UMBC Modern Languages, Linguistics & Intercultural Communication Department

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/43

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Cultivating Students’ Understanding of a Target Culture and Society Through Digital Ethnography in KFL (Korean as a Foreign Language) Courses
(National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages, 2024-09-01) Park, Jee Hye; Jang, Gyewon; Lee, Hakyoon; Pang, Myoung Eun
This study presents the implementation of a digital ethnographic project in college-level online Korean language and content courses, inspired by Berti’s (2020) approach to cultural teaching through digital ethnography. The primary aim of this project was to foster critical perspectives among Korean as a Foreign Language (KFL) learners regarding contemporary Korean society, culture, and its people. As part of this initiative, students engaged in the collection and analysis of digital images and photographs. The outcomes of these student projects demonstrated the effectiveness and challenges of digital ethnography as a pedagogical tool. Students from both language and content courses demonstrated varying levels of cultural sensitivity and criticality. Furthermore, this approach encouraged students to develop richer intercultural perspectives encompassing their own culture and that of Korea. This study underscores the potential of digital ethnography as an innovative pedagogical approach in foreign language education, facilitating critical thinking and intercultural competence.
Ethical Challenges in Intercultural Citizenship Education with 'Difficult Topics' in the World Language Classroom and Beyond
(MDPI, 2025-02-24) Porto, Melina; Golubeva, Irina; Byram, Michael
The purpose of this article is to examine the ethical challenges that arise in the world language classroom and beyond from using intercultural citizenship pedagogy. Intercultural citizenship is, in general, seen as a recent and positive development in intercultural language education for helping students engage with topics of social significance in the classroom. However, there are ethical challenges involved, for instance, related to the political or sensitive nature of such topics. We define and illustrate some of these ethical concerns and their implications for education by drawing on an intercultural citizenship project about COVID-19 carried out in two higher education contexts in 2020. The analysis of this example shows that these ethical concerns are unavoidable but can be minimised with an action research perspective and a combination of pedagogies of intercultural citizenship, discomfort, and the arts. We conclude with a discussion of the transferability of the example and its consequences for any language and intercultural communication teaching which deals with controversial and sensitive matters.
The Social Science of Activism and Storytelling w/ Dr. Tania Lizarazo
(UMBC Center for Social Science Research, 2024-08-20) Anson, Ian; Lizarazo, Tania
On today's episode I speak with Dr. Tania Lizarazo, Associate Professor in the Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication (MLLI) at UMBC. Dr. Lizarazo is also an affiliate faculty in the UMBC Global Studies program. Today's podcast discussion features mention of the following groups and projects:Mujeres Pacificas, a digital storytelling projectThe UMBC program in Critical Disability StudiesPostconflict Utopias (click the link to view the cover image, chosen by women from COCOMACIA!)Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host:The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences ScholarshipThe University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyIan G. Anson, Ph.D.Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship. Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson, our director is Dr. Christine Mallinson, our associate director is Dr. Felipe Filomeno and our production intern is Jean Kim. Our theme music was composed and recorded by D’Juan Moreland. Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance. Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.
Community-Engaged Scholars’ Boundary- Spanning Roles and Intersected Identities: Korean Dual Language Bilingual Education Program in a Public Elementary School
(UGA, 2024-10-18) Choi, Jayoung; Angay-Crowder, Tuba; Lee, Hakyoon; Pang, Myoung Eun; Jang, Gyewon; Shin, Ji Hye; Cho, Aram; Park, Jee Hye; Lew, Shim
Neoliberal ideology and an overemphasis on generating quick results dehumanizes higher education community engagement by overlooking the multiple roles and identities of boundary spanners, individuals engaged in community-based scholarship. If university–community partnerships are to prosper and be sustained, their human aspect deserves more attention. We contribute to the literature by framing this research project as the collective stories of our research team, nine community-engaged scholars who have established a partnership with a public elementary school’s Korean–English Dual Language Bilingual Education program in the U.S. Southeast for the last 3 years. By drawing on pertinent literature about boundary spanners in higher education community engagement, we construct our narratives around how our fluid identities as females, immigrants, multilinguals, mothers, and professors have intersected with our boundary-spanning roles. Our nuanced stories provide insights and lessons to other boundary spanners in different partnership contexts.
Putin’s visit to Mongolia defies ICC warrant and tests neutral nation’s ‘third neighbor’ diplomacy
(The Conversation, 2024-09-02) Krusekopf, Charles; Tong, Christopher K.
