| Writing
Style Resources |
Culture
& Language Resources | ID
Concepts Resources
Resources - Language & Culture
This selection of links is an attempt to alleviate the biggest
fear or Indian Instructional Designers. This section will bring
you links that help answer questions of the following kind.
- Should I refrain from using some words.
- What is the British English equivalent of this word.
- What acts are taboo in a particular culture?
- What can make my wonderful case sound all wrong in context of
a particular culture.
I hope that this selection of sites will help obliterate these
gray areas to some extent:)
September 2008
Culture Crossing at http://www.culturecrossing.net/index.php
is an interactive guide to the cultures of the world. You navigate
through this site using the map given on the homepage. This guide
is a kind of wiki, where you can add information to the guide. I
feel that it's quite a handy reference for instructional designers
who find themselves creating content for diverse cultures.
August 2008
This month, it's time to reinforce what you learned about culture
in the past. Take this funny culture quiz at http://www.fekids.com/img/kln/flash/DontGrossOutTheWorld.swf
to determine how deep your knowledge of different cultures run.
July 2008
The impact of culture on content is dramatic. When you create content
that has elements that lead to some sort of cultural dissonance,
the dissonance interferes with the learning. If you are developing
content for the US audience, click http://amlife.america.gov/
and bookmark it. This site is a beautiful portal of the US culture.
June 2008
The experiences of a writer mold his or her writing, and experiences
are always born within a cultural context. Thus, we can infer that
a writer's culture influences the writer’s work. Two excellent
examples of this phenomenon are Doris Lessing and Wilbur Smith.
I recommend that you randomly select a book from each author, read
the two books, and then read the biographies of the two authors.
You will discover how their lives molded their books!
On a rather different and more scientific note, click http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Culture_Influences_Brain_Function_999.html
to read "Culture Influences Brain Function" to explore
how culture influences the brain activity.
May 2008
The influence of culture is often difficult to assess. This influence
becomes more complex when we speak of organizational culture. The
relentless forces of organizational culture, keep the training professionals
on their toes as they try to figure out the nuances of organizational
culture. Trainers would find http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/im_learning_org.html
an interesting and useful addition to their favorites.
April 2008
The online learner of today is different from the online learner
of yesterday. Let me explain. The online learner of the past didn't
grow up with Internet. Thus, this online learner was somewhat unsure
of the efficacy of the online medium. Many of us, who belong to
that generation, still are. However, the online learner of today
is different. He or she belongs to a generation that grew up with
the Internet. These young learners have grown up playing online
games, using chats and emails; creating their own blogs...they are
more comfortable with the Internet. We need to learn about these
learners. Click http://www.citejournal.org/vol7/iss3/general/article1.cfm
to read "The Online Learner: Characteristics and Pedagogical
Implications" by Nada Dabbagh.
March 2008
eLearning is changing the culture of the world...is it? In her
article, "Introduction to a elearning Culture" Marcia
Conner, makes an important statement about the nature of technology
and its impact on eLearning. She states that "the incongruent
injection of learning technology into a non-learning culture only
confounds the organization; it does not save it. Technology is not
the panacea for an organizational culture led by nonlearners."
Read the entire article by clicking http://agelesslearner.com/intros/elc.html
(Conner, M. L. "Introduction to e-Learning Culture." Ageless
Learner, 1997-2006.)
A note: I am in agreement with Ms. Conner about her observation
on the learning culture of organizations. Recently, an organization
connected with Wavelength because they wished to develop eLearning
content as their "managers were bored and eLearning content
would provide some entertainment to them."
February 2008
Cross-cultural communication interests all of us. The whitepaper
at http://www.dattnerconsulting.com/cross.html
discusses cross-cultural communication. The whitepaper begins by
exploring the differences in data interpretation, the application
of attribution theory to the behavior of people, and then the negative
influences of stereotypes and prejudices.
January 2008
The Social Learning Theory explores learning as a social behavior.
It states that people learn from one another. One of the principles
of this learning theory proposed by Albert Bandura states that people
learn by receiving environmental feedback on their actions. Thus,
the theory of social learning supports the operant conditioning
theory.
