What positive things can I teach Japanese students about British culture?

Question

I teach English in rural Japan. I'm often asked to pick one aspect of British culture to teach them. It's so difficult to define British culture, and yet it's so difficult to explain multiculturalism to Japanese kids and adults!! What positive stuff would you teach and how?

Answer 1

The right to be different and respect for multi-racial kids. How everyone gets on with their own lives and has no need of the "gomi-police" or putting their names in the right order etc. Just that in Britain, it really is o.k. to be different as long as you are not harming anyone else. Eccentricity is a great part of our culture. Japan is going through these changes now - it is a good time to enforce the positive things of being different, especially when, even in rural Japan, there must be changes coming from the cities - the foreign kids cannot be ignored anymore. It used to be that everyone stared and pointed and yelled "Gaijin! Gaijin!" That stopped suddenly as more and more Japanese were exposed to foreigners.
If your place is really that rural that there are no other foreigners there, on your weekend go to some of the bigger towns (not cities) and take a video or digital photos of the mixed race kids there. Do the same when you visit England. Pictures impress more than words.
If you are near Hamamatsu, in Shizuoka ken, then you can get some good research material here. There are more Brazilians here than anywhere else; lots of other nationalities, lots of racially-mixed kids, and it is a small city. Tell the Shiyakshyo what you need and I am sure they will help you!

Answer 2

How different races, religions and classes learn to integrate on a metropolitan scale. The cross-cultural integration helps the global growth of the language.
The language is probably one of the most significant aspects.


Remember that the culture is not static. Britain has one of the proudest historical foundations. An insight into the history of the Britain will go a long way towards helping you to define the culture, and helping your students appreciate your teaching.

From a historical perpective: Monarchy, conquests & colonies, inventions, (Union of Scotland, Wales, England, N.Ireland)

Today's culture can be seen through: Popular sport (Footbal), Popular music, Dominant occupations, Most-watched TV programmes, Political allies, Commonwealth ties, European ties, Leargest Multinational corporations, Ethnic diversity, Food, Literature, Tourist attractions, Pubs and night-life etc.

I hope some of these help. Good Luck.

Answer 3

A good way to learn about the world is through history - tell them about the different ages of Britain - the Celtic tribes, the Roman Empire, the Saxons, the Viking raids, the battle of Hastings, the Tudors, the Civil War, the colonial era, the industrial revolution and then the modern day (In the words of Basil Fawlty "Don't mention the war!" unless someone brings up this topic).
Also mention the music of Britain, the food and the literature. They will love MacBeth - this so relates to feudal Japan (actually the famous Kurosawa film "Kumonosu-jo" is basically MacBeth).

Answer 4

I think it depends largely on what you see as positive aspects of British culture. I teach English in South Korea, often what I do is choose something that has a strong visual image, get photos and use that as a starting point. Eg castles, Stonehenge, photos of places/people you like, stuff like that.
Also its worth finding out what your students actually percieve as British in the first place as there is often some confusion of western countries and culture, particularly within Europe. Ask them what do they think is British?
Commom denominators also work well- eg food, football, people's homes, games etc as comparisons of culture.
In the end I guess it does come down to what you think is positive about Britain today-choose what you have confidence in! Hope this helps.

Answer 5

It is true that modren British culture is hard to define.
Much of that is because -as has already been mentioned - it IS such a melting pot.

British culture is -

* Fish & Chips (invented by an Italian in Glasgow)
* Balti's on a Friday night (invented by Bangaldeshi's in Birmingham)
* Playing crap American 'hip-hop' music way too loud in Vauxhall Nova's at the traffic lights
* Taking Chinese tea with Italian biscuits

But as to 'geuninely' home-grown stuff (er... apart from 'that' home-grown... oh, yeah, then again, maybe not... )
* Taking drugs to hide from reality (pot, alcohol, heroin, nicotine)
* Trying to be the youngest ever pregnant school-girl
* Creating mad comedies that few others can really understand
* Trying to live up to - or down from - Monty Python (show them some Python scripts and see what they make of them!)
* Eccentricity ( the ability to go your own way, no matter what!)
* The best (and sadly the worst) of the BBC
* Dr Who
* Football and following a footie team
* Having said teams colours on your clothing/school-bag/face
* The gloriously stupid but endlessly facinating game of cricket


or look to the past -
* stone circles (avebury & stonehenge are biggies, but there are thousands of little ones too)
* Empire
* Shakespeare
* East India Company
* Issac Newton (y'know, the guy who invented the apple)
* Arthur and Merlin
* All the many invasions in history that created this basterdised race in the first place (Angles, Celts, Brits, Saxons, Vikings, Romans etc)

Answer 6

Well,, despite what anyone says, Britain is now a true multi cultural country so it'll be hard to find something that is quint-essentially British to teach them,, I know that Honda is the biggest selling car in the UK if thats any help,,

Answer 7

I'd teach them about conquering Wales and hating the French.

Or really about the feudal system, as I think that all this time later there are still echoes of that in our culture. History is what sums up Britain, and what a lot of Brits are most proud of.

Answer 8

Most British people have very refined manners, so please teach Japanese students how British parents raise and discipline their children to be true ladies and gentlemen.

Also, Japanese students would be interested in the great British tradition of Afternoon tea, which is too refined and elegant to the Japanese... Are the British still having the tea and scones at afternoon?

Answer 9

Tolpuddle martyrs. Epitomises the class struggle in British society.

Answer 10

sugoi !
Teach them of our love of music, literature and art.
Our two cultures sometimes are oddly alike eh ?
I can understand how difficult it must be to explain multiculturalism, so maybe you can advise them of our tolerance and ability to absorb and learn from other cultures.
Ooops, more than one thing.