This document provides an overview of a research study on the cross-cultural adjustment of a native English-speaking teacher teaching at a senior vocational high school in Taiwan. It includes sections on the background and purpose of the study, research questions, literature review on relevant topics of culture and education, methodology which involves interviewing the teacher participant, and the interview protocol. The study aims to explore how the native teacher has adjusted to Taiwanese culture and academic system through analyzing his experiences both when first arriving and currently in Taiwan.

1. Cross-Cultural Adjustment of a Native Teacher
of English at Senior Vocational High School
Presenter: Chia-Ying Wu
Advisors: Dr. Chin-Ying Lin
Date: January 6th , 2013

2. Contents
Introduction
Introduction
Literature Review
Literature Review
Methodology
Methodology
2

3. Introduction
Background
Purpose
Research questions
Research gap
Significance
3

4. Background
• One of the most popular areas of academic
culture research has focused on foreign
language teaching and cross-cultural
adjustment of native English-speaking teachers
(NESTs) at schools.
(Liu & Spector, 2005; Ke, 2008)
4

5. Background
• Those differences might cause problems with
cross-cultural adjustment for native speaking
teachers and non-native speaking students,
possibly pushing both teachers and students to
modify their learning or teaching stratagems
and styles.
(Lin,
2008)
5

6. Purpose
• The purpose of this study is to explore the
native English-speaking teacher how to adjust
Taiwanese culture and academic culture in
senior high education.
6

7. Research questions
1. How doses the native English-speaking
teacher adjust cross-culture in Taiwan?
2. How does the native English-speaking
teacher adjust academic culture in
education?
7

8. Research gap
• There is a lack of research exploring foreign
teachers’ senior high teaching experiences in
Asian countries.
8

9. Significance
• This study will the native English-speaking
teachers to develop their understanding of
cross-cultural adjustment and cultural learning.
• The foreign teachers can decrease the culture
shock that often takes place in the ESL/EFL and
foster respect between teachers and students.
9

10. Literature Review
The definition of culture
Culture in education
Culture shock
Intercultural communication competence
Cross-cultural adjustment
Academic culture in education
10

11. The definition of culture
• Culture as a way of life that includes the ideas,
customs, skill, arts, and tools and that
characterizes a given group of people over
their entire lives.
(Brown, 2000)
11

12. Culture in Education
• Teachers should adjust their teaching
approaches making them suitable for students
from different cultural backgrounds.
(Thomas,
1997)
• Cultural skills were seen as an important part
of academic language competence.
(Flaitz, 2005)
12

13. Culture in Education
• It has been a challenging experience trying to
balance between the American style of
teaching and the Chinese style.
(Meyers, Meyers & Zhao, 2009)
13

14. Culture shock
• The most same symptom of culture shock is a
lack of control or sense of helplessness due to
sojourners’ lack of knowledge of how to adapt
to in the new environment.
(Weaver, 1993)
14

15. Intercultural communication competence
• Intercultural communication is often defined
as communication “between people from
different national cultures, and many scholars
limit it to face to face communication”.
(Gudykunst, 2002, p. 179)
15

16. Cross-cultural adjustment
• Cross-cultural adjustment is pointed to be best
predicted by length of residence in the new
culture, language ability, cultural knowledge,
cultural distance, and the quantity of contact
with host nationals.
(Ward & Kennedy, 2001)
16

17. Academic culture in education
• Academic cultural differences have often
caused misunderstanding between Asian
students and the native English-speaking
teachers in EFL/ESL classrooms.
(Xiao, 2006)
17

18. Academic culture in education
• Language in teaching and learning situations is
a source of anxiety, more so if one is teaching
in English for the first time, or has not been
teaching in English for long.
(Luxona & Peelob, 2009)
18

19. Academic culture in education
• Stacy has learned how to teach students who
do not speak the same language as you do. She
has learned how to help other professionals
and how to collaborate so that everyone moves
forward.
(Meyers, Meyers & Zhao, 2009)
19

20. Methodology
Participant
Qualitative interview
Procedure
Data collection
Data analysis
20

21. Participant
Participant
Participant
The native English-speaking teacher
The native English-speaking teacher
Interview
Interview
Face to face
Face to face
21

22. Participant
Participant
The native English-speaking teacher
gender
male
age
48 years old
place
United Kingdom
length in Taiwan 15 years
22

23. Qualitative Interview
•Using record machine
•Preparing manuscript by myself
•Preparing for the interview protocol
•Using open-ended questions
23

24. Procedure
Step 1
Participant
The native Englishspeaking teacher
December, 2013
December, 2013
Step 2
Step 3
Time
Interview
• 90 minutes
• Two times
• Face to face
• Protocols
February, 2014
February, 2014
24

25. Data collection
Collecting the
raw data
Describing
Themes
Organizing and
sorting the data
for data analysis
Coding the data
Interrelating
themes
Interpreting the
meaning of themes
25

26. Data analysis
Grounded Theory
Case study
26

27. Instrument
Part one: Before coming to Taiwan
1. Where are you from? Please share some important information
about yourself.
2. What was your impression about Taiwan or Asia before coming
here?
Where did you get the information about Taiwan or Asia?
3. How many foreign languages have you learned? Does it influence
your English teaching?
4. How long have you stayed in Taiwan? What made you stay here for
so long?
5. Did you have any cross-cultural experience before coming to
Taiwan?
Please describe it briefly.
27

28. Instrument
Part Two: Shortly after coming to Taiwan
1. Did you experience any culture shock when you first came to
Taiwan, including in your daily life or job?
2. Who helped you with your problems when you first came to Taiwan?
Did you have close friends that you could trust and talk to at that time?
3. Did you have any teaching problems when you first taught
Taiwanese students here?
4. Any cross-cultural adjustment problems at that time?
5. Did you have any teaching problems when you first taught
Taiwanese students here? How did you solve those problems?
28

29. Instrument
Part three: Now in Taiwan
1.
Is there still any culture shock or any cross-cultural adjustment problems
in your daily life? For example, any living problems, such as food, or the
weather?
2. How do you deal with those living problems now?
3. Who can help you with those living problems now? Do you have any
Taiwanese friends that you can trust, talk to or get help from?
4. How do you collaborate with local administrators and teachers here?
5. How does the school administration assist in your teaching?
29

30. Instrument
Part Four: Academic culture in distance
1. What impressed you most when you were FIRST teaching
Taiwanese students, including position or negative impression?
2. What are still the problems NOW when you’re teach Taiwanese
students?
3. What are the strength/weakness of Taiwanese students, compared
with England students?
4. What kinds of adjustments did you make in your teaching, including
teaching content/ approaches, or grading criteria?
5. What are the requirements of maintaining a decent and professional
image of a teacher in your country?
30

31. Thank you for listening.