Acculturation & Assimilation
A Study Case of Sean Redmond
Introduction:
What is CULTURE:
The word "culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses:
1- Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture
2- An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning
3- The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group
What is ACCULTURATION:
Acculturation is the exchange of cultural features that results when groups of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first hand contact; the original cultural patterns of either or both groups may be altered, but the groups remain distinct. (Kottak 2007)
What is Assimilation:
Assimilation is the more extreme process of acculturation. It comes from the realization that one will never return to the society of origin, so one takes on the entire lifestyle of the new culture.
How would learning a second-language effect on our culture:
Psycholinguist John Schumann (1976a; b) developed a typology for explaining the linguistic acculturation of a second-language-learning group (2LL) to a target-language group (TL):
"In terms of cultural patterns involving life-style and values, there are three general integration strategies which the 2LL group might adopt:
-Assimilation, Acculturation, or Preservation.
If the 2LL group decides to assimilate, then it gives up its own life-style and values and adopts those of the TL group.
If it chooses to acculturate, then its members adapt to the life-style and values of the TL group, but at the same time maintain their own cultural patterns for use in intragroup relations.
Preservation, as defined here, is a strategy in which the 2LL group completely rejects the life-
style and values of the TL group and attempts to maintain its own cultural pattern as much as possible" (Schumann, 1976a, pp. 136-137).
Schumann used the following factors when describing the social distance in relation between the target language group (TL) and the second language learning group (2LL):
Dominance of the TL group politically, culturally, technically, or economically.
Integration pattern of the 2LL group the degree to which the learner wishes to integrate/assimilate himself to the TG
Cohesiveness of the 2LL group; how close is the learner’s social group?
Enclosure degree of the 2LL group from the TL group, i.e. sharing social facilities
Congruence of the both groups; how close are the two cultures?
Attitudes toward each other are they favorable, neutral, or hostile?
Size of the 2LL
Length of residence that 2LL group intended in the TL area
In our case of study we notice that the social distance between Sean and the Target Language group, Saudi Arabia, is very low, and that's why he succeeded in assimilation the culture and dialects.
Sean Redmond A Case of Study:
· Society of Origin: Brittan, his father's origin is Irish and his mother originally from Malta. · Language: English ·
Religion: Converted to Islam in 1993 at the age of 19 years old after years of questioning the Christianities' believes. ·
Education: Graduated from Manchester University in Modern European Languages and Middle Eastern Studies He studied Arabic Language for two years (one year was in Egypt) ·
Arabic Cultural Contact:
1- One year in Egypt as a student of Arabic Language.
2- Six years in Kuwait as an English Teacher (1996).
3- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he settled since 2003, he work as a trainer in Saudi's National Guardians, also he is working in 2nd channel of KSA. T.V as an announcer in English Language. He got married to a Saudi Lady in a traditional way. ·
The Changes in Lifestyle:
- He changes his name to an Arabic name Yaħya, but in passport it remains Sean because of the difficult procedures in Brittan.
- Most of his friends are from KSA and some from Kuwait.
- He loves to wear the traditional Deshdasha and ShmmaƔ.
- He is fascinated with Saudi's cuisine; he even presented a show about traditional meals and cloths of the different areas of KSA.
- He admires the Arabic poetry and wants to be a poet himself after he succeeded in learning the different dialects of KSA.
- He treasures the Arabic habits and values as hospitality and sees it as rare in other world cultures.
- He is so comfortable with the Saudi's lifestyle so he decided to settle down in Riyadh.
- He aim from his T.V shows to introduce the Arabic and Saudi's culture to foreigners and to correct the wrong ideas about the culture and people.
You can watch the interview with Sean Redmond by clicking on the links in the references
____________________________________________________________________
References:
- Valdes, Joyce Merrill. (1986). Culture Bound. Cambridge language teaching library.39
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acculturation
- http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~culture/rudmin.htm
- Video clips from YOUTUBE of the interview with Sean Redmond
1- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0aHRjwUQmc&feature=related
2- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDeAu13bDio&feature=related
3- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rJ6lxfJwr4&feature=related
4- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yiy1yOapSc4&feature=related
5- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h89F0Nqy8gU&feature=related
6- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOK8Kxg9zS8&feature=related
Thank you all
Thank you Eyman a lot for your useful post. a really liked the style you organized the information and the examples you gave, which we can use it as a refrence for the final exam. And the vidoe clip of interview with Sean Redmond or Yehya was a really amazing i got shock actually he look as Arabian man. Thank you again and good luck.
ReplyDeleteSalam !
ReplyDeleteI've watched his show on the saudi television , he's such an incredible and devoted person , Arabic considered to be the hardest language to learn and when you hear him you wouldn't tell he's a foreigner , I had an idea that's the best Arabic learners are russians only but I think I'm mistaken now ; )
great topic Eman I really enjoyed it : )
He's one of the most remarkable people I've ever seen or even heard of!
ReplyDeleteMost of the studies related to second language acquisition argued that there is a critical period or age for language acquisition, but this guy is one a few people who have a high aptitude for acquiring a language after passing the critical period....
Great job Eman, keep it up ;)
Thank you Farah, Nagham,and Fatma for your comments, I'm glad that you liked my presentation topic. It is hard to tell that Sean is not an Arabian when we see him talking fluently the different Arabic dialects; As you said fatma Sean breaks the rules of second language acquisition theories that is related to the point that younger ages are best in acquiring a second language,and I think the reason behind his marvelous assimilation is that he is highly motivated by his Islam.
ReplyDeleteHi Eman,
ReplyDeleteYou talked about one of the famous man who was acculturated with another culture than his mother culture. Sean Redmond is one of few people who made it and succeed acculturation within the difficulties that faced him.
What a great work honestly it was. Thanks alot for your hard work.
hello Eman.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Your presentation was amazing perfect and interesting. I loved it so much. Also it was rich with information and knowledge. I liked the videos, it was very very interesting and enjoyable. We can see that you did a lot of effort.
Al-jowhara Al-dehani.
Beautiful topic with useful information about how deal with new culture in new society. I like that point which mention that any newcomer to the foreign country needs to learn the standards, way of life, norms and values of the people and country to become an accepted member of the new society.
ReplyDeleteAcculturation is important process in the life to become the communication between people easily.
Hadeel
Nice informations :)
ReplyDeleteI think people who aculturate to the new culture those who accept the new culture. so to acculturate newcomers needs to learn the standards, norms, ways of life .
shurooq al-isa