment.
Make sure that you reference your outside sources using MLA style.
Since we first began writing we are told a paragraph has 5-7 sentences and an essay will have five paragraphs. Now that we are in college we are being told that an essay does not equal an algorithm. There is no set way to write, it should feel natural and flow freely. It was always very difficult for me to write a paper in school, my introduction was never creative enough to grab the reader’s attention or my thesis was not set up correctly. I felt as though I was too focused on the structure of my essay than the actual content. When the writer is taught to always formulate an essay the same way it takes away from the creativity. It is hard to be creative when you are told that good writing follows rules.
ReplyDeleteAround the world different cultures have different ways of teaching resulting in different forms of writing. An example would be in China, students are encouraged to write in small groups (Mattison, Chinese essay writing: a special challenge for universities in the West). Working in groups is not always advised in American schools, but the incorporation of group writing sessions may help with creativity and overcoming writers block. This article goes further in comparison by saying the Chinese students thought Western professors spend too much time grading grammatical errors and vocabulary instead of content. Another interesting point made was that Chinese students tend to include multiple view points while Western writing is more “either-or.” This allows writers to incorporate different aspects in their writing and create a more rounded essay while Western writing remains analytic and linear. Because these cultures are so different the world is given two completely different styles of writing. Neither style is right or wrong.
A study was done on Turkish students where data was collected on their culture and how they learn compared to Americans and our education system. The researchers found that Turkish students were less likely than American students to question their teachers (Differences in Learning Styles in Different Cultures: A Qualitative Study, 2000). They also found that Turkish students were quick to describe their culture as traditional while America is described as a democracy. These differences will show in the classroom because Turkish students may not participate as much or think creatively, therefor effecting the writing. Like the Chinese culture, Turkish culture also emphasizes working in groups. In America working together can be seen as cheating but in many other cultures, including Hispanic and Turkish, working together is seen as simply helping your classmate. This is because in America we are brought up to be competitive. At a young age we are competing with our classmates to be better and smarter than them. This becomes more apparent in high school and college when students compete for scholarships and to get into a school.
There are many aspects that differentiate cultures, academics and our way of communicating being a very large one. In America there is a lot of structure and competition with little room for error. Unlike the Chinese and Turkish way of schooling, which encourage working in groups and helping other students. The Turkish and American way of writing also seems to have more structure than Chinese writing which allows the students to be more creative and focus less on errors. Turkish students also have more discipline in classrooms, there is no eating allowed or talking without permission. These little things are strictly enforced because the culture is so traditional. The education system in America is tough because we are taught there is a strict way of doing everything and to deviate from this path is considered wrong. In high school we are taught an essay has five paragraph and each paragraph has five sentences, but in college we are expected to write 15 page essays. The education system believes they are preparing us for college and the real world but in many ways we are not prepared at all.
Conversing Across Cultures
ReplyDeleteFor English-speaking Americans, communicating in a conversation may seem simple and easy, and it should. American children grow up watching how their parents communicate and learn from them. Using expressive hand gestures, giving a firm handshake when introducing oneself, and giving direct answers are things Americans do in conversation without giving it a second thought. However, not all cultures communicate like Americans do. Some cultures may find American forms of conversation confusing or offensive because their culture dictates a different conversation style. It is important for Americans to expose themselves to the different ways other cultures communicate, especially if they will be doing business with people of different cultural backgrounds, and Asian and Middle Eastern cultures have arguably the most striking differences compared to the American conversation style.
Japanese conversation style is vastly different than American conversation style regarding body language and the directness of answers. The Japanese tend to be reserved when they are having a conversation because “saving face” or protecting one’s dignity is very important in their culture. Unlike Americans who tend to use expressive hand gestures or facial expressions to express what they are thinking, the Japanese tend to appear more reserved in order to protect their reputation. Because their reputation is so important to their culture, they always think before they speak so they do not say something inappropriate. Americans may find silences in conversations awkward, but in Japan they will not speak unless they have something of value to say. In order to save face the Japanese may not always give direct answers. American communication dictates a quick and firm yes or no answer, but the Japanese will only say yes after something is finalized and will avoid saying no. If a no answer could lead to someone’s embarrassment, their culture dictates that they should not answer directly (Edwards). Because a person’s reputation is so important in Japanese culture they do not reveal their emotions nor give a direct answer if it will cause someone embarrassment, which is the opposite of the American method of clear body language and direct answers.