On the other hand, the social learning theory also states that
learning may happen without a change in behavior (ie. purely in
the form of a cognitive phenomenon.) To learn more about the social
learning theory, click http://teachnet.edb.utexas.edu/~lynda_abbott/Social.html
to read the concept and implications of the social learning theory.
~~~~~~ 2007 ~~~~~~
December 2007
Lev Vyogtsky's theory of social cognition clearly lists the effects
of culture on learning. "Vygotsky and Social Cognition",
a concise article available at http://www.funderstanding.com/vygotsky.cfm,
introduces the social cognition learning model and lists its interpretations.
November 2007
When you are an instructional designer or a project manager in
an eLearning company, you become culture-sensitive. While you write,
greet, speak; and even when you send emails, you are conscious of
the need to make your communication culturally correct.
Here's a neat little article by Kathryn King. This article, "Writing
English for an international audience," available at http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=159&story_id=16464
opens our eyes to cultural differences that are not very obvious
- the unspoken and the unconscious cultural differences!
October 2007
http://www.carla.umn.edu/culture/definitions.html
provides some good definitions of culture.
Read "Current Research on the Impact of Culture, Gender and
Ethnicity on Student Learning" at http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/academics/center/
Teaching_and_Learning_Tips/Learning%20Styles/ImpactofCulture.htm
In the Indian context, the composition of minority would change
but the gender-specific equations would probably remain the same.
Do you agree?
September 2007
"IMPACT OF CULTURE ON LEARNING: SOME THOUGHTS" by Leonid
Khaimovich is a very old article (1995.) However, it makes a very
interesting point about organizational culture and learning. This
article explores the relationship between Disciplined Problem Solving
Approach (which usually exists at the root of how most organizations
approach learning) and learning.
Click http://home.earthlink.net/~lkhaim/cul_on_l.html
to read this article. As this article is long (and it makes use
of terminology that may be slightly strange to some of us,) I recommend
that you print this article to read it.
August 2007
"The Impact of Electronic Communication on Writing" at
http://reading.indiana.edu/ieo/digests/d188.html
discusses how the electronic means of communication has influenced
our writing behavior as well as writing performance. If we treat
technology (the online world) as culture, we should be able to draw
some interesting inferences here. The web-culture is universal and
breaks the regional cultural taboos in many respects. Read this
article for a fresh viewpoint.
An abstract from the Encyclopedia Britannica, which is available
at http://www.appiusforum.com/scripts.html,
discusses the historical development of the Indian scripts. Check
it out.
July 2007
In the previous issues of your newsletter, we discussed the impact
of culture on content design and development. This month let us
review our current understanding of culture. Let us begin by looking
at a few definitions of culture at: http://www.tamu.edu/classes/cosc/choudhury/culture.html
Some of these definitions don't impress me a lot. (Culture is communication,
communication is culture...do you agree?) However, some do. I like
the first definition the best.
In corporate training programs, we often find ourselves wrestling
with the impact of organizational culture as well. To understand
this formidable opponent, click http://www.soi.org/reading/change/culture.shtml
June 2007
“Inclusive Design is an approach to the design of products,
services and environments to be as usable as possible by as many
people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation."
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusive_design)
In the above definition, the terms ability and situation relate
to the learner's culture. This month, I've selected two links that
will help you understand inclusive design better.
Click http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/dyjur/index.htm
to read the article, "Inclusive Practices in Instructional
Design" by Patricia Dyjur. This article clearly outlines how
inclusive instructional design may be implemented.
Another web page at http://www.tiresias.org/guidelines/inclusive.htm
(Guidelines for Inclusive Design) gives us an academic organization's
viewpoint on inclusive design.
May 2007
The instructional designer's own cultural values impact the instructional
design of content. The truth of this statement is discussed in the
article "Instructional Design for Cultural Difference: A Case
Study of the Indigenous Online Learning In a Tertiary Context"
by McLoughlin, C. and 2.Oliver, R.
