Cross-Cultural Communication

in Foreign Language Teaching and

Learning
PROJECT: TEACHING CULTURE, second DRAFT
I. INTRODUCTION
I.1 The relationship between culture and language:
Language is socially and culturally conditioned.
The most important component of a culture is its language(s). In the opposite direction,
culture exists, among other things, also in language. They are tightly woven, integrated
into each other. It is better to learn something not only theoretically but also
practically or in other word in/with using.
I.2 Cultural features bring benefits to language acquisition:
Cultural features of a language lie in the practical, using side. Therefore, taught,
understood cultural features bring very much benefits to learners when acquiring a
language. Par example, it is more effective to learn vocabularies, grammatical rules
through proverbs proverb, songs, poems, stories, tales etc. They can be easily
understood and longer remembered as well as better used in daily life.
III. How is a GOOD language teacher?
(Four attitudes and five characteristics will be added, integrated, merged here.
See please Guidelines for Project for more details!)
Acquiring a language is for use in life and is not a self-goal, self-target. From this
reason, a good language teacher is one who helps students authentically use language
in practice, in life and be able to learn themselves furthermore everywhere and with
any tools, means, materials and in all situations. For life, food is indispensable. There
is a saying: Love comes through the stomach. Vietnamese has such a similar proverb
too:
Trm nghe khng bng mt thy.
Trm thy khng bng mt NN.
Trm NN khng bng mt CN.
100 times hear is less than one time see.
100 times see is less than one time TOUCH.
100 times TOUCH is less than one time BITE.
As an additive part (lasting ca. 20) to a lesson plan, our group inserts/integrates two
activities. The first activity lets students present, explain and really taste some
traditional meals from different countries. Then they give their opinions, feelings,
comments etc.. The second one compares Japans Sushi with fried Spring Roll from
Vietnam (and other countries). Similarities and differences of meal or food reflect

culturally the same things.

II. BODY:
Theo yu cu ca C Tho trong Guidelines for Project,
Hin, V nn b sung thm sau, nu c thi gian v c th.

The unit you choose to analyze.

(Topic, language teaching points, cultural points that should be
exploited and taught)
1. Activity 1: PRESENTATION, EXPLANATION, TASTING OF
INTERNATIONAL TRADITIONAL MEALS, DISHES.
AND GIVING FEELINGS, COMMENTS

Some students will bring some dishes of some different

countries to the class for trying, enjoying and researching more
about the other cultures of some different countries".
Step 1: On Unit 3, Teacher mentions this issue.
Some students will volunteer to prepare some dishes (home-made dishes or
bought dishes) which are not necessarily for the dishes of their country
themselves.
Food will be brought to class for learning Unit 4.
Food can be finished, or just do a little easily, quickly in a minute.
Step 2: On Unit 4
In front of the class:

Two volunteer-students will present specific characteristics of the

dishes in summary and then they will briefly explain how to do these dishes.

One other student speaks about a foreign meal which he/she does
not like
or cannot eat. Why?
Step 3: The class will taste these dishes.
Step 4: Group work (3 to 5 students in each group).
After tasting these dishes, students will give /
exchange some comments, thoughts, feeling etc.
Step 5: A volunteer-student expresses his/her thoughts, feeling etc. in front of the class

2. Activity 2: Comparison Japans Sushi with Spring Roll from

Vietnam and other countries.
STEP 1: Pairs work Teacher asks students to work in pair discussing How to make
Gi Cun and Sushi. Teacher goes around giving help, hints etc.
STEP 2: One or two student compare Sushi and Spring Roll in front of the class.
STEP 3: Teacher shows students the table comparing the two meals. Teacher can
let students see a short video clip. Or it could be a live demonstration,
How to make Sushi and Spring Roll.

STEP 4: Teachers asks students imply the cultural similarity and difference from the
meals.
III. CONCLUSION