Middle Eastern conversations are also different than American conversations because they avoid direct answers and are not fast-paced. Education, intelligence, and a strong rhetorical background are valued by Middle Easterners, so their conversations reflect those values. Like the Japanese, they avoid giving direct answers to questions. They prefer to ponder the meaning and give poetic explanations for everything but the direct answer. They want the person they are conversing with to understand their meaning by understanding their hints to their problem or answer. Americans will give a yes or no answer immediately, so it would be difficult for them to understand the meaning of these types of conversations. Middle Eastern conversations are also dissimilar to American forms of communication regarding time. Americans live in a fast-paced world, and their business practices reflect that. Middle Easterner culture operates on God’s time, so they do not rush. Being late is not seen as an offense like it is in America. Their business methods tend to take longer than American business methods because they believe in getting to know their individual customers before striking a deal. Because they see everyone as divinely created by God, they take the time to get to know people as individuals and value face-to-face conversation over the American style of quick written responses (“Communication”). Americans desire direct answers in a timely manner, but Middle Eastern culture does not value time in the same way, so they take their time to give complex answers.
As a Hospitality major seeking a career in the theme park industry, it is very important for me personally to know how to converse across cultures. I will have to interact with families from all over the world, so I will need to know proper conversation techniques in order to create a memorable experience for international guests. If I only used traditional American conversation techniques in my field, I could risk offending the guests. It is important to understand that other cultures may see things differently than I do. If we only ever accepted one answer or one way of doing something, we may never find a better solution. Learning different forms of communication across cultures will help me to be more open-minded and better serve guests in my line of work.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Edwards, Kimberly. “Tips for Communicating in Japan.” International Travel News. International Travel News, Nov. 2010. Web. 20 Sept. 2016. .
“Japanese Communication Styles.” World Business Culture. CDA Media, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016. .
"The Communication Style In Middle East Cultural Studies Essay." UKessays. All Answers Ltd., 23 Mar. 2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2016. .
Culture shapes the ways of writing
ReplyDeleteCulture is defined as the beliefs and customs of a specific society, place, group or time. With this, every place one visits that is not of their own culture has different ways of life and writing constructs. As a traveler I have experienced many difference cultures outside of my own. Seeing the change of cultures throughout many different areas in the country of Asia has allowed me to live through the eyes of a true tourist and distinguish the differences in the ways of writing. The conventional American English constructs include a five-paragraph essay with an introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion. In Asia the ways students are taught how to write is completely different from the American way, making the world very diverse.
To start, throughout Asia each place is very unique but during my travels I came to love Cambodia. For me, Cambodia was the place I was able to observe the differences in writing and interact the most with the locals.The main writing difference in writing is the Khmer alphabet they use. The alphabet is used throughout Cambodia and is highly used by the Buddhist people. The scholars within the Buddhist Institute have throughout the years improved the standardization of the writings, trying to make it easier for the foreigners to learn.
Another construct in Cambodia that is different from the American English constructs are the vowels in the alphabet. When people are reading the Khmer language or being spoken too in that language it is very difficult to understand because of this barrier of vowels and language. In the American language there are 5 vowels that growing up we are taught: A, E, I, O, U. Within the Cambodian writing system there are 24 vowels as well as 11 more independent vowel symbols. The ways of writing by the Cambodian people is very different from the American writing ways. Since the letters of the alphabet are pronounced differently and the alphabet is different, foreigners can’t understand the language. If I was to go buy a book written in Khmer, I wouldn’t be able to understand any of it even if it was in the English translation because the word structure would be completely different.
There are many writing constructs that are different from what we Americans are used too. Traveling throughout Cambodia allowed me to see how different the world is when it comes to education and literature. The diversity within writing, I believe is what makes the world a unique and awesome place.
Works Cited
Http://www.learnkhmernow.com/author/vanna/. "Cambodian Writing System - Learn Khmer Now." Learn Khmer Now. Vanna Chhun, 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.
"Tradition & Culture - About Cambodia." Official Tourism Site. Tourism Cambodia, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.
Cultural Spectrums in Communication and Writing
ReplyDeleteEver since I could remember, writing was simply a strategic activity that was only completed with certain guidelines and rules in order to make it stupendous. Standard American English and writing in different cultures have different expectations as quoted in "Writing Across Boarders". Of course, all cultures vary in the way they write and their styles in writing. But, the way culture shapes writing can reflect the values people possess and atmosphere people are surrounded in. Personally, I feel like the writing we practice in America is very restricted. Throughout school there was not much freedom or authenticity in writing. Writing can be different, not only by the way its organized, but by the value and reasoning behind writing. Hebrew/Jewish writing and Japanese writing vary in the many ways that their writing is different than the American Standard writing.