This article also lists "Ten design principles for culturally
inclusive instructional design", which can be very helpful
to an Indian instructional designer working on content for another
country. Click http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/brisbane99/papers/mcloughlinoliver.pdf
to download this article.
April 2007
Have you read "The Country of the Blind" by H.G. Wells?
I read it some years ago, but my interpretation of the story changed
after reading this article, "Culture
as Disability" at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_cult/culturedisability.html#intro.
This article demands some serious reading and some equally serious
reflection. The "Culture as a disability" approach is
fascinating, and it answers many difficult-to-answer questions about
entry behavior. Culture leads to the recognition of a lack of ability
(or a disability.) I quote from the article -
"without a money system, there is no debt;
without a kinship system, no orphans;
without a class system, no deprivation;
without schools, no learning disabilities;
without a working concept of truth, no liars;
without eloquence, no inarticulateness"
It is important for us, the instructional designers and the trainers
to realize that some learning disabilities may be rooted in culture
- and this realization may help us improve learning effectiveness.
March 2007
Have you often wondered how you could create culturally neutral
content with a global appeal?
Click http://www.trainingmagevents.com/learninggroup/newsletter/onlinelearning/newsletter_display.jsp
?vnu_content_id=1003224013 for a comprehensive discussion on
this topic. The illustrative list of dos and don'ts by Connie Davis
can form the basis of your customized global culture checklist.
February 2007
Culture in Focus: French
--------------------------------------
The culture that we shall become acquainted with this month, is
the exotic French culture. France has historically been considered
the global center of artistic affluence. Begin your exploration
of the French culture by clicking http://www.communicaid.com/france-business-culture.asp,
which introduces you to the business culture of France.
I think the French business culture is amazingly close to the Indian
business culture. What do you think? Do remember to check out the
little culture quiz at the end of this page. I think you will like
it :)
Another interesting web page that I have here for you is http://www.zompist.com/frenchcult.html.
This page provides you some insights into the minds of the French.
To the art-lovers I recommend http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home_flash.jsp?bmLocale=en,
which provides you a lot of details about the Louvre, the most famous
museum that also has the world’s biggest collection of art.
At the end, I would like to present a content-mine in form of http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761568934/France.html
January 2007
Culture in Focus: U.S.A.
--------------------------------------
This month we orient ourselves to the culture of the United States
of America. I think that the best place to begin our quest is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_United_States
as it not only provides a succinct summary of the different aspects
of American culture, it also provides enough direction to those
who wish to explore further.
If we stop and reflect, we can find one big similarity between
the United States and India. Both have been British Colonies. The
only difference probably was that when India came under British
Raj, we already had forty centuries of history behind us. Nevertheless,
the culture of North America is essentially very different from
that of India and so it is a good idea to learn about it.
There is no dearth of information about the American culture, yet
http://www.lifeintheusa.com/
is a site, which can be called encyclopedic in this context. Check
it out.
~~~~~~ 2006 ~~~~~~
December 2006
Culture in Focus: South African
--------------------------------------
- The culture that we set out to explore this month is that of
South Africa. South Africa has a very diverse culture, as you
will discover when you click
http://www.sa-venues.com/sa_languages_and_culture.htm
- http://www.south-africa-tours.com/south-africa-culture.html
will provide a deeper insight into the culture of South Africa.
- For those who plan to make a business trip to South Africa,
http://www.infoexport.gc.ca/ie-en/DisplayDocument.jsp?did=19702
provides short, crisp, and concise tips for conducting business
in South Africa.
November 2006
Culture in Focus: British
------------------------------------
- The culture that we will focus on this month is the British
Culture. Click http://www.communicaid.com/british-business-culture.asp
for a crisp summary of the business culture in Britain.
- United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
Each of these countries has a culture of its own. The following
pages will help you understand their differences:
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Countries/England.htm
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Countries/Scotland.htm
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Countries/Wales.htm
http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Countries/Ireland.htm
- For Indian instructional designers, any discussion on the UK
or the US is incomplete if it doesn't cover language. For understanding
what British English "actually" is, click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English
October 2006
Culture in Focus: Arabian
------------------------------------
This month, let us explore the Arabian Culture. The Arabian culture
is in some ways similar to the Indian culture; yet a closer look
would reveal many differences. Find the similarities and differences
at: http://www.traderscity.com/abcg/
http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=1172
gives us an opportunity to take a very close look at the Arabian
culture. This page also includes a list of English words that have
been derived from Arabic. In a nutshell, this page gives you information
on almost all aspects of the Arabian culture, beginning from their
staple diet to their language!