Mongolia has worked hard to craft friendly relations across the globe. But geography means that Russia and China still retain a strong influence.
Andy Warhol's Ancestry: Facts, Myths, and Mysteries
(2019-01-07) Rusinko, Elaine
Andy Warhol is the most famous American of Carpatho-Rusyn descent, but questions about his ethnicity persist. This study explores the Warhola-Zavacky family’s ethnic background and traces Warhol’s ancestry based on archival evidence, uncovering new, unanticipated information.
CLT theories and practices in EFL curricula: A case study of Korea
(Asian EFL Journal, 2004) Yoon, Kyung-Eun
This study investigates the theories and practices of communicative language teaching (CLT) in the EFL curriculum in Korea. Based on recent research on second/foreign language learning, CLT has been widely accepted as an effective way of teaching in ESL/EFL contexts. In an EFL situation, the Korean Ministry of Education have also realized the importance of CLT and made significant attempts to implement CLT through recent changes in the national English curricula. This study, in an effort to present a concrete picture of how CLT is implemented and utilized in an EFL context, discusses which specific CLT approach provides the theoretical basis for the recent national English curricula in Korea and how the curriculum contents are actualized based on the theories. Based on this discussion, this study aims to suggest a desirable future direction for curriculum development in EFL contexts where national curricula are essential in formal education.
Application of Conversation Analysis to Teaching Korean Language and Culture
(Penn State University Press, 2007) Yoon, Kyung-Eun
Teaching Listener Responses to KFL Students
(Penn State University Press, 2017-07-01) Lee, Hyo Sang; Yoon, Kyung-Eun; Yoon, Sang-Seok
Although virtually all foreign language teaching practices advocate a communicative approach, learners' conversations lack interactional features that are essential for proper communication, and are commonly found in those of native speakers. Critically missing are listener responses (LRs) that facilitate negotiating meanings communicated among interlocutors by indicating the listener's conversational engagement, signaling the listener's stance of agreement/disagreement, alignment/disalignment, approval/disapproval, requesting clarification and confirmation, and so on. It is essential to be able to use LRs for the learners' conversation to be as natural and interactionally appropriate as those of native speakers. Therefore, it is necessary to teach how to use them implicitly or explicitly. We propose a number of procedures and activities with which learners learn how to use LRs so as to enhance their interactional competence.
Universals and cultural variation in turn-taking in conversation
(National Academy of Sciences, 2009-06-30) Stivers, Tanya; Enfield, N. J.; Brown, Penelope; Englert, Christina; Hayashi, Makoto; Heinemann, Trine; Hoymann, Gertie; Rossano, Federico; de Ruiter, Jan Peter; Yoon, Kyung-Eun; Levinson, Stephen C.
Informal verbal interaction is the core matrix for human social life. A mechanism for coordinating this basic mode of interaction is a system of turn-taking that regulates who is to speak and when. Yet relatively little is known about how this system varies across cultures. The anthropological literature reports significant cultural differences in the timing of turn-taking in ordinary conversation. We test these claims and show that in fact there are striking universals in the underlying pattern of response latency in conversation. Using a worldwide sample of 10 languages drawn from traditional indigenous communities to major world languages, we show that all of the languages tested provide clear evidence for a general avoidance of overlapping talk and a minimization of silence between conversational turns. In addition, all of the languages show the same factors explaining within-language variation in speed of response. We do, however, find differences across the languages in the average gap between turns, within a range of 250 ms from the cross-language mean. We believe that a natural sensitivity to these tempo differences leads to a subjective perception of dramatic or even fundamental differences as offered in ethnographic reports of conversational style. Our empirical evidence suggests robust human universals in this domain, where local variations are quantitative only, pointing to a single shared infrastructure for language use with likely ethological foundations.
