Live, Write and Learn— Cross-Cultural Pen Pal Exchange Project 臺北市立成功高中

崔世玲

I. Abstract This lesson plan aims to arouse 12th graders’ interest in English writing as well as expose students to authentic English through a cross-cultural pen pal exchange project. When students write to an international student their own age, English transforms from a subject they study for tests, to an exciting language they can use to communicate with those who have a very different life yet still share many of the same experiences of youth. Writing to a native speaker of English of their age will raise students’ awareness of the cultural differences between America and Taiwan, and allow them to foster international awareness and friendships. The Halloween lesson conducted by the partner teacher from the U.S. further kindles students’ interest in sharpening their English skills. Through discussions and letter exchanges, the students will not only improve their English writing abilities but also develop their global perspectives.

II. Objectives 1. Students will be highly motivated in English writing class. 2. Students will be aware of cultural differences between Taiwan and America. 3. Students will be exposed to authentic written English by exchanging letters with American high school students. 4. Students will be familiar with the format of English letters and expressions to describe daily activities. 5. Students will know how to use English to introduce famous scenic spots and various traditions and customs in Taiwan.

III. Grade Level This lesson plan is intended for seniors in high school with intermediate or high-intermediate proficiency of English, who already know commonly used sentence patterns and enough vocabulary to express themselves in English.

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IV. Time Allotment Although this is a semester-long project, it takes four class periods to teach a special sequence of theme-based lessons to help students write smoothly. Period

Theme

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How to write an English

1. Introducing the format of an English letter.

letter

2. Discussing possible topics to write about in the letters to pen pals. 3. Teaching useful expressions about daily activities and other possible topics.

Cultural shock

1. Sharing letters and souvenirs from American

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Activity

pen pals. 2. Discussing differences in life styles and thoughts that trigger cultural shock from pen pals’ letters. 3

Halloween Lesson by

1. Telling stories about Halloween: the origin

the partner American teacher from Arsenal Tech High School, Indiana, U.S.A.

of Halloween and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” 2. Demonstrating how to carve a Jack-O-Lantern. 3. Apple-bobbing game. 4. Talking about life in America by showing some photos.

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Feedback

1. Asking students to fill out a questionnaire. 2. Sharing what students learned from this project.

V. Materials 1. Handouts： A. Format of a Letter B. How to Introduce Taiwan to Foreigners C. Handouts about the story of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” 2. A document camera, a projector and a screen. 3. Apples and a big plastic bin for the “Apple Bobbing” game. 4. A knife, pumpkins and candles. 5. Photos about Life in America. 6. Letter paper in different styles. 2

VI. Teaching Procedure Before the First Period 1. Students were asked to write an essay to briefly introduce themselves in order for teachers to pair them up with students from Arsenal Tech High School in Indiana, U.S.A. 2. Students wrote a composition under the title “If you were a tour guide, how would you introduce Taiwan to foreign tourists?” They needed to write about the must-see places and must-eat dishes in Taiwan. The First Period: How to Write a Letter Activity 1. Introduce the format of an English letter.

Procedure 1. Use the handout (Appendix 1) to introduce different parts of a letter and teach students how to write a letter. 2. Provide students with proper examples of complimentary close that they can use when writing to pen pals.(See Appendix 1)

2. Discuss possible topics to write in the letters to pen pals.

Introducing Taiwan 1. Based on students’ composition about how to introduce Taiwan to tourists, list the most popular scenic spots, foods of Taiwan and provide students with proper translations of special snacks frequently seen in the night markets, and names of different scenic spots. (See Appendix 2) 2. Remind students to make use of the pamphlets they can get in different Taipei MRT stations. 3. Advise students that many Taiwanese postcards could be perfect souvenirs for pen pals. Other Topics to Write about Discuss what other topics students may write about in their letters to pen pals. Examples:

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sports

online games 3. Teach useful vocabulary and expressions about daily activities and other possible topics

movies

famous pop singers

1. Invite students to share about their interests, hobbies and daily life and talk about what activities may interest American high school students. 2. Teach vocabulary and expressions about students’ hobbies and other possible topics they can write in their letters.

The Second Period: Cultural Shock Activity 1. Share letters and souvenirs from American pen pals. 2. Discuss differences in life styles and thoughts that trigger cultural shock from pen pals’ letters.

