Episode 012: “Where can I get a Brazilian wax?” - a podcast by Stephanie Axe and Jean Dempsey

from 2014-06-26T19:53

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The Minimal Pair: Episode 012

Show Notes: The Minimal Pair
Title: “Where can I get a Brazilian wax?”
Episode no: 012
Date: Recorded on 6/25/14

Topics in Language Learning
English for Specific Purposes
  1. Sources:
  2. What is it? How is it different from ESL? (from UsingEnglish.com)
    • Types of learners
    • Types of instruction
    • Learner motivation
  3. What are “specific purposes”?
    • Business
    • Law
    • Architecture
    • Engineering
    • Medicine
    • Tourism
    • Restaurant industry
  4. Instructor responsibilities (from UsingEnglish.com) and challenges
    • Setting goals
    • Learning environment
    • Evaluating students
    • Who is qualified to teach it?
      • Is a TESL certification enough?
      • Do instructors with content specific backgrounds (like an MBA or J.D.) have an advantage?

[19:10]

Methodology
Authentic situations
  1. Online presence
  • Email
  • Social media
  1. Students who arenewto the country and dealing with lots of “real-world” issues
  • Finding housing
  • Setting up utilities
  • Figuring out public transportation; getting cars and driver’s licenses
  • Getting acquainted with a new city: what to do, where to go for fun, etc.
  • Overlooked things: where to get a haircut, how American pharmacies work, etc.
  • Remaining approachable; validating their challenges
  1. Having authentic situations in ESP classes
    • Product pitch
    • Writing emails
      • Good news vs. bad news
      • Requests& reminders
    • Job interviews
    • “Water-cooler” conversation skills
  2. Book recommendation:Americans at Work: A Guide to the Can-Do People(by Craig Storti)

[36:15]

Culturally speaking…
High-context vs. low-context cultures
  1. Sources:

  1. What’s the difference?
    • High-context – indirect (Asia, Middle East, Africa, South America)
      • Less likely to share thoughts and feelings
      • Stress expressed non-verbally or accidentally
      • Conversation is monotone (lack of inflection and enthusiasm)
      • Communication is indirect (evasive, talkingaroundthe point, tactful, ambiguous)
      • Conflict (harmony valued)
    • Low-context – direct (North America, most of Western Europe)
      • More open with thoughts and feelings
      • Don’t hide stress/tension
      • Conversation is enthusiastic
      • Communication is direct (precise, blunt, to the point)
      • Conflict is a means of expressing (and having pride for) personal opinion
  2. Tips for teachers
    • Make students aware of the difference (validate both)
    • Be specific with directions for assignments (putting it on paper helps indirect communicators)
    • Modeling being direct (i.e. through teacher feedback)
    • Prefacing authentic situations with a discussion about being direct vs. indirect
    • Encouraging classroom participation (challenging for indirect communicators)
    • Students who want to tell the teacher how to teach

Further episodes of The Minimal Pair

Further podcasts by Stephanie Axe and Jean Dempsey

Website of Stephanie Axe and Jean Dempsey