Applications of Understanding EFL Learners’ Cross— culture difficulties in writing

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【Abstract】Academic writing requires conscious effort and much practice in composing， developing， and analyzing ideas. Students writing in a foreign language are also faced with cross- culture challenges related to language learning acquisition. Therefore， L2 writing instructors should take into account both strategy development and language skill development when working with students. This paper explores the ‘I cant write English syndrome in the EFL writing class in relation to particular aspects of cross-culture difficulties. It also suggested some sufficient and effective strategies on the writing process as a pedagogical tool.

【Key words】Cross-culture； English as Foreign language （EFL）； writing

Introduction

If you asked the English as Foreign language （EFL） students I once had in China how they felt about writing in English， you would get highly emotional answers. ‘Writing in English is difficult… too difficult said Frank， an 19-year-old student from Northwest of China. Students journals for the writing class expressed similar sentiment. Kristina described the debilitation effect that writing in English had on her. ‘I feel like Ian another person when I write in English. I dont feel well. Dawn could not hide her anger and frustration when she described how she felt about writing in English. ‘English is very difficult and tough for me， so I always have a lot of problems when I write in English…most of the time I feel like I have nothing to write about， but that doesnt mean Im stupid； that means I cannot translate well.

This ‘I cant write English syndrome is a very serious problem in the EFL writing class. Students who believe that writing is too difficult， that they are doomed to fail， may absolve themselves of active participation in the writing process so that no teaching method or approach by itself can help them write well in English. In addition， students conviction about their limitations affects teachers too. As Raimes has said， ‘Their （learners） anguish becomes our anguish as we read more and more pieces of writing filled with empty life and content. （Raimes， 2014） This is the last thing that EFL teachers would expect to happen in their classes.

However， when the discussion turns to the issue of what the courses of difficulties are and what EFL teachers can do about them， cross-cultural differences must be at the very heart of all examination by learns and teachers. As Brooks states， ‘[To] understand these unspoken values and present them to foreign language learners is an absolute requirement for the teacher. （Brooks， 2016） Possessing an awareness of cross- cultural differences bridges the gap between the learners home culture and the foreign language culture （ibid： 98）.

With reference to recent research in these areas， this essay will help explain why learners from Chinese background have certain cultural difficulties when learn how to write in English. Some strategies will be suggested which may help Chinese students positively respond to writing in English， so that a non-stressful environment is created in writing class.

Examining the Cross-culture Difficulties

Why is it that some Chinese students feel they have nothing to write about， like the students mentioned in the writing class of the present author？ Is it because they do not know what to write about or is there another reason？ The answer lies， to some extent， in certain cultural and psychological factors deriving from Confucian philosophy. Many of the learning preferences and weaknesses date back to Confucian traditions. As Flowerdew （2008：323）， quoting some prominent researchers in the field （Murphy， 2007）， ‘three main principles of Confucianism are humanism， faithfulness and propriety. ‘Propriety， which embodies the concepts of ‘face and ‘self-effacement， has been rooted in Chinese culture for centuries， especially the concepts of ‘face which has become deeply embedded in the Chinese value system.

In accordance with the Confucian tenets， Chinese society is always organized in a vertical relationship， with respect shown for age， seniority and rank. With reference to this interdependent relationship， superior， even among peers， must always be cautious of losing ‘face through any overt and public criticism， or simply through being direct in communication. （ibid： 185） In other words， Chinese students should act in a way as to show deference to their teacher by calling them ‘Lao Shi. The students consider themselves as subordinates and the teacher as their superior. Based on this cultural reasoning， they seldom challenge or question the knowledge of the lecturer in the classroom.

Another related concept is ‘self-effacement， which also stems from the Confucian principles of propriety. It is the value of self-humility that requires individuals not to elevate themselves above others and to describe themselves in less positive terms （Ellis， 2009）. A hypothetical conversation between a Chinese man and an Englishman has been widely spread as a typical portrait of the Confucian value： ‘Your wife is so beautiful， says the Englishman. ‘No， absolutely not. She is ugly， the Chinese man responded immediately.

There is no doubt that the great concern for humility is reflected in Chinese students attitude and behavior in English writing class. Chinese students are afraid of losing ‘face when they are invited to share their personal experiences or opinions， as they may assume they are not worthwhile or not important enough. Dawns comment on writing in English that， ‘my essay is not good is derived from the value of self-humility. She believed that she had to be extremely creative to write well. Moreover， she had not learned that the ordinary experiences of her life were worth writing about.

Students who view writing in English in this manner have found the writing process stressful and it makes them anxious. They hold the teacher in high regard， but they also believe that their teacher does not really understand their feelings and struggles in English writing class. For example， if a questions like ‘ what is your favorite book？ is addressed to a class of Chinese students， it may elicit no response and be followed by a stony silence， or as the Chinese say， ‘dead air. The students might be thinking， ‘The book I like best is just an old collection of fairy tales. I do not even know who are the write is. They will laugh at me for sure if I say it.