From second grade, to seventh grade, I attended Hebrew School, which was much different than regular American school. From personal experience, I realized that learning and writing was valued to an enormous extent. The way hebrew is written in the Torah is from right to left. Technical reasons may attribute to why in the Jewish culture, hebrew is written right to left, but morality also contributes to the style. According to Chabad.org, "In kabbalistic teachings, the right represents the attribute of chesed (kindness) and the left, gevurah (severity). Just as there is a general rule that the right takes precedence in Jewish life, so too, whenever faced with a situation where you need to decide between kindness or severity, kindness comes first" (par 6). In Hebrew school, the teachers made learning about writing and old texts more sentimental and valuable than any of my regular school teachers had made it. Also, when put in a situation where I had to write, I had more authenticity within my writing and freedom because there weren't many regulations that restricted me. My Hebrew school teachers specifically aimed towards the more Jewish based writing because they wanted to teach the different style and reasonings of teaching, which was very different from American learning/writing.
In the Japanese culture, their essay formatting and structure is much different than the American Standards. As stated in "Writing Across Boarders", the American writing style and the Japanese writing style are different in the way that Japanese have a different organizational pattern of events than Americans. The main point in essays are usually given in the beginning of an American Essay, where as in a Japanese essay, the idea of the story is given at the end or the conclusion. Another example would be the conversations and the way people speak to each other in the different cultures. On the contrary to the American culture, the Japanese culture is more strict and perceives adults in a more superior or authoritative way. Cengage, Styles of Communication asserts, "A Japanese-style conversation, however, is not at all like tennis or volleyball. It’s like bowling. You wait for your turn. And you always know your place in line. It depends on such things as whether you are older or younger, a close friend or a relative stranger to the previous speaker, in a senior or junior position, and so on." The way people are perceived also has an impact on how people speak, write, and communicate with each other.
It is very important to be aware of the valuableness that culturally diverse writing and communication is to the world around us. Not only is it a key for countries to get along but also for individuals to understand each other better and to acknowledge the differences the cultures have but to accept them anyway. Also, being aware of the changing of culture and different aspects of education and writing, it gives you more of an outlook on the type of writing you want to pursue and take on as an individual writer.
Works Cited
ReplyDeleteSakamoto, Nancy. "Conversational Ballgames." (n.d.): 148-50. Cengage. Web.
Chitrik, By Yehudah, By Posner Menachem,By Goldman Yossy, By Szokovski Miriam, By Moss Aron, By Mizrahi Elana, and By Lightstone Mordechai. "Today in Judaism." Chabadorg RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.
Nachtjagdgeschwader. "Writing Across Borders (part 1)." YouTube. YouTube, 13 May 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.
Since childhood, the American education system has taught us the writing system that we know now. We follow a set of rules of writings; there are writing constructs within the American English writing system. For the most part, we write five paragraph, develop our ideas through three main points and supporting evidence, and a concluding paragraph that ties these ideas together. It is rather linear and straightforward to a lay person. However, in a diverse world, different cultures and countries certainly have their own writing constructs. Depending on the part of the world, we can see various ways of writing. Whether it is writing format, method in which the main ideas are presented, or creativity, we can expect a wide range of cultures following different constructs.
ReplyDeleteThe way one looks at the world and classify certain attributes can greatly influence how one culture can write differently than another culture. In the United States, we tend to “ view the world in terms of static objects that can be grouped into categories” (Junhong and Wang 22). This type of approach towards writing can allow a writer to easily guide his or her writing, but there are limitations to this. It constrains the writer to predominantly classify ideas and thoughts and further expand on the differences or similarities. As readers born in the States, we can systematically and point out what the writer is trying to convey. We are used to this type of writing and barely give it a second thought when writing essays. Parallel to this aspect, the Chinese think of writing as a relationship, an interaction between two people (Junhong and Wang 22). If you think or write in this type of way, the Chinese way of writing appears to be more personal and philosophical. Culturally speaking, the Chinese, in a way, focus on the flow and ebb and natural aspect pertaining to writing. Historically, the westerners, which include the United States, emphasize the rational and logical side of the world. Looking the the way the Chinese view this topic, we see them emphasizing more spiritual reasons. Intertwining these two cultures can lead to drastic differences. If one were to put a college level educated student in the American education system, even with at least a year of that Chinese student studying English, we will still see errors and mark-downs on the student’s essay. It is hard to convey one meaning in a culture where there is a flow, and perhaps a too philosophical approach towards writing, in a culture where we embrace straight forward meaning and rationale.