September 2006
Culture in Focus: Japanese
--------------------------------------
This month, we take our quest of different cultures further by
bringing into focus, the culture of Japan! The Japanese culture
is probably the most intriguing of all. Japanese art, language,
script, and above all their ability to keep their heritage intact,
yet become an economic super-power lends a lot of mystery to Japan.
Here are a few links that should help us understand the Japanese
culture.
- The first link is from the great web encyclopedia, the Wikipedia.
This link gives us a bit on everything about the Japanese culture.
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Japan
for an introduction to the Japanese lifestyle and their popular
culture.
- Click http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au
for information on the Japanese lifestyle.
- If you are traveling to Japan, you may want to browse the following
link before you leave. Read about the Japanese way of doing business
at http://www.apmforum.com/columns/boye55.htm
August 2006
Culture in Focus: Chinese
------------------------------------
- This month, let us focus on the Chinese culture. Visit http://www.wku.edu/~yuanh/China/culture.html
to find about this culture. This visually pleasing page provides
links to Chinese legends, tales, proverbs, Zodiac, and also Chinese
etiquettes and protocols.A page linked through the above site,
displays Chinese symbols. I think this particular page will engage
the interest of the graphic designers as well.
- Another link, http://www.protocolprofessionals.com/articles_china_print.htm,
provides you information on the relationships and the value that
Chinese people place on relationships. This link provides us useful
insights into how business is carried out in the Chinese community.
This link also helps explore the taboos, the gifts, and the greeting
that one should consider while meeting the Chinese.
July 2006
This month onwards, I intend to streamline this section by providing
links that allow us to sneak a peek into different cultures. We've
devoted a lot of mind space to the connection between culture and
instructional design. Now it's time that we began expanding our
knowledge of different cultures.
Culture in Focus: Singaporean
-------------------------------------------
- The culture that we explore this month is Singaporean culture.
Click http://www.expatsingapore.com/general/culture.htm
for an idea of their festivals, customs, and cultural taboos.
This knowledge will come in handy when you work on courses that
reach a diverse audience. For example, a management case study
where a Chinese gentleman gifts a clock to his guest, would perhaps
sound horrible to Chinese ears. For the Chinese, gifting someone
a clock is taboo as it signifies death!
- You can find more information on Singaporean culture at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Singapore
(This link gives you a lot of other information about the popular
culture of Singapore through a small menu at the right side of
this page.)
- For more information on "Singlish" the interested
reader may wish to click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Colloquial_English.
June 2006
- "A Tribute to Hinduism" at http://www.atributetohinduism.com/Education_in_Ancient_India.htm
is a consolidation of information about education in ancient India.
The site mentions that the university system of education (as
it exists today,) existed in India in 800 BC or even earlier.
This site contains a lot of information as well as direction for
those who would like to trace our educational past.
- "Why Science Declined In Ancient India?" an article
by Dr. K. Jamanadas at http://www.ambedkar.org/research/Why_Science_Declined_In_Ancient_India.htm
illustrates with examples that ancient Indians were well-versed
with mining, material science, math, medical science and so on.
May 2006
- If any of you is working on content for Singapore, the link
http://www.singaporeexpats.com/about-singapore/culture-and-language.htm
could introduce you to Singapore culture and language in a jiffy.
It will also provide an overview of Singapore English, which,
the web page says "grew out of the English of the playground
of these children of various linguistic backgrounds who were
learning English at school."
- Though the article "Culture in Second Language Teaching"
at http://www.cal.org/resources/Digest/0309peterson.html
is about the relationship between culture and learning of language,
it provides us deeper insights into the impact of culture of
creation of content.
