Question

Please fill in the blanks below. In the article, "Learning as othering," the author Neriko Musha Doerr conducts fieldwork on three American students who studied abroad in France and Spain. The aim of American colleges that send their students to study abroad is to develop them into global citizens who can bridge cultural difference around the world through understanding toward other cultures. Neriko, contends that, paradoxically, in order to acquire such global competence and become "one" with others, one must first recognize cultural difference in the world! Sophie went to Paris to continue her learning of the French language. Sophie closely observed the Lifestyle and style of dress of the local people, in particular the French women, to learn about the local culture and assimilate. For example, Sophie learned that locals do not smile when they greet strangers because this can mean the smiling person is insincere. French women also walk differently from American women, and Sophie tried to imitate the former. Typical American behaviour, according to Sophie, is talking in a loud way, which is looked down upon in Paris. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, Sophie wanted to blend in with the French people because she believed that one can learn a lot about another culture simply by imitating their gestures language, which is a physical and kinesthetic learning experience. In conclusion, Sophie was ultimately able to avoid any cultural fauxpas while living in Paris because she was able to first construct (in her mind) the difference between "being French" and "being American." This mental construction is an act of learning -- she is perceiving French culture as different from her (American) self in order to recognize some of the unique features of the former. Tracy and Maria were two American students who went to Spain to learn more Spanish and/or about Spanish culture. Tracy lived with a host mother who could not speak English. She referred to this situation as total immersion since she was forced to speak Spanish all of the time. Only after Tracy was forced to translate between her host mother and Neriko one day was she able to clearly see -- and thereby learn about -- the differences between the Spanish and English languages. Without this juxtaposition, it would have been difficult for her to learn. Maria also learned about cultural difference by observing her fellow U.S. students. For example, some of her fellow American students wer

Please fill in the blanks below.

In the article, "Learning as othering," the author Neriko Musha Doerr conducts fieldwork on three American students who studied abroad in France and Spain. The aim of American colleges that send their students to study abroad is to develop them into global citizens who can bridge cultural difference around the world through understanding toward other cultures. Neriko, contends that, paradoxically, in order to acquire such global competence and become "one" with others, one must first recognize cultural difference in the world!

Sophie went to Paris to continue her learning of the French language. Sophie closely observed the Lifestyle and style of dress of the local people, in particular the French women, to learn about the local culture and assimilate. For example, Sophie learned that locals do not smile when they greet strangers because this can mean the smiling person is insincere. French women also walk differently from American women, and Sophie tried to imitate the former. Typical American behaviour, according to Sophie, is talking in a loud way, which is looked down upon in Paris. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, Sophie wanted to blend in with the French people because she believed that one can learn a lot about another culture simply by imitating their gestures language, which is a physical and kinesthetic learning experience.

In conclusion, Sophie was ultimately able to avoid any cultural fauxpas while living in Paris because she was able to first construct (in her mind) the difference between "being French" and "being American." This mental construction is an act of learning -- she is perceiving French culture as different from her (American) self in order to recognize some of the unique features of the former.

Tracy and Maria were two American students who went to Spain to learn more Spanish and/or about Spanish culture. Tracy lived with a host mother who could not speak English. She referred to this situation as total immersion since she was forced to speak Spanish all of the time. Only after Tracy was forced to translate between her host mother and Neriko one day was she able to clearly see -- and thereby learn about -- the differences between the Spanish and English languages. Without this juxtaposition, it would have been difficult for her to learn.

Maria also learned about cultural difference by observing her fellow U.S. students. For example, some of her fellow American students wer

Added by Arman W.