THE LANGUAGE OF PEACE:
WHAT IT MEANS FOR
TEACHING ESL AND ESOL
Rebecca L. Oxford, ESOL Educators’ Conference,
Birmingham, Alabama, October, 2014
We are ESL/ESOL teachers

Therefore, we are . . .
PEACEMAKERS
We are ESL/ESOL teachers

Therefore, we speak and teach . . .
THE LANGUAGE
OF PEACE
We are ESL/ESOL teachers

Therefore, we help create . . .
CULTURES
OF PEACE
What is peace?


According to Martin Luther King, Jr. (2001), peace is
harmony attained by working productively with
conflicting perspectives.
Similarly, for Harris (2006b) peace implies a
continuing, active struggle to manage conflicts in
nondestructive ways.
What is peace?




PEACE IS NOT MERELY MYSTICAL.
I do not want the peace which passeth understanding,
I want the understanding which bringeth peace.
Helen Keller
PEACE IS PRINCIPLED.
Conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity
and discipline. . . until justice rolls down like waters
and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
What is peace?




PEACE IS A GOAL AND A MEANS.
Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek,
but a means by which we arrive at that goal.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
PEACE ENTAILS SOLIDARITY.
True peace entails humans’ inner solidarity with each
other as a species bonded by love. All human beings
must be seen as family members living together on the
Earth.
Jing Lin
Peace is multidimensional
Peace within the person (inner peace)
Peace with other people whom
one personally knows
(interpersonal peace)
Peace between or among groups
(intergroup peace)
Peace between or among states
Peace with the environment
Inner peace, interpersonal peace, intergroup peace,
international peace, intercultural peace, ecological
peace
What is the language of peace?



The language of peace is a set of tools for
understanding peace fully and working for peace.
It is any form of communication – verbal or
nonverbal – that describes, reflects, expresses, or
actively expands peace.
The language of peace offers us the vocabulary for
conversing about peace, but it also has
transformative qualities.
What does the language of peace do?

Using peace language enables us to
 change
our attitudes,
 enhance inner harmony,
 improve relationships,
 deal more effectively with conflict,
 defuse potential or actual violence in education and
society,
 foster social justice and human rights, and
 reverse human destruction of the environment.
Activities: Fostering inner peace and
interpersonal peace with SMILES

SMILES (Adapted from Carrie Drake, Intermountain TESOL)
– 6 scientifically based happiness habits. Introduce 1
happiness habit to students 1x week. Give students practice.
Later, have students choose which habits to continue. Ask
them to keep a weekly log.






S = Share gratitude 3 x day
M = Meditation moment – 5 min. – prefrontal cortex becomes
bigger
I = Intentional acts of kindness 5 x day
L = Look back for 2 min. Write a note or draw a picture about a
positive incident.
E = Exercise – 15 min. per day (while practicing vocabulary,
perhaps).
S = Social spending – Spend a little money or time on someone
else.
Activities: Fostering inner peace and
interpersonal peace with poems

Ask students to write and illustrate a poem about any of the
following:





feelings about being in the U.S. or in this class
feelings about parents, families, homes, or cultures
The poem can be only a few words if that is all the student
can write. It can be as long as a page.
Help students publish a class or school poetry and picture
collection.
This comes from some of the work that Dr. John Green and I
did with ESL students.
Love is the reality, and poetry is the drum that calls us to that.
Rumi
Activities: Fostering inner peace and
interpersonal peace with journaling


Write in your journal what love means to you. (Dr.
Yingji Wang, Intensive English Communication
Program, Penn State; Ch. 6, Understanding Peace
Cultures. )
If we have time today, I will read what one student
did in response to Dr. Wang’s invitation. (p. 98)
Knowledge for fostering intergroup,
international, and intercultural peace
Understanding cultures: What is the main difference between these two?
What percentage of the world’s cultures fall into each category?
Collectivist vs. Individualist