April 2006
- Often I wonder (always happily) if we are becoming more tolerant
towards cross-cultural faux pas. I think education and rationality
should propel the human society towards being more open, encouraging,
and forgiving. Click on http://www.rmmag.com/Magazine/PrintTemplate.cfm?AID=2270
to read "The Pitfalls of Cross-Cultural Business"
by Jared Wade. This simple but arresting article illustrates
the changing viewpoint on cultural faux pas that are often committed
in today's fast-paced highly connected world.
March 2006
- If you are creating content for the youth of America, this
site will give you a strong footing in the quicksand of American
popular culture. To us, the popular culture of America is a
mix of the cultures of 90s, 80s, even of 70s at times. The movies
that we watch on HBO or Star Movies are usually a mix of old
and new; the serials that we view follow the same pattern; all
this ensures that the image of the American popular culture
in our minds is a medley of old and new. Check out http://www.wsu.edu/~amerstu/pop/tvrguide.html,
which will introduce you to the concept of popular culture by
listing its various forms and issues and provide links to various
sites that will help you with much more updated information.
- Those who are interested in the history of American popular
culture can visit the link http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decades.html,
which links to pages that provide details of American popular
culture decade-wise.
February 2006
- Does culture impact, learning styles? Because if it does,
it becomes important for us recognize the fact that the content
that we create for learners all around the world, takes into
account these learning preferences. "Diversity, Learning
Style and Culture" by Pat Burke Guild is an article that
explores this facet of instructional design in detail. Click
on http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/styles/guild.htm
to read this article.
- "The Torches of Freedom Campaign: Behaviorism, Advertising,
and the Rise of the American Empire" is a thought-provoking
article that brings into focus the mechanics of the collective
mind. On another note, women readers should find this article
enlightening - The Torches of Freedom Campaign did have something
to do with my writing this newsletter and your reading it -
whether or not you smoke! Click on http://www.culturewars.com/CultureWars/1999/torches.html
to read it.
January 2006
- Just one link! Yes, but this link is the Dara Singh of all
links. Check it out.
The most exhaustive list of words with their British and American
meanings can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK-US_Heterologues_A-Z.
This link lists not just the meanings, but also their origins
and connotations. Indian instructional designers, who create
a lot of content for the US and the UK, will find this list
a treasure!
~~~~~~ 2005 ~~~~~~
December 2005
- In the Instructional Design Orientation workshops that I
conduct, I often find myself answering the same question - why
has Instructional Design gained such prominence in the recent
years? The answer is simple. Instructional Design provides us
tools to determine the instructional treatment that should be
used to impart learning effectively to the audience. As the
Indian eLearning industry is powered by content requirement
from the international market and its target audience is an
international audience, it is only through Instructional Design
that we can ensure that our content stays effective. Well, this
article proves the point. Please click on http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/id4intlmkt/index.htm
to read the article - "Instructional Design for the International
Market." This highly entertaining "multi-media"
article by Charles Hurley, will enable you to sample some cultural
and linguistic blunders.
- Many of us today, engage in creation of online content that
reaches people from various cultures around the globe. Read
"Instructional Design, Culture and Theories" by Tracy
J. Malcolm at http://www.ivcc.edu/malcolm/instructional%20design,
%20culture%20and%20theories.htm to view instructional design
from the online learning viewpoint. I liked the part about The
Cooperative Principle, developed by the philosopher Grice, who
suggested 4 maxims that can make contribution in an online learning
environment more useful. The maxims relate to quantity, relation,
quality, and manner.
November 2005
-
http://www.scottlondon.com/reviews/bruner.html is a link
worth clicking on, although it will take you, not to an article,
but to a book review. Scott London's review of "THE CULTURE
OF EDUCATION By Jerome Bruner,” will bring into focus,
a lot of our own blurred thoughts.
Quoting from the quoted material (!)
"...It concentrates on how individuals construct "realities"
based on common cultural narratives and symbols, and how reality
is "intersubjective" -- cultivated through social
interaction -- rather than "external" or "objective."
How I wish I knew the nuances of punctuation! Nevertheless,
I present this link to you with a hope that you will look beyond
the untidy maze of repeated inverted commas and understand the
point, which is that the human mind holds the key to every mystery!
