June 5, 2020- Week 7: Response to Culture and Psychology

Capiz (Roxas City is the capital) )is the seafood capital of the Philippines. The province of Capiz is located in the western part of the Visayas Region. Almost all kinds of seafood are found here. This place is ideal for seafood lovers because the local price is so affordable. Despite these beautiful and interesting things this place offers, a lot of people believed, especially the older generation, that this place is full of mythical creatures. This mindset has affected the tourism sector and the way other Filipino sub-groups treat Capizenos. Some tourists hesitate to visit here because they are afraid of seeing these flesh-eating creatures.     

Others thought that Capizenos are deceitful and cannibals. Some even call them “ASWANGS”.  Even at this present time, some Capizenos are hesitant to divulge where they came from. This is the best way to avoid discrimination and time in proving other people that they are not Aswangs!  

Before we settled back in Metro Manila, my family moved in and lived in Capiz for almost 20 years. I was only in preschool when I started hearing thee Aswang stories. The older people have told us to not play in remote places because the Aswangs might attack us. They made us believe that these creatures are everywhere and are disguised as normal people. If Aswangs captured us, we will become Aswangs too! For more than 20 years of being there, I never experienced or saw these creatures though some people testified that these Aswangs exist. If someone went missing, died, or got sick instantly, they blame it on the creatures. 

Sadly, I did believe these things until I was older enough to understand that these were just old stories. The peoples’ minds got influenced and poisoned by these old scary stories. A lot of people, even the locals, have testified that these creatures do exist. For me, they were just wild and scary imaginations. Unfortunately, because of these stories, a lot of Capizenos went through this irritating and very annoying question: Are you Aswang!?

Psychology in different cultures can impact the mindset of both locals and tourists. Good impressions can help the economy and local peoples’ cultural identity. However, false interpretations of folk stories can cause misunderstandings and conflicts. Everyone must carefully study and consider the facts first before believing and making a conclusion.

Now for ESL teachers, they too must be fully aware of the beliefs and values of their foreign students. If some beliefs need to be discussed, teachers should assist students in developing responsible critical thinking skills. In this type of activity, students could practice speaking in English while expressing their own cultural beliefs regarding the subject. Generally speaking, the human brain is very powerful. What we keep in mind could either destroy or develop one's identity.

June 3, 2020: Week 7 - Response to Differences in Manners

Social media has opened the windows of tourism in almost all parts of the world. In a few clicks, people can effortlessly book accommodations and go to beautiful places. Aside from exploring different places, tourists are also up to tasting local cuisines. Some even spend thousands of money and travel to remote places just to taste exotic foods. 

From where I live, we like to eat with our bare hands. We call it Kamayan. Kamayan restaurants and fast-food chains will not give eating utensils unless the guests request it. Here, guests are instructed to wash their hands and are given plastic hand gloves. As long as they can pay the bill, guests are free to eat using either hand. This dining experience may be pleasant for Filipinos, but this is objectionable in Arab countries  

The article about 13 Examples of Good and Bad Manners Around the World (Links to an external site.) wrote, “It is impolite to pass food or eat with the left hand. If you must know why, let's just say that, historically, people living in deserts didn't have access to toilet paper, so the left hand was used for "hygienic functions," then cleaned by rubbing it in the sand.” This is how these two cultures disagree. This may be appetizing for Filipinos or other Asian countries to eat with bare hands, but in Arab countries, it is a BIG NO to use the left hand. 

Like Food, building healthy relationships with other cultures is essential to our survival. Food can bridge us in understanding the different table manners in the world. Always observe the ways of locals and the people around us. It sounds so basic but very crucial in settling differences. Our table manners can either make or break the relationship. 

Similarly, understanding the differences in table manners can help ESL teachers adjust teaching methods, especially in how they should respond to students’ unique or weird behavior. It is important for teachers to truly observe and understand the culture of each student. Meeting them half-way could be a challenging task, but this will make students feel welcome and wanted in their class.

 

Week 7: June 3, 2020: Response to Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom

"Whenever a student is from a different place or ethnic group or something does anything weird, you have to give them the benefit of the doubt." This statement from Brother Ivers of Brigham Young University-Idaho gave me a concrete understanding of how ESL teachers should deal with students' weird behavior. It's not weirdness, but it is the students' cultural paradigm...its who they truly are.

I grew up in the province and after serving a full-time mission, my family moved to Metro  Manila (this is the capital region of the Philipines). After a month, I was hired as a customer service agent by a Canadian TELCO company. I started my training class and there I experienced what cross-cultural classroom is. The ways of the people back in the province are different from the behavior of the people living in Metro Manila. In the province, we are tactful because we care about others' feelings.

I felt  I was I did not fit in the group during the first few days of our training. I am not pleased with how my co-trainees talk to each other. It's like they are nice and rude at the same time. I was culture-shocked and so disturbed because I am not used to hearing so much swearing in one day. So I decided to talk it out with my older sister. She just told me to ignore them and soon, I'll get used to it. And she was right. 

I was able to adjust because I focused on my co-trainees good attribute. I made friends with them and they even change their tone of voice when they talk to me. We are all unique in many ways and we should respect that. We should try to understand individual differences in culture, religion, race, and values. Don't judge too quickly and treat others the way we wanted to be treated in return. Despite our unique values and backgrounds, we can still live civilly together,

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