Looking at the American English constructs towards writing, we clearly see a developed form of writing style: the ideas listed in the thesis and the progressing paragraphs supporting some sort of claim. This is typical of American writing; if you were to go to any high school or even post-secondary setting, the writing style can easily be seen. This cannot be said when examining the German approach towards writing. In their academic writing, they focus more on the subject matter rather than on the format and style of writing (Dirk 134). Since the 19th century, German philosopher refer to writing as having an influence on the readers and writers. There is a sense of spirit in the writing that later German writers adapted to (Dirk 133). The German writing constructs allows for more knowledge to be introduced into the writing without much cost to how the paper should be styled. The German writing style can allow for more free flowing ideas being connected together towards a main point rather than separating it in the American style of writing. Although the ideas have to remain on topic, there is more freedom to insert facts based on one’s knowledge of a topic. A quite interesting difference between these two cultures is that the Americans tend to expand on technical terms and define them. This leaves the writing with ‘gaps’ between the ideas being presented which can hinder the effectiveness of the writing. A notable observation is how linear English papers are (Dirk 135). Readers of American written papers noticed how the ideas are presented in a linear fashion; there is a logical progression and the writing does not tend to digress from the main point. From a German point of view, there is always room to digress and expand upon ideas that doesn’t necessarily belong to the main point. This means a German writer can provide background information, provide theory, or additional statements before the main statement would be made (Dirk 136).
ReplyDeleteWe have to keep in mind that different cultures have different writing constructs. Though some constructs may overlap, most are unique to each culture. These rules of writings do not come instantaneously. Writing within a culture evolves over time, as we can see with the Chinese and German writings. Compared to the American English standards, we see that other cultures writings are free in the sense that writers can mold their writing within what they know. As opposed to the English constructs, we usually follow the well-known five paragraphs and three supporting ideas structure. Though different, each culture grew into a their own writing. Writers and history shaped what writing came to be within a country and culture.
Works Cited
Ren, Junhong, and Na Wang. "A Survey on College English Writing in China: A Cultural Perspective." English Language Teaching ELT 8.1 (2014): n. pag. Web.
Siepmann, Dirk. "Academic Writing and Culture: An Overview of Differences between English, French and German." Meta Meta: Journal Des Traducteurs 51.1 (2006): 131. Web.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAmericans are known for their individuality. Though our individuality gives us our own creative freedom, it can lead to writer’s block without an outside opinion. Thus, promoting groups leads away from writer’s block. This individuality also promotes expression and showing one’s personality. Personality is valued above all else in leadership positions. For example, a great speaker is praised more than the recent shy, graduate student. I will come to compare these various viewpoints with two other cultures, French and Chinese, within this piece.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of my cousins are French although I was born in the United States. American non-verbal culture vastly differs from French. I once had my French cousin kiss me on the cheek when I was young, which threw me off completely. It seemed too affectionate from an American standpoint, but French gestures speak volumes. Say if you were to slouch down in your chair. It is rude to not sit up straight because it demonstrates that you do not care. Business has a high degree of formality and etiquette: make direct eye contact, only saying what is needed, and maintain a strict protocol. The French’s strict adherence to protocol leads to constructs which would lead to writer’s block. Dressing and your appearance by body language is a huge deal in France. They believe in direct communication with no deviations from the purpose and judge you based on the politeness of your body language. When talking in business in America, we often get straight to the point and discuss a solution. In France, a debate is often cultivated because they believe that interruption and debate create better ideas. Meetings are more often used as discussion of ideas rather than looking for a solution. From personal experience, using facial expressions is strange. The French are very reserved as to not appear rude. This is widely different from American culture, where smiling and using expressions exhibits your personality. Your personality is what gets people to like you, rather in France where your politeness determines your likeness. Acting the wrong way in these two different cultures could result in miscommunication or disgust.
Different, but similar from French culture is Chinese culture. The importance of maintaining one’s honor or reputation is important to them. In order to keep the groups reputation, rather than debate and interrupt one another in a meeting, if someone has a different opinion they won’t speak out. Your feelings come second to the groups reputation. Gestures and body language mean everything as well. For example, eye contact is considered extremely disrespectful compared to America and France where its attentive and polite respectively. Collectivism is an important aspect to chinses culture, however the importance of “keeping face” I think would be detrimental to group projects. No one would interject their opinions into the conversation for fear of embarrassing someone. Unlike this, American culture flourishes as a result of our individualism. When writers block occurs as a result of the individualism, we can form groups. Our culture among groups is to speak out and are encouraged to give an opinion. Also if you ask a Chinese person a question they will answer everything but the question. They believe that provoking more questions is better than answering the question. Unlike our writing, where if you avoid the question it is wrong.
