Critical Incidents: Cultural Dimensions 2  

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Example 3

Shane Global, flickr

Bo, a young woman from China, attends a language class in Norway. She is very interested and studious, and the teacher compliments her several times on her good progress. After some weeks the teacher introduces a new learning approach: Every Wednesday evening the lessons are not given as the usual language lessons but as an open discussion on current topics. The students can choose the topic they would like to talk about.

The teacher encourages the class, a group of eight people, to express their opionions and points of view, for example on political or cultural issues. Bo is very silent in these discussion rounds. She does not feel comfortable and wishes the lessons were held in the traditional style she is used to. After the second Wednesday session she leaves the language class.