Blog post #3: Warren

How does the case study in "Crossing Cultures" bring to mind experiences you have had as a teacher of and/or a writer in a second language?

A few things came to mind as I read the case study (and articles in general). First, when I studied abroad in Germany and wrote in German, I didn't realize at the time (but do now) that my German writing ability was restricted by my English writing ability. This was not an issue of transfer or my German language development. Rather, the issue stemmed from the fact that age 20-21, my English writing ability was still quite embryonic. In hindsight, I realize that even if my German had become as good as my English, it would not have been able to convey what I know and am capable of today.

I also thought about international students' cultural knowledge (e.g. "...international students may know more about American history and culture than we suspect they do..."), but I feel that the use of the word "more" is problematic; I prefer "different." A few years back, I was chatting with a fellow doctoral student, who is from China, what the image of the US was in the eyes of Chinese. She smiled and said, "You're a bully." Of course, this is how many Americans also view China. Who was it who said history is written by the victors? I don't think that's emphasized enough.

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 12, 2018 at 11:51 AM

    I was most intrigued by your experience writing in Germany, Warren. I related to your experience, noting that your ability to write in German was restricted by your (in)ability to write and express yourself in English. I feel like this experience isn't often discussed for writers and thinkers of any age - my ability to write in French is deeply affected and restricted by what I know and believe is possible to communicate in English. As my knowledge of French grows and I become less reliant on translating from English before I write (in other words, thinking in French before I write in French), I expect that this will be less of a problem.

    This makes me wonder about the wonders and possibilities of translation - when no easy translation exists for a phrase in French, it opens up the Anglophone mind for other possibilities of communications.

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