Being aware of the cultural differences can help fix the way teachers teach. Looking at the different cultures, I realize Americans have a different kind of freedom communicating. The Chinese and French still value old traditions of communicating verbally and non-verbally which limit the extent of communication. However, their writing is more free in a certain way than ours is. The French and Chinese can meander around the question to get into other topics we cannot because of our constructs. When working with engineers from different countries or cultures, it will help to understand how certain people operate. Nevertheless, they still have the construct of not answering the question, not meeting in groups, and not showing expressions. All cultures have constructs and equal freedoms and restrictions; each construct just differs by a margin in each culture.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Commisceo Global. "Home." France. N.p., 2016. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.
"Nonverbal." Nonverbal. N.p., 26 Jan. 2001. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.
Commisceo Global. "Home." China. N.p., 2016. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.
Cultural Differences in Writing and Education
ReplyDeleteEver since I first learned the alphabet, I have subconsciously been following writing constructs while I create my writing. I was taught the rules to compose a good paragraph, which should be 5-7 sentences, contain a hook in the beginning, and have transition sentences for the first and last sentence of each paragraph. In addition to being taught how to compose a paragraph, I was taught what the format for a “good” essay should entail. That being 5 paragraphs, first paragraph is the introduction, next three paragraphs are body paragraphs explaining your topic for discussion, and last paragraph should be the conclusion. But is this the only way to produce “good quality” writing? I think not, because in many other countries, such as India, their writing styles differ completely from our American culture and how we were taught.
The English alphabet consists of 26 letters, with only 6 vowels (counting “y”). Meanwhile, the Hindi alphabet contains 50 letters, and 10 being vowels. Most of these letters are complex symbols that are difficult to write quickly, causing students to have a more difficult time learning the alphabet and writing simple sentences. Most of the letters look similar to one another, so it takes a lot of practice to be literate in Hindi. As stated from the Frankfurt International School, this also leads to a problem with pronunciation, as it is challenging to understand how to say a word with many consonants or many vowels.
However, India is different from many other countries in that most people from India are taught 3 languages from the time they enter the schooling system. The three languages usually taught are Hindi, English and their mother tongue language. With learning that many languages at such a young age, Indian students are immersed in different cultures, which many influence how they write or read. But for us, most Americans usually learn 2 languages at most, and don’t start learning that language until they are proficient in English first.
Overall, the education system in America is mostly about preparing students to learn concepts, learning not just through reading but through activities, and learning in small numbers (Chaubal). In contrast, Indian students are taught to read and absorb material, memorize content, and are typically taught in classrooms with 50 or more students. Teachers also hold a higher respect in India, which is not always the case in American schools. One other key difference between American and Indian students is the importance of extra-curricular activities. In the United States, kids are encouraged to join sports teams, clubs, and organizations as it is a way to meet people, and get involved. It also plays a factor in getting admitted into colleges and universities, as schools look for admitting diverse students, who have good academic scores as well as being involved in the community. But in India, education and academic performace is held at a higher standard, and “Academic excellence achieves more preference than sports or other overall achievement” (Chaubal).
As stated in the video, “Writing Across Borders”, it is easy to look at American prefrences of writing as natural or the right way to do things, but they are actually just shaped by culture, education and political values, just like every other countries writing practices.
Works Cited
Chaubal, Sangeeta Sanjay. "Parenting: American Education vs Indian Education, Which System Is Better." StudyVillage.com. Study Village, 20 May 2011. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Nachtjagdgeschwader. "Writing Across Borders (part 1)." YouTube. YouTube, 13 May 2010. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Shoebottom, Paul. "The Differences between English and Hindi/Urdu."Language Differences: English. Frankfurt International School, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Are steps needed to be a good writer?
ReplyDeleteMost students growing up were taught how to write in steps and if you did not follow these steps, you were not a good writer. Not following the steps would give you a writing score of 2 instead of a 5. These steps included having a thesis statement in the first of five paragraphs, having the core content in the next three paragraphs, and having a conclusion in the final paragraph. Well what if your writing flows a different way? Does that make you a bad writer? I don’t believe that’s the case. Everyone writes in a different style and I think that is what makes reading intriguing. If every last author on this planet wrote with the exact same style and intent, then writing would be boring and reading books in college would be more difficult than it already is. WE DON’T NEED THAT. In my opinion, there is no wrong or right way to write (pun intended). As long as there are minimal grammatical errors, you are perfectly fine. Just let your writing flow like a river.