Triandis (1995) estimated that 70% of the
world’s cultures are collectivist, and the
other 30% are individualist.
For details, see next slides and Ch. 10,
Language of Peace.
Strongly or Somewhat
Collectivist
(in relation to the world mean of 43)
Guatemala 6; Ecuador 8; Panama 11; Venezuela 12; Colombia
13; Indonesia and Pakistan 14 (tie); Costa Rica 15; Peru and
Trinidad 16 (tie); Taiwan 17; South Korea 18; El Salvador 19;
Bangladesh, China, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and West Africa
20 (tied); Chile 23; Hong Kong 25; Malaysia 26; East Africa and
Portugal 27 (tie); Bulgaria, Mexico, and Romania 30 (tie);
Philippines 32; Greece 35; Arab World and Brazil 38 (tie); Jamaica
and Russia 39 (tie)
Hofstede, 2009
Strongly or Somewhat
Individualist
(in relation to the world mean of 43)
United States 91; Australia 90; United Kingdom 89;
Canada, Hungary, and the Netherlands 80 (tie); New
Zealand 79; Italy 76; Belgium 75; and Denmark 74;
France and Sweden 71 (tie); Ireland 70; Norway 69;
Switzerland 68; Germany 67; South Africa 65; Finland
63; Estonia, Luxembourg, and Poland 60 (tie); Malta
59; Czech Republic 58; Austria 55; Israel 54; Spain 51
Hofstede, 2009
Collectivist Cultural Values

Collectivist cultures focus on the person as part of
a social group.
 Collectivist cultures are comprised of strong,
tight in-groups, such as extended families, in
which people participate from birth.
 These in-groups closely nurture, protect, and
guide their participants, while in return
expecting long-term loyalty from the
participants.
 Filial piety, respect toward elders,
interdependence
Collectivist Cultural Values


If a given individual seems to garner too much
attention based on excellent performance or other
individual factors, social forces must restrain him or
her (“the nail that stands up must be hammered
down”)
Credit or blame for a project is attributed to the
group, rather than the individual
 If
one member of a team instead of the whole team
receives an honor, this situation can be humiliating or
upsetting to the rest of the team
Collectivist Cultural Values
21



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Formality and ritual
Fatalism
Priority on personal relationships
Eloquence and indirectness
Self in Collectivist Cultures
Father
X
Mother
X
X
XX
X
X
Friend
X
X
Self
Sibling
XX X
X
X X
X XX
X
Friend
X
X
X
Coworker
X
X
X
X
Interdependent Self-Construal in Collectivist Cultures
Source: Adapted by Rebecca L. Oxford from Markus and Kitayama (1991)
Self in Individualist Cultures
Self
Mother
X
XX
X
X
Friend
X X
X
Father
X
X
XX X
X
X X
X XX
Friend
X
X
Sibling
X
X
Coworker
X X
X
Independent Construal of Self =
Image of Self as Independent of Others
Independent Self-Construal in Individualist Cultures
Source: Adapted by Rebecca L. Oxford from Markus and Kitayama (1991)
Individualist Cultural Values

Individualist cultures center on the person
as a separate, unique individual.
Individualist cultures focus on the
individual person rather than the
group.
In individualist cultures, comparatively
loose ties connect individuals, who are
expected to take care of themselves
and their immediate families.
Credit or blame goes to the individual.
Individualist Cultural Values

The individual is special
 Personal
rights and needs, such as privacy
 Self-reliance, autonomy, and personal responsibility
 High competition, less cooperation
 Can-do attitude, anything is possible!

Relationships
 Many
interpersonal connections of short duration
 Loose, wide networks among people, unlike the longterm, cohesive relationships found in collectivist cultures.

Time is money; spend it wisely.
CULTURAL VALUE CLASH!