Procedure Students share the first letters from students at Arsenal Tech High School and talk about how they feel about getting letters from native speakers of English. 1. Ask students to talk about differences they found between Taiwanese and American high school life. Example: A. Attitude towards studying B. Whether to go to college C. Attitude towards marriage and relationship. Some of their pen pals already have their own babies (but this is very rare), which is quite shocking to students in Taiwan. 2. Discuss what may cause these cultural differences: family background, education, financial difficulty, …etc.

3 Ask students to write

1. For an assignment, students will write drafts of their

drafts of their replied letters.

first pen pal letters and turn them in for corrections. (See Appendix 3.) Then, write their replied letters.

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Students in Taiwan and American happily shared letters and souvenirs from their pen pals

The Third Period: Halloween Lesson Activity 1. Telling stories about Halloween: the origin of Halloween and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

Procedure 1. The American teacher briefly introduces himself and the state of Indiana 2. Ask how much students know about “Halloween” and talk about the origin of Halloween. 3. Tell the story of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” 4. Ask students some questions to check how much they understand about the story from listening. 5. Pass out the handout of the story and ask students to read it. (See Appendix 4.) The American partner teacher is telling the story of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

2. Demonstrating how to carve a Jack-O-Lantern.

1. Show the students a pre-carved Jack-O-Lantern to arouse their interest. 2. Ask students to help choose the face (scary or funny) and tell students the best ways to carve a pumpkin during the demonstration. 3. Use a document camera to show the steps of carving a pumpkin on the screen.

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3. Apple-bobbing game

1. Tell students about Halloween parties and ask for volunteers for a game before they know what it really is. (Everyone will love it.) 2. Give students a chance to bob for apples. Explain the game rules and invite volunteers to participate in the game. Volunteers will get an apple as a reward.

4. Talking about life in

1. Introduce life in American by showing a photo

America by showing some album to students. photos. 2. Q & A time about life in America.

Family and the Christmas tree

School cafeteria

Downtown Indianapolis

Before the Fourth Period 1. Students will have exchanged three letters with their American pen pals by the end of the semester. They need to write a draft for each letter and submit it to the teacher for correction. 2. To allow students more time to practice writing, students will write their drafts and letters at home and ask the teacher for help whenever they have trouble finding proper expressions. 3. The Fourth Period is conducted at the end of the semester.

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The Fourth Period: Feedback Activity

Procedure

1. Asking students to fill out a questionnaire.

Ask students to complete a questionnaire to reflect on what they have learned form this project. (See Appendix 5.)

2. Sharing what students

1. Ask students to share their feedback about this

learned from this project.

project. 2. By using the document camera, show scanned files of letters and souvenirs from both Taiwanese and American students. (See Appendix 6 and 7.)

* Please see the attached DVD for the results of all the collected questionnaires.

VII. Reflections Carrying out a cross-cultural pen pal exchange project for senior students is quite a challenge for teachers. However, it is pretty rewarding according to students’ feedback in the questionnaires. 1. Students are highly motivated in English writing class. This writing project enables students to contact native speakers of English of their age, which generates a strong motivation for learning. With four theme-based lessons, students are equipped with vocabulary and expressions needed for authentic communication in writing. Instead of being a required course at school, English writing is a useful tool for them to share lives with their pen pals. They become more active in learning to write better letters to impress their pen pals. Even students who are not good at English benefit from this project thanks to useful expressions taught in class and other writing practices. This also corresponds to Krashen’s i+1 hypothesis, which says students will learn better when exposed to language inputs a little more difficult than their levels. This project also allows senior students to learn English writing in a more interesting way. According to their responses in the questionnaire, almost all students like this project and think it gives them a break from their tedious and stressful life in senior year. 2. Students experience authentic cultural lessons. Most of the Taiwanese students in this project have never been to America before. Therefore, they feel happy when receiving pen pal letters from America. They are surprised to know how openly American students will share their thoughts and envy the freedom American students enjoy. Some of them even think about being exchange students in the future after participating this project. The visit and teaching 7

