Assignment task:
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 Blank 1 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 Blank 2. 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 Blank 3 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 Blank 4 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 Blank 5 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 Blank 6 since she was forced to speak Spanish all of the time. Only after Tracy was forced to Blank 7 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 were from Mississippi and they would wear Blank 8 boots and tuck in their shirts. Maria learned that her home country is not monocultural but multicultural because of the diversity of sub-cultures. While spending time with fellow American students is often viewed as detrimental to learning during study abroad programs by some scholars in the field, Neriko critiqued this as assuming Blank 9 of American students. Maria also came to realize that her American classmates would become easily frustrated with how different the Spanish way of life was compared to back home. Maria, however, would not lose her Blank 10. This experience helped her to realize differences between Spanish and American culture.