Works Cited
Https://www.facebook.com/cotterdeb. "How to Write an Essay in 5 Simple Steps." About.com Education. N.p., 05 Aug. 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
"Basic Guide to Essay Writing." Basic Guide to Essay Writing. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
ReplyDeleteEver since the beginning, we were told to write in a specific way. It became the normal to have a 5-7 sentence, 5 paragraph essay in the desired format. Writing for us was supposed to express what we are prompted to write about using tone and style but with a strict guideline. Based on other cultural values you would never think that they would write a total opposite way from the way we write. It makes you dwell on what ways different than mine do they construct their writing. English writing is usually short and simple and long sentenced tend to get frowned upon and are eventually reduced or transformed in order for the long sentence to be accepted. Repetition or too much wording in English is confusing and irritation to writers and readers. We gather questions and throughout the paper or writing it is answered in sequence with a body paragraph.
Yet in other cultures like Japanese, Korean and Chinese, they reflect an honor code and are told to be polite and indirect in order to not offend anyone. There writing is still based on Confucianism and because of that they aren’t able to have the freedom to write what they want versus us having the freedom of speech. Without the freedom to write is like your beating around the bush around what you really want to say, you’re constantly having to hold back and reword and rephrase just to please the readers. In China, essays are constructed on inference and the readers are the ones responsible for interpreting their own meaning. It’s the total opposite for English writing were there are arguments that get straight to the point and the writers are responsible for the meaning which has to be obvious to the reader. Chinese cultured writing is more based on the reader being more imaginative and finding the hidden meanings while English writing is more carefree and the reader is reading the argument the writing is pointing out to them.
It is important to value these constructs as created because in a way it creates serious diversity. Although the American and the Asian cultures are very strict in ways that you have to write, the American way is more free in ways of words. We are more free in writing but we don’t give the readers the change to infer what they think like the Asian culture does. Asian culture allows the writers to be reserved but in a way unique because they have to make the readers know what they are writer without directly saying it. Culture is important in writing because it helps us distinguished that there is never one writing the same and that every place has its own style.
@OUPELTGlobal. "How to Overcome Cultural Differences in ESL Writing."Oxford University Press. N.p., 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Yang, Ling and David Cahill. “The Rhetorical Organization of Chinese and American students’ Expository Essays: A Contrastive Rhetoric Study.” International Journal of English Studies, vol. 8 (2). Pp. 113-132, 2008.
Looking back to the fourth grade, we have been taught these basic credentials needed for writing an essay. As college students, these credentials for the most part, have stayed the same. Vivid details, accurate and well focused, strong beginning middle and end, no errors in punctuation, capitalization, and/or spelling, sentences flow consistently, lack repetitiveness. The American English writing system has made sure to drill that into your brains since we were young writers. Different cultures and countries undoubtedly have different writing constructs. The way we were taught to write an essay could be completely the opposite from the way children of a different culture and/or country were taught. From the sense of creativity, to the way the writing format might be, writing constructs will never the same everywhere you go.
ReplyDeleteComing from a Japanese background, I can assure you that the American English writing constructs and the Japanese writing constructs differ in a few ways. Both can be constructed into four parts but American writing contains details within each section. Japanese writing is very simple but surprising. It is broken into four parts (Ki, Sho, Ten, Ketsu). The “Ki” part is the introduction, the “Sho” part is the development, “Ten” part is the turning point and “Ketsu" part is the conclusion. In the video “Writing Across Borders (part 1)” it is explained by Maho Isono that in the “Ten” part an event takes place that is completely different from the thesis. But when you get to the ‘’Ketsu'', it ties together and makes sense. In American writing it is taught that you foreshadow an event before it takes place making it known to the reader that this event will link to something important in the end.
The writing format of an essay varies from different cultures. Ana Sanchez (Ecuador) expresses that Americans seem to state their main point right in the beginning of their introduction. As Americans we don’t even notices these things because that is all we have been taught to do. Sanchez explains that in Ecuador, they tend to not present their main point at the beginning, but in the middle. In an Ecuadorian essay, before the main point is directly stated, you probably will already have a good idea of what the main point will be because of the way they use the “circular” writing format. In an American essay, you won’t have time to think about it because it will be directly stated in the first few sentences of the essay. Now with that said, Vietnam completely differs from Ecuador. In Vietnam, you are disciplined if you detail you're writing. Khan Le, a vietnamese woman, explains a time when she was given an assignment to write about a typical meeting in the classroom. She felt like that topic just wasn't enough so she looked out the window and began writing about the school yard and the vibe she feels when she looks at it. She received points off for going in a different direction with the topic than what she was given. I believe the way American Writing is set up, that kind of detailed essay would be praised without a doubt. This shows that the similarity between Ecuadorian writing and American writing is that both would be praised for that detailed writing. Vietnam writing format must be tremendously strict compared.