demonstration of the partner American teacher highlights the whole project. Students are thrilled to meet him and talk to him in person. With his vivid teaching style, students not only know more about Halloween and American life but experience a valuable cultural lesson taught in authentic English. While preparing souvenirs for pen pals, students are urged to look for what can represent Taiwan and start to think deeper about Taiwanese culture. As a result, his project helps students know more about Taiwanese as well as American cultures and broaden their horizons. 3. Traditional letter writing is still irreplaceable. These days, students always communicate through emails, texting messages or other electronic devices which can provide instant responses. It may sound old-fashioned to ask students to write letters and to wait for several weeks to get replies. However, this project proves that letters writing is still irreplaceable for students of the electronic generation. First, writing letters gives students more time to think carefully about what to write to their pen pals. Unlike emailing or texting, students will be able to think about the wording and organization of their letters. Besides, writing drafts for letters helps students avoid making unnecessary mistakes. Although it may sometimes be troublesome, most students think writing drafts helps sharpen their writing skills and spelling in English. Moreover, traditional letter writing is a more personalized activity. Students can use different letter paper or add illustrations to letters to show their personal styles. These pen pal letters can also serve as commemoration of their high school life. Surprisingly, according to students’ feedback, traditional letter writing can keep senior students from getting hooked on the computer, which is a benefit beyond the teacher’s expectation! Even though it is quite time-consuming and stressful for the teacher to correct drafts of letters and ask students to turn in letters in time for mailing, it is worthwhile to carry out this lesson plan since it benefits students a lot by integrating cultural lessons to English writing class and providing them an alternative way of fun learning.

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VIII. References 呂秋霞(2003). The Effects of Using Cross-cultural E-mail Exchange Projects on Developing Taiwanese Junior High School Students’ Linguistic Skills and Cultural Awareness: A Case Study of Seventeen Junior High School Students.Retrieved from http://etds.lib.ntnu.edu.tw/cgi-bin/gs/ntnugsweb.cgi?o=dntnucdr&i=sid=%2291N TNU0238050%22. Allen, Sheilah M (1995) Project Penpal: An International Writing Exchange via Electronic Mail between Adolescent Students. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERI CExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED390057&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&ac cno=ED390057 Hwang, Caroline C. (2005) Effective EFL Education Through Popular Authentic Materials. Asia EFL Journal: Retrieved March, 2005, from http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/March_05_ch.pdf Krashen, S., & Terrell, T. (1983). The Natural Approach: Language Acquisition in the Classroom. New York: Prentice Hall. Krashen, S. (1985). The Input Hypothesis: Issues and Implications. London & New York: Longman. Krashen, S. (1989). Language Acquisition and Language Education. New York: Prentice Hall. Nunan, D. (1999). Second Language Teaching and Learning. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.

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Appendix 1 Format of a Letter

稱謂(Salutation)

日期(Date)

Dear Sun Yong-Kang,

September 8, 2011

Your letter eventually followed me to my new address. I’m afraid I can be of much specific help to you. I am, however, sending you a directory of physics programs in the U.S. On pp. 178-180 are programs leading to a Master’s or Ph. D. My suggestion is to look over the program descriptions and then to write directly to the addresses given if any look appropriate. Stress that you need financial aid. I wouldn’t worry too much about your English. Your academic background seems strong. 結束語 Good luck, Harvey Nadler

(Complimentary Close)

簽名 (Signature)

Examples of Complimentary Close Expressions(結束語): Sincerely yours/ Yours sincerely, Truly yours/ Yours truly, Your friend, Best regards/ Best wishes, Good luck

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正文(Body)

Appendix 2: Scenic Spots & Special Snacks in Taiwan Northern Taiwan 1. 國立故宮博物院 National Palace Museum 2. 士林夜市 Shilin Night Market 3 陽明山 Yanmingshan/ Yanmin Mountain 4 九份 Jiufen

National Palace Museum

Jiufen

Shilin Night Market

Central Taiwan 1. 日月潭 2. 阿里山 3. 清境農場 4. 逢甲夜市

Sun-Moon Lake Ali Mountain/ Mt. Ali Qing-Jing Farm/ Cing-Jing Farm Feng-Jia Night Market

Sun-Moon Lake

Ali Mountain/ Mt. Ali

Qing-Jing Farm/ Cing-Jing Farm

Southern Taiwan 1. 台南夜市 Flowers Night Market in Tainan 2. 墾丁 Kenting 3. 高雄 Kaohsiung

Flowers Night Market in Tainan

Kenting

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Kaohsiung

Eastern Taiwan 1. 花蓮 Hualien 2. 太魯閣峽谷 Taroko Gorge 3. 秀姑巒溪泛舟 White Water Rafting in Siouguluan River

Hualien

Taroko Gorge

White Water Rafting in Siouguluan River

Famous Taiwanese Snacks 1. 珍珠奶茶 2. 豬血糕 3. 4. 5. 6.