Allaying fear of writing

In order to confront Chinese students cross-cultural difficulties in English writing class， i.e.‘ I cant write English， the teacher must help them dispel any false assumptions that they may have. Moreover， certain strategies are needed in dealing with the difficulties.

I have found that the following assurance and advice can help them overcome some anxiety of writing in English （Blanton， 2008）.

1. Nobodys writing is perfect.

2. Writing is hard work in any language.

3. We know that you are an intelligent person， even if your English is simple and imperfect.

4. Your ideas and own experience are unique and they are worth making known.

5. Every ideas is equally important

It is important to reinforce these ideas enough times in English writing class as many of these points may be indirectly conflict with students assumptions about writing. By emphasizing the important of ideas in any piece of writing and by showing a genuine interest in what the students are saying in their work， an atmosphere of freedom and self-esteem should be created. The students become more inclined to take risk of losing ‘face when they see that their own ideas and experience are vital to their writing and that their teacher respects what they have to say.

Exploring personal experience

Once of my students， Doris used to find writing in English almost excruciating because she believed that her English was too poor that she had nothing worth writing about. She wrote in her journal ‘Its too difficult for me. I hate putting pen to paper. It gives me a big hearable when I try to think of what famous people say about the topic and how to translate their words into English. Like many EFL students in China， Doris only experiences of writing in English had involved regurgitating someone elses ideas. She needed to learn that expressing her own idea is the point of writing.

A useful strategy of encouraging students to express their own experiences in English class is to share my own with them. Once I asked the students to write an essay on an unforgettable childhood experience， giving them ‘a lens to see the richness in their lives （Calkin： 2011）. I initiated this activity by sharing with the students an essay I had written， which was about telling my first lie when I was six years old. In my essay I described how I lied to my teacher when I forgot to bring my plant for science class. I dared to lose ‘face in front of the class as I told of one lie leading to another and the fear of being found out.

I found that having shared my writing had far-reaching effects： it served as an ice-breaker and encouraged my students to open up； it helped create a positive attitude towards their personal experience and sense of self-pride. I learned many valuable things while sharing the writing experiences with my students. The students， at the same time， came to know me so that a more intimate and equal relationship could be established between us.

One-to-one conferences

In one of my English writing classes the students were expected to write an essay on the topic： I was so afraid， but I did it. After this first draft， I had one-to-one conferences. In each conference I began by thanking the student for sharing a part of his or her life with me. I then told the student that I was impressed by the story they wrote.in some cases， I asked several questions and encouraged them to talk， to elaborate of what they meant and tried to convey to the students that I was genuinely interested in what they had to say .

One-to-one conferences can be very valuable in helping Chinese students. It may be useful in this regard to begin the conference by telling the students at least one thing that you like about their essays. In these discussions， the individual ideas are appreciated and seriously discussed between the teacher and the students. Of course， conferences are not just meant to be image fosters. However， it can only be successful when the students believe that they will not lose ‘face in front of their teacher.

To conclude， EFL teachers need to be the researchers who observe and seek the reasons behind the facts. In realizing the major obstacles that Chinese students face in English writing class， i.e. the cross-cultural difficulties related to Confucius values， teachers should encourage the students to take risks with their culture. Meanwhile， the teacher should open themselves up to their students so in turn the students also open up. Furthermore， exploring their own experience as a rich source for their writing， students are able to go beyond their self-humility and to treat their writings as intelligent and serious pieces of work. In the words of one student， ‘now I know I can write in English. It just needs a bit of courage.

Note： As reference is made to the present authors personal experience in this introduction， a departure has been made from scholarly convention in the use of the first person.

References：

[1]Balanton，L.L.（2008）Idea Exchange：Writing What You Mean，New York：Newbury House.

[2]Brooks，N（2016）‘Culture in Classroom，Joyce，M.V.（Ed.）Cultural Bond：Bridge the Cultural Gap in Language Teaching，New York：Cambridge University Press.

[3]Calkins，L（2011）‘Our Newest Frontiers in the Teaching Writing，Paper presented at the 35th Annual TESOL Conference， New York.

[4]Ellis，G（2009）‘How Culturally Appropriate is the Communicative Approach？ ELT Journal.Vol.80/3：213-8.

[5]Flowerdew，L（2008）‘A Cultural Perspective on Group Work，ELT Journal，Vol.60/4：323-7.

[6]Murphy，D（2007）‘Offshore Education：A Hong Kong Perspective，Australian Universities Review，Vol.30/2：43-4.

[7]Raimes，A（2014）‘Anguish as a Second Language，S.Mckay（Ed.）Composing in a Second Language，P81-96，Cambridge， MA：Newbury House.