y l ca C:
Summarize the cultural / LANGUAGE benefits from the activities.
T Anh th improve phn ny mt cht c k?
From those activities, students have a chance to taste and perhaps to savour the
different traditional food of other countries. They will learn how to make those dishes.
Knowing or learning different cuisines makes students learn about their culture. There
is no better way to learn about a country and their culture while eating their food.
When student taste the sushi, they will know what Japanese people love to eat. They
prefer fresh and healthy food rather than greasy dishes. They like raw salmon with
mustache which is not familiar to some other countries.
Ones own experience of trying out new cuisines will become bigger and better when
he/she open-mindedly tastes the best dishes of every place in the way the locals in that
country eat. Food does not only mean survival, but also art, aesthetic, lifestyle and
status: Being able to afford to eat seafood or abalone or sharks-fin or birds-nest soup.
Food means pleasure: Such events like birthdays, New Years Eve and Christmas Eve
continuously still remain anchored into traditional food and cooking. However, the
traditional kitchen does not take place every day.
IV. APPENDIX:
A. How to make Goi Cuon
Ingredients: Pork belly, shrimp, rice vermicelli, rice paper, salt ,vegetables:lettuce, mint
leaves, cilantro, garlic chives, cucumber, vegetable oil, minced garlic, hoisin sauce,
pork broth/water, peanut butter, sugar.
1. Boil the belly pork together with a teaspon of salt. Soak the meat in cold water for 5
minutes to avoid it from blackening. Drain and let cool. Then cut into thin slices.
2. Fry the shrimps without any oil on medium heat for 1-2 minutes until they turn
orange. Let cool and peel. Slice each shrimp lengthwise into 2 halves. Remove the
black line if any.
3. Cook rice vermicelli in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes following package
instructions and drain. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
4. Rinse the fresh greens well and drain. Cut the cucumber lengthwise into thin 7 x 3
cm (3 x 1 inch) slices.
5. To make the dipping sauce, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small sauce pan on medium
high heat, then fry 1 tbsp minced garlic till golden brown. Then add sauce, pork broth,
peanut butter and sugar. Stir well and simmer on low heat for 1-2 minutes until
thickened. Transfer to condiment bowls and top up with minced fresh chili and crushed
peanuts
To assemble the roll, place the cooked rice vermicelli, shrimps, pork, fresh greens and

sliced cucumber on the plates. Also prepare a pan of warm water to soften rice paper
and a flat work surface (like a cutting board or a large plate) for the rolling job. Dip a
rice paper in water to thoroughly soak (This dipping motion should take no more than
2 seconds). Gently shake off the excess water and lay it on the flat surface. Place the
fresh vegetables in a row on the lower/upper third of the rice paper, leaving about 2
inches on both sides. Also lay some vermicelli, 2 pork slices, 2 shrimp halves on the
rice paper. Keep the orange side of shrimps facing down. Starting from the end with
vegetables, roll 1-2 rounds first until you reach the center of the rice paper, then fold
both sides inwards. Then continue rolling until reaching the other end.
To serve, dip the salad roll in the dipping sauce or spoon some sauce onto the roll and
have a bite.
B. How to make Sushi
Ingredients: Cucumber, sheets of nori, cooked white sushi rice, cooked sushi rice,
carrot sauce, sashimi grade tuna, sushi grade salmon
Preparing the Quarter Sushi Roll Segments
Transfer approximately 90% of the cooked pink sushi rice onto the second half nori
sheet, using your fingers to spread it out. As before, spread out in a thin layer that
covers roughly 3/4 of the surface of the nori sheet.
Place the first sushi roll onto the bed of pink rice, close to the end that is nearest to you.
Roll the second nori sheet around the first, continuing until you reach the point where
the rice ends.
Squish a little rice along the exposed end, then roll and lightly compress along the
seam to help it adhere.
Prior to the next stage, you will need to cut your pre-prepared sushi roll into quarters.
Using the position of the cucumber cuts as a rough guide, slice the sushi roll in half,
then again into quarters. You may need to hold the cucumber segments in place as you
cut, to prevent them from moving.
Assembling the Sushi Roll
Take two half sheets of nori and lay them flat, end-to-end on your chopping board.
Squish a little sushi rice along the top end of one sheet, creating a strip of rice glue
approximately 0.5 cm in width. Overlap the end of the second nori sheet and press
down with your fingers to help the ends to adhere.
Place two of the quarter sushi roll segments side-by-side on the nori sheet, starting at
the end closest to you. Ensure the cucumber segments face in opposite directions, and

that when aligned, the segments create a v-shaped ravine between them. Fill the
ravine with carrot sauce, taking care to ensure that it doesnt ooze out at each end.
Place a strip of sashimi grade tuna on top of the carrot sauce, then a strip of salmon
either side. Top with another piece of tuna. They should all slot together to form a
rough diamond shape in the middle of the v-shaped section.
Next, add a little more carrot sauce to the top of the diamond formation. Position the
remaining quarter sushi roll segments on either side of the diamond, making sure both
cucumber strips face away from each other on the outside edge. Holding them in place with
your fingers, flip the entire mosaic square over slowly. Continue rolling, compressing with
your fingers as you go, until there is only a narrow strip of the base nori sheet left.
Squish a little rice along the width of the sheet end, then roll once more until it sticks to the
sushi roll. You can also use a bamboo rolling mat at this stage to firm up the square and its
contents.

REFERENCIES
1. ThS Bi Th Phng Tho, GUIDELINES for the PROJECT