Observing Census Enumeration of Non-English Speaking Households in the 2010 Census: Korean Report
(United States Census Bureau, 2012-11-29) Yoon, Kyung-Eun; Pan, Yuling; Lubkemann, Stephen
This study was part of an ethnographic research project in the 2010 Census Assessment and Research Program to observe the 2010 Census Nonresponse Followup (NRFU) interviews with households that speak a language other than English, in areas of the U.S. with heavy concentrations of residents with limited English proficiency. A multilingual research team consisting of seven sub-teams in the seven primary languages (Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese) was commissioned to carry out the research in the 2010 Census. The objectives of this research were to identify: (1) how language and socio-cultural factors affect the enumeration of non-English-speaking populations during the Nonresponse Followup interview process; (2) what measures were ta ken by enumerators to negotiate and maintain access to non-English-speaking households and to collect the required census data from these households; (3) how in-language census materials were used in the field; (4) how non-English-speaking immigrant populations perceived and reacted to the census and its public messaging; and (5) what changes, if any, are needed to improve the enumeration process with households that have limited or no English proficiency. Findings from this study will help develop recommendations for planning the 2020 Census, including the Decennial Language Program, questionnaire development, translation of census questions, use of interpreters in enumeration interviews, and interviewer training.
Man Plans, G-d Laughs: A Graphic Autoethnography of an Intercultural Communication Student
(2024-01-01) Ruck, Caleb Adrian; Lizarazo, Tania; Modern Languages, Linguistics & Intercultural Communication; Intercultural Communication
Originally intended to serve as a defense of graphic novels in and beyond educational settings, across the months it was created, this project shifted heavily into uncharted territory, instead asking and answering the following questions: what does “legitimate” knowledge look like? What impact do the standards for academic knowledge production and dissemination have upon academics and non-academics alike, and what potential lies in critiquing and circumventing these long-held standards? Utilizing a combination of content analysis, diary methods and informal interviews, this autoethnographic work provides an unfiltered glimpse into the life of a humanities graduate student. It combines theories such as Donna Haraway’s “situated knowledges” and texts such as Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis to tell a story located “from below,” predominantly in the form of a graphic novel. In doing so, the thesis argues for the use of unconventional formats when conveying both academic and personal knowledge, and demonstrates the persuasive power of vulnerability in opposition of purported “objectivity” and empiricism.
EMBRACING IDENTITY ABROAD: EXPERIENCES OF LATINAS IN CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS
(2024-01-01) Hernandez, Andrea Jhoana; Lizarazo, Tania; Modern Languages, Linguistics & Intercultural Communication; Intercultural Communication
This thesis explores into the unique experiences of Latinas Au Pairs in the United States and the complexities of the relationship of aspiration, identity, and labor dynamics among Latin American migrants. I use a mix of ethnographic and qualitative methods such as participative observations, interviews, autoethnography, and close readings of websites, social media, and pictures shared by participants. Thus, data highlights how well-educated Latinas with high expectations join the Au Pair program. However, they often found themselves in positions of domestic labor and social dynamics that shaped their perspectives about the program. Moreover, it is evident how participants’ experiences in exchange programs shape their identity while navigating the challenges of being Au Pairs. Finally, I share my autoethnography into my journey as a Latina Au Pair, navigating cultural differences, gender roles, and individual identity. Findings from this research offer a deeper understanding of the Au Pair program’s complexities and emphasize the importance of supporting equality and empowerment for participants.
Familismo, Aguantarismo, and Celebrarismo: The Latinx Workers’ Values and Collective Survival in Baltimore.
(2024-01-01) Colosio-Martinez, Viridiana; Lizarazo, Tania; Modern Languages, Linguistics & Intercultural Communication; Intercultural Communication
The experiences of Latinx families face difficult challenges to build a better future in cities across the US. Motivated by their families' needs and the values of "familismo" within their community, Latinx families build social networks to help them cope with the challenges of moving to a new place and understanding the systems. Latinx workers face discrimination, and many have to rely on "aguantarismo" to have a job and survive accidents, chronic illnesses, and pandemics. Socioeconomic systems benefit elite groups that oppress Latinx workers to accept injustices without complaint. Celebrating the Latinx culture in Baltimore not only encourages pride in the culture but also promotes it. By sharing their culture, a form of “celebrarismo”, Latinx people have created social networks to support each other and survive while living far away. The Latinx community in Baltimore is one of the fastest-growing populations in the city, and it is important to recognize their values and contributions.
China turns to private hackers as it cracks down on online activists on Tiananmen Square anniversary
(The Conversation, 2024-05-31) Tong, Christopher K.
Beijing’s cyber operations are largely conducted in the shadows. But a recent leak has shed light on how the state is working with private companies to target online activism.
