STEFE Database

Learning Activities:  Context: Social experiences in England and France

FOCUS  dealing with others; attitudes to work and work ethos 

WAY OF WORKING work separately in  pairs by nationality then discuss together

PROCEDURE

Read and respond to the task before looking at the interview data

TASK  ONE

Have you had experience of working with someone else on a joint student project? If you have what were the problems, if any?  If not, do you think there would be problems? 

Recognising the danger of making generalisations, do you think the French are more or less blunt than the English?
How would you cope if someone from the other nationality was critical of your personal appearance? 

Do you think French students take their work more or less seriously than English students?  Could there be a reason for this?  Might there be consequences for social relationships?

Now read what Claire says.

Find the name Claire  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Claire . Read what is printed in BLUE.

Would you agree or disagree with what she says?  Would you react as she did? 

For the last point on work ethos compare what Denise and Lucy say (printed in BLUE).  Do you all agree?  Do you see that there could be consequences for you of any differences? 

Click on  >> to find  Denise and the second and third sections of Lucy's comments.

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TASK TWO

We all have different ways of coping in new situations and in new places when we know almost nobody else.  Read what Claire does to meet people. What ways do you have for coping in these kinds of situations?  Are they the same as Claire's?

Find the name Claire  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Claire . Read what is printed in BLACK

FOCUS  expectations about others on the course; attitudes to work and work ethos; coping with stress 

WAY OF WORKING work separately in  pairs by nationality then discuss together

PROCEDURE

Read and respond to the task before looking at the interview data
 

TASK

What do / did you expect the other people on the course to be like? 

Recognising the danger of making generalisations, do you think French students work in different ways from English students?  Do you think French students cope with stressful situations in different ways from UK students?  Could there be a reason for this?  Might there be consequences for social relationships?

Now read what Nadine says.

Find the name Nadine  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Nadine .  Read what is printed in BLACK and in BLUE.
 

Would you agree or disagree with what she says?  Would you react as she did?  How would or do you react in stressful situations?

CONTEXT social experiences at university in UK / France  ACTIVITY Three

FOCUS  living in a household of French and English students 

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Rita  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Rita.  Read what is printed in BLUE.

TASK 

How much do you agree with Rita's views about 

 • dressing up to go out
 • eating 
 • the blunt expression of opinions
 • the ability of the French to enjoy themselves without alcohol
 • the French being more culturally aware?

Are there any surprises?  What differences seem important to you?

Now read what Sally says about living in a mixed French and English household.

Click on  >> to find  Sally.  Read what is printed in BLUE.

How would you deal with the situation Sally describes?  Do you agree with her description of French bluntness and French eating habits? 

CONTEXT social experiences in UK   ACTIVITY Four

FOCUS  going out in mixed nationality groups 

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Sean  in the English group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Sean.  Read what is printed in BLUE.
 

TASK

How much do you agree with Sean's views about  French students'

 • drinking habits
 • attitudes to sex
 • linguistic ability?

Are there any surprises? 

CONTEXT social experiences in UK   ACTIVITY Five

FOCUS  perceptions of cultural difference, living in a household of French and English students 

WAY OF WORKING work and discuss together as mixed nationality groups

PROCEDURE

Find the name Bernadette  in the French group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Bernadette.  Read what is printed in BLUE.
 
 

TASK

How much do you agree with Bernadette when she says "the way you perceive cultural differences depends on you"?

Do you believe that her attitude to cultural difference is positive or negative?

Are there any surprises for you in what she describes? 

NB This should be done last.

FOCUS  social experiences 

WAY OF WORKING individually, then discuss with others of the same nationality then another nationality

PROCEDURE

Find the name Annette in the British group of students in the column headed Social experiences and cultural differences.   Click on Annette.  Continue through all the British group and then read what the French group has to say. Read what is printed in BLUE.
 
 

TASK 

Read through all the comments of first the British group (starting with Annette) then the French group (starting with Anne-Marie). 

Are there any surprises for you personally?  Are there any situations which you feel you could have dealt with better or less effectively than individual students here?  Pool your impressions.  Work out a way of coping with what you consider to be your own problem areas.