- Have you ever wondered how Socrates, even after so many centuries,
is considered an educational genius? If you have then you must've
researched enough to discover that the method of imparting learning
employed by Socrates, has remains the undisputed leader in cognitive
learning even today. If you still thirst to learn more about
the exact manner in which Socrates implemented his instructional
strategy, click on http://www.wvu.edu/~lawfac/jelkins/pmpl99/teachvirtue/socrates.html
to travel to the Athens of past.
- If you are interested in finding out what caused the death
of Socrates, an educator still revered, click on http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/socrates/socratesaccount.html.
October 2005
- Pictograms...are language too. If you haven't given them
a thought yet, I suggest you click on the link http://www.zompist.com/yingzi/yingzi.htm,
and read "If English was written like Chinese". I
was recently developing some course material that had a mention
of Kaizen, a Japanese method of controlling costs, and I found
myself wondering if a pictogram of Kaizen would make the content
more "real" to the learner. I searched for the pictogram
and found it, but the quest made me wonder how interesting pictorial
languages must be. This article helped me form a preliminary
idea of how these languages are formed; I hope you too will
find it interesting.
- Though I may sound presumptuous in declaring that bilingualism
is something that should interest all of us, I think this assumption
rest on solid foundations. If you are a reader of Wavelength,
there is a very high chance of your being bilingual.If you are,
please click on http://www.geocities.com/cheyenne_language/bilingual.htm
to find out why you are brighter than those who speak just one
language.
September 2005
- Do you know when Pidgin became Creole? Do you know why Nushu
died? If you want to know the nuances of language, if you want
to explore the causes of births and deaths of languages, if
you like to explore the mysteries of humankinds most wonderful
gift...check out "What is Language?" at http://anthro.palomar.edu/language/language_2.htm.
- A link embedded in the above article (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/07/2/l_072_04.html)
will take you to the article "Birth of a Language." This article
probes into the possible causes behind the deaf Nicaraguan children
creating a sign language (complete with syntax) that was quite
different from the normal sign language used around the world.
What is important to note here is that the children rejected
the administration's efforts to teach them the usual sign language
and created their own instead! I strongly recommend that you
view the video provided at this page.
August 2005
- Almost all Indian writers are bilingual (at least bilingual.)
We become bilingual because we study English as our second language.
Some of us have faced the early-childhood trauma of being forced
to communicate in English while at school. How much has it really
helped? This article "Issues of language and culture impacting
the early care of young Latino children" at http://nccic.org/pubs/sanchez99.html
explores similar issues faced by Latino children in the US.
I would like to draw your attention to the topic, "Fallacies
About Second Language Acquisition." This topic explores
the issues that are related to forced acquisition of language
skills, some thing we've probably experienced in our own childhoods
but prefer to forget.
- Mexican Americans have influenced the popular culture of
the US in many ways. Think of Rodeo, Macho Man, and Head Honcho;
or think of Tacos; or even of Carlos Santana. They all have
something in common. Read "Impact of Mexican Culture on
America" at http://library.thinkquest.org/C008371/
, to find more about them. If your project requires case studies,
a study of cultures can make your cases stronger and more realistic.
July 2005
- There are many kinds of taboos, but as content developers
and instructional designers, we seldom have to deal with the
morbid ones! http://dest.travelocity.com/Tips/Item/
0,3295,178_TRAVELOCITY,00.html has a short list that will
take only a few seconds to browse, but will help us become more
worldly-wise.
- http://www.bodylanguagetraining.com/examples.html
is a good place to "regain consciousness" about body
language. Did you just ask - Why does an ID need to know about
body language? There are two reasons. 1. We all want to make
a good impression on those we meet. I think it is a generic
reason that holds for almost all of us. 2. We, as Instructional
Designers, have to make sure that our courses look just the
way they were supposed to. I once came across a graphic that
was supposed to show a confident CMD of a company but his slouch
made him look like a person waiting to be ordered around! Such
errors make the learner lose confidence in your course. Remember
ARCS.
