] Methodology Authentic situations Online presence Email Social media Students who are new to the country and dealing with lots of “real-world” issues Finding housing Setting up utilities Figuring out public transportation; getting cars and driver’s licenses Getting acquainted with a new city: what to do, where to go for fun, etc. Overlooked things: where to get a haircut, how American pharmacies work, etc. Remaining approachable; validating their challenges Having authentic situations in ESP classes Product pitch Writing emails Good news vs. bad news Requests & reminders Job interviews “Water-cooler” conversation skills Book recommendation: Americans at Work: A Guide to the Can-Do People (by Craig Storti) [36:15] Culturally speaking… High-context vs. low-context cultures Sources: http://www.marin.edu/buscom/index_files/Page605.htm Worldwide ERC What’s the difference? High-context – indirect (Asia, Middle East, Africa, South America) Less likely to share thoughts and feelings Stress expressed non-verbally or accidentally Conversation is monotone (lack of inflection and enthusiasm) Communication is indirect (evasive, talking around the point, tactful, ambiguous) Conflict (harmony valued) Low-context – direct (North America, most of Western Europe) More open with thoughts and feelings Don’t hide stress/tension Conversation is enthusiastic Communication is direct (precise, blunt, to the point) Conflict is a means of expressing (and having pride for) personal opinion Tips for teachers Make students aware of the difference (validate both) Be specific with directions for assignments (putting it on paper helps indirect communicators) Modeling being direct (i.e. through teacher feedback) Prefacing authentic situations with a discussion about being direct vs. indirect Encouraging classroom participation (challenging for indirect communicators) Students who want to tell the teacher how to teach