Clearly, different cultures were taught different ways of writing. Not everywhere you go will it be praised to go straight to the point in your introduction. Not everywhere you go will it be praised to beat around the bush of the main point and wait till the middle to state it. Ways of writing are so different in many ways but there is no wrong way of writing.
Culture affects writing
ReplyDeleteThroughout my education, my peers and I were always told to formulate at least 5-7 sentences per paragraph and include a thesis statement that has 3 main points for your body paragraphs. From as long as I can remember, whenever I had to write creatively or even an essay on a topic I always made sure to fit the typical “American” guidelines and constructs. Mostly all students in the United States grew up thinking that this was the correct and only way to write. For me, I learned that this wasn’t the case when I entered college a few months ago.
The cultural influence a person is surrounded by plays a large role in the development of their identity. For example, my family is from Israel. Growing up I learned how to write in Hebrew. When writing in Hebrew, the words start from right to left and even have vowels that are to be placed at the bottom of the letters. It was not easy learning because of its huge contrast from the English language. In the alphabet there are 22 letters. The way of writing in Israel is not as restricted and constrained as other languages. “Guidelines for Hebrew language proficiency are presented in two companion volumes, which are identical except that one gives examples of various linguistic forms in Hebrew and the other provides them in Roman script” (Brandeis 1). From kindergarten to fifth grade I attended a Jewish private school called Donna Klein. Every day each student would have a Hebrew class and a Judaism class, on top of our other core classes. Our Hebrew class would strictly be learning how to advance in our Hebrew speaking and writing. As students, our teacher would challenge us to write stories or information in Hebrew. While writing in this class I wasn’t presented with the pressure and rules that I thought came along with writing, unlike my English class. My Judaism class would lean more to learning about the Jewish history, holidays, and important dates in the religion. Personally, when I write in Hebrew I feel the ability to write and formulate pieces more creatively then I would while writing pieces in English.
The Chinese writing system was developed more than 4000 years ago. Chinese writing consists of an individual character or ideogram for every syllable, each character representing a word or idea rather than a sound. The characters are written in columns that are read from top to bottom and from right to left, or in horizontal lines that read from left to right. Chinese is also strongly monosyllabic. “Chinese often uses combinations of monosyllables that result in polysyllabic compounds having different meanings from their individual elements” (Encyclopedia 2). As readings show, the Chinese style of writing tends to be more intimate and personal, unlike the American style. The American writing constructs direct us to stay inside the lines, meaning writing a five-paragraph essay with an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
The world is a place with many different cultures. These cultures give us insight to how other people live around the world besides the United States. Each culture has their own language, writing style, and constructs that contrast from one another. It’s interesting to learn about each cultures writing styles and in what ways they are different. Having people who are from different backgrounds and nationalities makes everyone unique and special in their own way.
Work cited
Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
By 200 AD Use of Hebrew as an Everyday Language. "Hebrew." Language, Alphabet and Pronunciation. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Growing up in America, everything that one does is considered the “American way”, which most Americans think is just something that people say and not an actual thing. As one could probably guess, things are different all around that world and just like we have different languages, we have different ways of life. It’s not just language, food, or the side of the road they drive on; it is also the way the education system is run. Different countries want different things from their citizens and it is linked to their beliefs and values. Writing constructs in individual countries can differ based off of the way that the country is run, not in government, but in the way that businesses and schools are structured. The way American students write a paper may have many differences with the way German students write or the way that Asian students write.
ReplyDeleteIn Germany, the students are stressed to focus on content, mainly because there is no specific format that they need to use like in America. They also do not directly talk to your teacher, they write back comments about your writing. Students are graded on their ability to show that they know about the subject matter rather than showing that they know how to structure it and show that they partially know the subject matter. The German students are able to focus more on the question or topic, than worrying about the order in which it’s written.
Inversely, Asian cultures they tend to focus on knowing the right answer to the question and not forming your own opinion about it. They are told to be direct about their answer and it is frowned upon to use knowledge outside of your own because then they think that you don’t actually know the answer. Because of this, they are not as good at finding information as American students are. Although, they still do not have a specific writing structure like in America.
In conclusion, many places have many different ways of doing things and one isn’t better than the other, they all have their pros and cons. Wherever someone grows up and learns how to write definitely has a great influence on the way that they write. Different cultures come up with different approaches and ways of thinking even when they’re all trying to answer the same question, which is a good thing in my opinion.