An intercultural dialogue: the Buddha, Schopenhauer and Beckett. Angela Moorjani in Colloquy with Asijit Datta
(Taylor & Francis, 2023-05-23) Moorjani, Angela; Datta, Asijit
This colloquy between two Beckett scholars, one Western, one Eastern, scrutinises the twenty-first-century reassessment of Buddhist resonances in Beckett’s writing and the consequent interconnections between Eastern and Western thought. The introduction describes the recent archival evidence linking Beckett’s knowledge of the Buddha’s philosophy to his early reading of Arthur Schopenhauer and establishing that, beyond affinity, Beckett knowingly secreted Buddhist allusions into his texts. The subsequent discussion probes Beckett’s writing practice in the light of: the Buddha’s teachings on suffering and guilt, on the renouncing of desire and self and on an ultimate non-nihilist plenum void, entailing the critique of language, logic and dichotomising thought; the correspondences between Beckett’s posthumous and pre-birth voices and the spectrality of many of his ‘creatures’ and the Buddhist doctrine, of which Beckett was aware, of an immanent, timeless unborn; the two philosophical vantage points of Beckett’s ‘ideal real’, combining the empirical and the metaphysical; the parodic appearance of pseudo-divine figures in his texts in contrast to his ‘elsewhere’ parallel to an unknowable nirvanic beyond; the apocalyptic settings of some of his plays; and his concepts of homelessness and ‘unspeakable home’. Beckett’s negative aesthetics receives special attention in its convergence with Buddhist thinking.
Pushed to the Edge: Homeland Outcasts
(UMBC Review, 2024) Palmer, Julia; Lizarazo, Tania; Voerkelius, Mirjam
This paper examines the impact of British colonization on present Australian Aboriginal diet and health. Two crucial timelines are included in this paper. The first follows the foodways of the Natives, with evidence of lingering foodways present today. The second describes the increased presence and power of the British government, specifically in policies relating to Aboriginals. The research questions grounding this paper are, how did British colonization marginalize and displace Aboriginals? In what ways did the diet for Aboriginals change due to British colonization? And, what are the health concerns Aboriginals are suffering as a result of colonization? My paper is in conversation with much ongoing research that focuses on the impact of colonial policies for Native populations worldwide. At-home research included modern-day footage and interviews of Aboriginals. I relied mainly on present-day sources for Aboriginal perspectives as much of their knowledge had been traditionally spread via word-of-mouth. British writers were also utilized with their description of Native foodways. Most highlighted the biases which were used to justify disproportionate British policies. The final piece of research included the information and conversations of the food tour with my guide who spoke about colonial policies and their impact on his family.
Mellon Foundation grants CAHSS $750K to establish Global Asias Initiative
(UMBC News, 2024-04-03) Duque, Catalina Sofia Dansberger; Demond, Marlayna
“The feeling of fear was not from my student, but from myself”: A pre-service teacher’s shift from traditional to problem-posing second language pedagogy in a Mexican youth prison
(Stephen F. Austin State University, 2020-03-11) Kasun, G.; Santos, Abigail; Jang, Gyewon; Espinosa, Zurisaray
This era of globalization, capitalism, and economic progress has given rise to mass incarceration, as a considerable number of youths in developing and developed countries live behind bars in detention facilities without appropriate educational support. Educators in these facilities deposit knowledge, through traditional pedagogical approaches, under systemic oppression and surveillance deemed necessary for safety and security. This study investigated implementations of Freire’s (2000) problem-posing pedagogy using a participatory action research (PAR) approach through the lens of critical theory. Two of the co-authors helped develop a Freirean language teaching program in an urban youth prison in Mexico, centering student teachers’ critical self-awareness by providing them with opportunities to reflect on their identity, life experiences, and reality while teaching in prison. Through critical, autoethnographic self-reflections of a bilingual teacher candidate on her teaching practices, this study provides insights into how the teacher was impacted by the problem-posing pedagogy and how it was reflected in her transformation to a critical, loving teacher and student progress. This research embraces a humanistic approach to teaching incarcerated youth in Mexico through care and courage by supporting them as students, as well as by empowering their voices and thoughts. Building a learning community, where students and teachers create respectful human connections through dialogue and discussions on language, culture, and lived experiences, is portrayed in this research as essential.
Review of Taguchi, N., & Kim, Y. (Eds.). (2018). Task-based approaches to teaching and assessing pragmatics. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
(The Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2021-01-22) Feng, Yali; Jang, Gyewon
Book review: Taguchi, N., & Kim, Y. (Eds.). (2018). Task-based approaches to teaching and assessing pragmatics. John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/tblt.10

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