What happens in your classroom when people from
collectivist and individualist cultures have to work
together? (It happens every day!) How do their
values clash?
As the teacher, how could you help them overcome
such a clash?
High-Context Communication
(Collectivist Cultures)


High-context communication is largely indirect, with
much of the message unsaid and with many
meanings and values implicitly shared by others in
that culture – but not by outsiders.
The message is in the body language (facial
expression, posture, gestures), the setting, the tone of
voice, status, and traditions – not the words.
High-Context Communication
(Collectivist Cultures)

Typical high-context communication:
Eloquent phrases and politeness rituals are expected
 Lots of time given for introductory relationship-building, while
simultaneously assessing the social characteristics of the other
party.
 Decisions focus on face-to-face relationships, often around a
central authority figure
 Collaborative solutions to problems, not focused on the
individual
 Many details left out (only implied or metaphorically stated)
 Disagreement often not stated openly


High-context communication seems devious and timewasting to low-context communicators.
Low-Context Communication
(Individualist Cultures)

In low-context communication, most of the
information is in the explicit code, i.e., is openly
expressed
 No
need for many contextual cues from tradition, the
physical environment, nonverbal behavior, social status,
or family background (Hall, 1976).


Decisions are largely made on the basis of facts
rather than feelings
Discussions are expected to lead to action
Low-Context Communication
(Individualist Cultures)

Key information is “out on the table”







Facts rather than feelings
Logical presentation, yes-no thinking
No patience for extraneous eloquence, lengthy formalities, or
circular arguments!
Belief that communication should be concise, clear, direct, brief,
orderly (Grice’s principle)
Often found in legalistic cultures, where knowledge is
transferable, external, codified, public, and accessible (e.g.,
U.S., U.K.)
Based on the idea that truth is rational
Low-context communication seems rude,
domineering, aggressive, and unrefined to highcontext communicators
CULTURAL COMMUNICATION CLASH!



Assume that you are in a group (classroom) in which
there are high-context and low-context
communicators.
What are the major conflicts that might occur?
How could you help resolve these conflicts?
Cultural views of face

One of the most frequent and significant obstacles
to positive cross-cultural relations is losing face or
causing others to lose face. It is our job to help
students understand face differences and maintain
face for each other.
Face
34
What is face?
 Your self-image based on what others think of you (and
vice versa: their self-image depending on what you think
of them)
 Credibility,
honor, or positive image in the eyes of others
 Respectability and/or deference a person or country can claim
from others



In a word, face = HONOR
The opposite of face is HUMILIATION or SHAME
How can you help all your students maintain face?
Face
35

Face in collectivist, high-context cultures
(Africa, Far East, Middle East, Latin America):




Losing face  shame
Maintaining face or honor is a key to life
Many ways to lose face (next slide)
Face in individualist, low-context cultures (U.S.,
U.K., Australia):



Face is less personally important than in
collectivist, high-context cultures
In individualist cultures, you can lose face through
doing something that makes you feel guilty
Restorative self-face strategies: joking, excuses,
humor, aggression, justification
LOSS OF FACE IN A GAME SITUATION 
Face-Threatening Actions in
Collectivist Cultures
36












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Doing anything that harms the group mission or group solidarity
Not following relevant gender-related customs
Using gestures that are offensive
Dressing unacceptably
Losing temper in public
Not using the appropriate greetings (words, handshake style, etc.)
Not learning customs for gifts or hospitality
Constantly rejecting dinner invitations
Not showing gratitude for hospitality
Saying negative things about people
Being overly direct
Asking too many personal questions
Giving brutally honest feedback
Making fun of men holding hands in certain collectivist cultures
Activity: Fostering intergroup,
international, and intercultural peace
with cognitive empathy
Help students use cognitive empathy across groups,
nations, and cultures. Cognitive empathy is an
interpretation in which you intentionally try to see a
situation, action, or person through the eyes of
someone else. How can you teach students to see
through someone else’s eyes?
38

Activity: Fostering intergroup,
international, and intercultural peace by
being anthropologists/detectives
Help your students become informal
“anthropologists” (or “detectives”)
They need your help to do the following:
 Find a trustworthy informant from the other group, nation,
or culture
 Ask themselves, “What do I need to understand?”
 Ask questions about the other group, nation, or
culture
 Ask to hear stories
 Take notes in a notebook or on an IPad
39
Activity: Fostering intergroup,
international, and intercultural peace
through reframing