Works Cited
"Cultural Influences On Styles of Writing and Presenting Ideas." Cultural Influences on Styles of Writing and Persenting Ideas. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 September 2016.
Siepmann, Dirk. "Academic Writing and Culture: An Overview of Differences between English, French and German." Www.erudit.org. Consortium
Érudit, 1 Mar. 2006. Web. 23 September 2016.
As Americans, our writing style has evolved alongside our fast pace, “I need it know” culture. We usually craft our essays or articles with the intention of getting straight to the point. Information is passed along as quick as possible. You’re able get the gist of an essay about which expresso flavor benefits your quality of life the most, before being called on next within a short line to purchase your own caffeinated beverage. However, the more you travel south of this hemisphere, the more time seems to slow down. Hispanics lead a much slower paced life style, where taking your time is common place, and their writing certainly reflects this culture.
ReplyDeleteWithin the subtropical lands of Peru, students are encouraged to write their essays as narratives. Even if the writing is a research paper, the facts are told as a congruent story accounting the events of how the author discovered the information and their thought process as they developed a conclusion. An American article would never dare use the words “I think” or “my belief” in an informational piece to remain impersonal, Peruvian writing is more than welcome to share their own opinions about the topics they present. Writings encompassing the simplest of topics take the time to include technical forms of a protagonists, antagonist, or other story elements. This is mostly due to Peru’s rich Incan ancestry, where story telling is essential to the culture (Arguedes). Incan legions have survived for centuries and some are still believed by locals to this very day, so it’s not entirely surprising the national style is much more story based than our own.
Another aspect of Hispanic writing is one that transcends past Peruvian borders too most countries south of the amazon. An American writer would normally describe a burger with a lot of cheese as simply that, a cheesy burger, the adjective then immediately a noun. However, a Hispanic writer describes the same sandwich as a burger, where golden cheese flows as abundant as the waterfalls of the Andes. In a lot of cases, the author spends time describing the subject with an overwhelming amount of sensory detail. Even with less important nouns, the adjective is mostly placed after the noun to give a deeper description. For example, the “hairy dog” would be written as the “dog of many hairs”. This gives a much more visual picture, even though the shorter more efficient way of description is just as effective (Ludon). This over descriptive from a writing is mainly due to one of the highest values of Latin culture, being beauty. Not necessarily the standards of beauty we have as Americans, but a more natural form. They tend to find more gratitude within far more minute aspects of life, then celebrate those aspects in the form of extravagant description.
As a culture where meals take up to three times as long to enjoy the company of others, and a land where a few countries have a national hour for a nap. The stylistic writings of the Hispanic community greatly reflect a lifestyle that learns to stop and appreciate their surroundings. In the hectic world Americans live in today, this type of writing could be refreshing and a literal change of pace. What’s is normally considered unnecessary for an essay, they view as an opportunity to add depth and a story.
Arguedes, José María “From Peruvian Myths, Legends, and Stories " Thewildmag.wordpress.com N.p., 21 Apr. 2009. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Ludon, Gaetan "Advanced Spanish Adjectives for More Vibrant Self-expression." FluentU Spanish.com N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
(I also have lived in Peru for 3 months in 2010.)
Every student learns how to write for school but writing constructs can vary between people of different countries and cultures, some people are taught to include background information as evidence and justification before actually mentioning their own thesis. In some cultures, students aren’t taught to form opinions on subject matter, they right the straight facts.
ReplyDeleteStudents from Europe usually write with linear developments where they go through events that lead to a climax and then they reveal their point; this leads the reader to have a general sense of where the piece is going.
Students from Asia are less direct with their point by not directly mentioning the subject; so they include their evidence instead of just throwing out an argument an letting the reader judge it, they work around their subject “beating around the bush” rather than coming out and just writing their intentions of their writing.
Spanish writers are more likely to go off on tangents rather than stay on topic throughout their entire piece. Yes, they will start and end on the same topic but to grab the interest of the reader they’ll include other information not directly related to the subject material for the sake of keeping the readers’ attention. Students who write in Russian languages are similar in that they go off topic but they will go way off topic onto irrelevant things.
Different cultures write differently because they value different aspects and have different priorities in writing. They all have their own sense of getting something across to the reader by either deciding where to put their thesis, how specific or vague to make it, or whether or not to directly mention their point at all and having the reader draw from their own thoughts and analyze the work. Each writing style has its own way of thinking and its own way to get to the audience making each style unique and effective to the audience of that culture.
"Introduction to Rhetorical Style across Cultures." Keats. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Writing Across Cultures and Contexts - Stanford Study of Writing