- Read more about body language at http://members.aol.com/katydidit/bodylang.htm.
How far does your visualization go? Make it go even further
by learning the nuances of human behavior.
June 2005
- At times we tend to overlook the subtleties of expression
while writing, some of these can cause unintentional harm, or
portray the writer as an immature or biased person. The article
"Inclusive Language - Inappropriate Words or Expressions"
available at http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/studyskills/wr
/wr_ws_pr_il_iw.html provides an insight into why it is
important for writers to be critical of their own writing.
- Another related URL that deserves attention is http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/studyskills/wr/wr_ws_pr_il_gi.html.
I particularly like the section "Ensure that your use of
personal pronouns is inclusive." We always talk about ensuring
that content should be sex-neutral, still we find ourselves
in situations where it's almost impossible to make our content
sex-neutral. Here you will find 4 thumb-rules that can help.
May 2005
- We continue to talk about culture and how it influences Instructional
Design. Here's a baseline definition of culture. This article
takes an elemental view of culture, and lists some principles
that help define it. Click on http://www.wsu.edu:8001/vcwsu/commons/topics/
culture/culture-definition.html to read this article.
- Osculation...have you ever heard of it? Well, it is one of
the most common, yet intriguing and fascinating form of human
behavior. Still haven't got it? Check out http://www.wsu.edu:8001/vcwsu/commons/
topics/culture/behaviors/kissing/kissing-essay.html#top
for some interesting, out-of-the-box reading.
- Did you know that you could become a certified culture professional?
I was surprised to find that http://www.worldculture.com/culturemark/index.asp
has a Culture Globalist Certification Program. This program
focuses on cross-cultural communication. I guess Indian eLearning
companies could do with at least one culture expert - a specialist
who could ensure that our content was culturally compatible
with its audience. What do you think?
April 2005
- This month we are homebound. Check http://www.answers.com/topic/gurukul
to read about some Indian concepts that have shaped out culture
through the ancient and medieval times.
- If you are planning to write for the US audience or visit
the US, check out this site. http://www.edupass.org/culture/
is a collection of all culture issues that you may encounter.
March 2005
- While we talk about culture all the time, let’s stop
for a moment, and reflect on the definition of culture. Click
on http://www.wsu.edu:8001/vcwsu/commons/topics/culture/
culture-definition.html To read the article “A Baseline
Definition of Culture.” This article brings into focus
the connection between learning and culture, which gives us
a huge reason to be conscious of the culture element when we
design and develop our courses.
- We’ve often worried about using or not using certain
words when we write for the American audience. I chanced upon
this essay by Candace Coleman, a student at Marymount High School
in Los Angeles. I don’t know if this article will be available
for long, but it gives us a first hand account of what an African
American feels about these issues. I’ve also seen a lot
of strong emotion in forums where this issue was being discussed.
Click on http://www.tolerance.org/teens/printar.jsp?p=0&ar=33&pi=te
to read the essay.
February 2005
- Click on http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/text10-29-2004-60970.asp
to read an article about Dogpile (Yes!), the search-engine who
had to change its name to gain acceptance in a new market. The
cultural issues that plague International marketers are the
same as those that run havoc in an ID’s life!
- Click on http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/initial.html
and read about the shift to multicultural education. This article
introduces the concept of multiculturalism and how it can be
implemented. Though the perspective here is of K-12 education,
it applies to all types of content.
January 2005
- Ever felt lost in the ocean of words that look alike, sound
different; or sound alike mean different; or words that keep
appearing and disappearing on the pulsating surface of this
lexico-ocean? Ever felt lost thinking what a special word “looked”
like? If you have, you should have this URL in your favorites
folder. This is a link to the new words, pronunciations, and
illustrations from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language, 4th Edition.
http://www.bartleby.com/61/
- Also check out the World Fact book at http://www.bartleby.com/151/
If you are developing content for a country that you know nothing
about, or know a lot but aren’t sure whether what you
know is right, this is the place you should go to. This Fact
book is extensive in every sense of the word!
Writing
Style Resources |
Culture
& Language Resources | ID
Concepts Resources
|