pearl milk tea pig blood rice cake

蚵仔/大腸麵線 蚵仔煎 芒果冰 臭豆腐

7. 炸雞排 8. 大腸包小腸

stinky tofu

pearl milk tea

oyster/ intestine thin noodles oyster omelet shaved ice with mango stinky tofu deep fried chicken fillet small sausage wrapped in sticky rice sausage

pig blood rice cake

deep fried chicken fillet 12

small sausage wrapped in sticky rice sausage

shaved ice with mango

Appendix 3: Students’ drafts (the corrected version)

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Appendix 4 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, adapted by Mike Dwyer In New York there is a small valley known as Sleepy Hollow where the people have a strange story about a headless ghost who rides a horse at night. The story says the man died many years ago during the American revolutionary war when his head was shot off. Every night he rises from his burial place, jumps on his horse and rides through the valley looking for his lost head. The village had a small school with a teacher, named Ichabod Crane. Ichabod Crane was a good name for him because he looked like a tall bird called a crane. He was tall and thin like a crane and his shoulders were small, joined two long arms. His head was small and he had big ears, large glassy green eyes and a long nose a little like a bird. Ichabod was tall and thin but he loved to eat lots of food. He often had dinner with the families in his village, and one of them had a beautiful girl named Katrina Tassel that Ichabod fell in love with. Unfortunately the town had a strong young man named Brom Bones who was a hero to all the young ladies and Brom also liked Katrina. One day in fall Ichabod was invited to a big party at Katrina Tassel’s home. At the party Brom told the story of the headless horseman but after the story Ichabod tried to ask Katrina to marry him. He left the party looking sad but while riding his old horse home, in the darkness he saw something big and black in the shadows. It was a large black horse with a headless man. He tried to escape but it chased him to a bridge. Ichabod heard that ghosts do not like to cross water so he tried to ride over the bridge, but he saw the rider pick up his head with glowing yellow eyes and throw it with a powerful force. The head hit Ichabod in the face and knocked him off his horse to the dirt below. They found Ichabod's horse the next day peacefully eating grass. But they could not find Ichabod. They saw the foot marks of Ichabod's horse as it had raced through the valley. They even found Ichabod's old hat in the dust near the bridge, and by his hat were the broken pieces of an orange pumpkin. As for Katrina, her mother and father gave her a big wedding when she married Brom Bones. Many people who went to the wedding saw that Brom smiled whenever Ichabod's name was spoken. And they wondered why he laughed out loud when anyone talked about the broken orange pumpkin found lying near Ichabod's old dusty hat. 14

Appendix 5 1. 問卷樣本 參加 pen pal project 同學，請花一點時間填問卷，以作為老師日後進行類似活動 的參考，謝謝！ 1.你喜歡這個活動嗎?

很喜歡/ 還好/ 不喜歡

2.對於老師要求同學先寫回信草稿再謄在信紙上,你覺得如何? _____________________________________________________________________ 3.你覺得這個活動是否有助你認識美國高中生活?若答是者,請說明 _____________________________________________________________________ 4.對於這個活動你印象最深刻的是什麼? _____________________________________________________________________ 5.對於部分同學準備小紀念品給筆友的舉動,你覺得如何?是否會讓你有壓力? _____________________________________________________________________ 6.對於老師採信件書寫方式而非 email 或 facebook 讓同學跟筆友聯繫,你覺得如何? _____________________________________________________________________ 7.參與此活動,是否對於你用英文作文表達生活經驗有所幫助? _____________________________________________________________________ 8.對於此活動在高三時進行,你覺得如何? _____________________________________________________________________ 9.筆友交換學校老師來訪並上課,是否增強你參與此活動的動機? _____________________________________________________________________ 10.參與此活動你最大的收穫是什麼? _____________________________________________________________________ 11.若有機會,你還會參加類似活動嗎?你希望找同性或異性的筆友?須同樣是高中 生嗎? _____________________________________________________________________ 15

2. 學生問卷

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Appendix 6 Letters from Students at Arsenal Tech High School

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Different Souvenirs from American Pen Pals

Hand-drawn comics

Photos about American High School Life

Comic book

Coin collection

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Emblem of Arsenal Tech

Appendix 7: Letters and Souvenirs from Taiwanese Students

Letters with Illustrations

Letter Paper Showing Personal Styles Student’s photo-Rope-jumping

A World map showing the location of Taiwan.

Letter with Taiwanese Coins

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Souvenirs with a Taste of Taiwan

Souvenir Key Chain for School Anniversary

Poster of Taiwanese Film

墾丁

Taipei 101 Firework Show

日月潭

Postcard about Famous Scenic Spots 太魯閣 20