Background

As the number of international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities has risen to nearly 765,000 (Institute of International Education, 2012), our need for intercultural programs has become more urgent. Although these students learn side by side with their American peers, they may not sufficiently connect with them on an emotional or psychological level. According to Krashen's affective filter hypothesis, we acquire second language more effectively when there are no “mental blocks,” in this case, possible communication barriers between American and international peers (Krashen, 1985). In addition, research has widely shown that intercultural friendships lead to an array of positive results, both academic and psychological (Williams and Johnson, 2011). Therefore, one goal of intercultural programs should be to reduce such barriers and improve communication amongst peers.

However, the question looms: Which aspects of culture remain to be demystified in an intercultural program to encourage this crucial peer-to-peer interaction? Through the use of videotaped interviews, this TESOL 2012 presentation highlighted one aspect—the emphasis on “being cool” in U.S. culture. Because the definition of coolness ranges from culture to culture and a dictionary may not sufficiently address the term, each interview contributes nuances to a unified understanding: a cool person is someone who is well-liked but doesn't try too hard.

Polite, well-meaning international students may misunderstand certain characteristics of cool behavior: They may mistake nonchalance for indifference or casual imprecision for disrespect. Similar to discussing rules of etiquette, exploring the topic of coolness in an ESL classroom will guide students to a deeper understanding of their peers' thoughts and behavior, thus potentially allowing for deeper relationships.

But where do we turn for material? Not commonly covered in textbooks, the topic of coolness was highlighted in the video clips from interviews that I conducted and recorded over the previous year.  They consist of a group of native speakers elaborating on answers to interview questions regarding their impressions of the concept of cool. Topics range from their interpretation of cool behavior to whether it is cool to be smart or polite. With pre- and post-listening activities, discussion of these interviews acts as a bridge into this aspect of the American mindset.

The use of multimedia serves several purposes: It provides authentic speech and genuine opinions that students may have difficulty finding on their own, and it promotes critical analysis of the subject matter in the safe environment of the classroom. This format is also perfect for examining the implications of this highly subjective term without being judged by native speakers.

Analysis of the Interviews

Each interview contains roughly the same questions, yet the speakers are of different ages and genders. Topics focus on those areas where a difference in culture may exist and hinder friendships. For instance, being smart and studying are viewed by all three speakers as potentially negative traits from the perspective of coolness, which is not necessarily the case in all cultures. Sarah (age 25) feels that being smart can be cool “as long as you don't try too hard. If you're studying at the library every night or always doing some kind of schoolwork, then that wouldn't be cool. But if it comes very naturally to you, then yes, it can be cool to be smart” (2011). Certainly, Sarah is far from the only American college-aged student with such a perspective.

The rift occurs when students from other cultures do not share the same attitudes. While I have yet to conduct formal qualitative research on this topic, I have over the years informally collected the responses of students who have watched these interviews, and East Asians tend to respond most strongly that the values in their cultures do not align with Americans' in terms of coolness. One Taiwanese student, Cindy (age 25), explained her conclusion: “I found out that my American friends really want to be cool more than smart. However, I won’t admire them, but just think they are cool. Being cool is just cool” (C. M. Smith, personal communication, February 15, 2012).  This succinct statement could be further explored in a classroom: Could coolness merely be an illusion that outsiders to the culture should learn to look beyond, or is it a core value? Discussing this topic in depth may guide international students to flesh out various viewpoints.

Sarah’s beliefs are to some extent echoed in Bence's interview (age 13), where he expresses his opinions on whether it is cool to be polite with friends: “If you’re really polite with your friends, it can be considered snotty” (2011). He continues by emphasizing the potentially awkward use of such language as “please” and “thank you” amongst close friends.

In contrast to Bence, another college-aged Taiwanese student once responded to the same question on politeness in Taiwan: “Nowadays being humble and polite is cool.” Thus, we face a potential barrier in forming friendships.

The third interviewee, Jack Levin, (2011), a distinguished Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Northeastern University, unfailingly surprises viewers with his response to the question of whether he personally cares about being cool: “Well, it would be easy for me to say that I don’t care if I’m cool or not, but the truth is that I teach students, and in order to have some impact, being cool has a practical consequence. In order to influence students, I think I really have to be cool. I am cool, don’t you think?” (2011). While Jack may be something of an anomaly, students from both the Middle East and Asia often remark that adults in their cultures typically do not care about being cool.

After discussion of the matter, students will learn to interpret American behavior through a different lens and, at the same time, feel empowered to choose their own path, including adapting to the cultural norms proposed in the videos, or not. 

Classroom Use

Students first activate their schema by answering the interview questions in reference to their own culture and predicting possible responses of the interview subjects. Next, depending on the level of the students, vocabulary can be pre-taught. These interviews may be viewed in short or long chunks and with or without transcripts, after which the listeners examine and summarize the material before discussion. (I have also focused on detailed listening by creating cloze procedures and exercises on suprasegmental features such as reductions or linking.) Instructors may follow discussion with role-plays of situations such as making weekend plans or forming study groups. Ultimately, this content-based approach should lead to more ease in social interaction with peers, and, consequently, more input in the target language.

Implications

Although my work is in many ways one-directional, as I teach English language learners and not the matriculated students they will be interacting with, the need for videos and intercultural training for both international students and Americans is pressing. Professors of these students may benefit as well from such training. With the influx of Arabic speakers into the United States over the past few years, a different set of topics may be deemed necessary, such as those on our treatment of pets or our view of religious practices, both potential barriers to friendships. Throughout the United States, programs are experimenting with methods to bridge these cultural gaps, aiming to widen the participants’ worldviews. Such videos may be an important step, with face-to-face dialogues being another crucial component. As researchers continue to share their findings, instructors may be better equipped to establish more relevant learning outcomes, select more compelling material, and guide students towards a smoother integration into the target culture.

Interview Links

Bence. (2011). Interview by C.T. Weiner. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/39091974 (password: TESOL12].

Levin, J. (2011). Interview by C.T. Weiner. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/40401745 [password: TESOL12].

Sarah. (2011). Interview by C. T. Weiner. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/43250693 [password: MATSOL12].

References

Institute of International Education. (2012). International student enrollment trends, 1949/50–2011/12. Open doors 2012: Report on international educational exchange. Retrieved from http://www.iie.org/opendoors.

Krashen, S. (1985). The input hypothesis: Issues and implications. New York: Longman.

Williams, C. T., & Johnson, L. R. (2011). Why can’t we be friends?: Multicultural attitudes and friendships with international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(1), 41–48.

Cori Weiner, formerly a Senior Lecturer of ESL at Boston University, created this project with funding from the Linda Schulman Innovation Grant, awarded in 2011. Drawing on her extensive experience teaching English, she has given numerous presentations both in the U.S. and abroad.