Ask students to go beyond first
impressions/prejudgments by
reframing
 Reframing
helps avoid getting stuck
with quick, inaccurate conclusions
 Reframing helps alter stereotypes

We all have stereotypes (Lewis, 1999), but we do not have to keep
them forever
 Reframe

the picture with new information
How can you teach reframing?
Fostering intergroup, international, and
intercultural peace by dispelling stereotypes
What we as teachers need to remember:



A stereotype is the mental generalization, usually
negative, by which we define members of a group.
Negative stereotypes are different from tentative generalizations in
the following ways: they depict each member of the target group as
identical, they are not changeable based on contradictory evidence,
and they have continuing emotional power (Augsburger, 2004).
Stereotypes use negative metaphors and symbols, unattributed
cultural myths, and gossip, passed along in personal conversation,
speeches, writing, or the media. Prejudice and stereotypes lead to
fearing the “other.”
Activity: Dispelling stereotypes


STEP 1. Students generate 8-10 examples of
stereotypes (negative generalizations, bad ideas)
they have of other countries, of older or younger
people, of poorer people, and of people with
different skin color or religion.
STEP 2. They then brainstorm more realistic and
more loving depictions to substitute for each of the
8-10 examples.
BAD, UNKIND IDEAS
Americans are all rich and lazy.
GOOD, KIND IDEAS
Activity: Learning from cultural
hospitality traditions

STEP 1. Students discuss (or draw pictures of)
hospitality traditions in the their home cultures.
Examples:
 In
Afghanistan, the tradition is: “Honor the guest. Even
though he be an infidel, open the door.” In Afghanistan,
if you are invited to tea or a meal, you now have a
relationship and a duty to be faithful and honest.
 In the Indian/Pakistani Punjab, a guest is “a
representative of God.” Hospitality is open to all, even
invaders.
 What are the hospitality traditions in Mexico, in Korea,
or in all the other places where are students come
from?
Activity: Learning from cultural
hospitality traditions
STEP 2. Students make a list (or draw pictures of) of
the key aspects of hospitality they have received in
their culture or in the U.S. (e.g., kindness, love,
sharing food and gifts . . . ).
 Related to Ch. 9,
Language of Peace

Activity: Sharing personal and cultural
experiences through an ESL newspaper

Personal stories of war and peace written by ESL
students in Silver Spring, Maryland for the Silver
International ESL newspaper. (In Ch. 3 by Drs.
Shelley Wong and Rachel Grant, Understanding
Peace Cultures)
Activity: Connecting with nature
(ecological peace) through talking

Ask students to do the following:
 Go
outside.
 While there, talk to a plant for 15 min. and write down
what the plant tells you. (This is especially good for a
grammar class involving reported speech.)
 Do not talk to any human beings during that time.


This activity was created by Dr. Yingji Wang at the
Intensive English Communication Program at Penn
State (Ch. 6, Understanding Peace Cultures).
I will read aloud a few of the profound writings by
Dr. Wang’s ESL students based on this activity.
Activities: Connecting with nature (ecological
peace) through a love letter and discussions


Ask students to write a love letter to nature, saying
what they like best about nature and asking nature
what she needs from us. Use this as a prelude to a
discussion of ecology and ecological peace.
(Adapted from Buddhist ideas in Ch. 7,
Understanding Peace Cultures)
Ask students to discuss what they would do about
the environment if they became world leaders. (Dr.
Wang, Ch. 6, Understanding Peace Cultures)
Activity: Artists of life dealing with
many dimensions of peace

The soul never thinks without a picture.
Aristotle
Ask students to discuss pictures such as the following.
1.
What is happening in the picture?
2.
How does it make you feel?
3.
How does this picture relate to peace?
4.
How does it relate to love?
See other “artists of life” ideas in Ch. 7, Language of
Peace
Activity: Peace pictures




Ask students to draw or paint pictures to answer the
question, “What is peace?”
Tell them they can also add words or sentences to
the picture.
Have a display of the drawings or paintings. If
desired, ask students to talk about what they
created.
This is adapted from my activity at an international
fair at the University of Maryland (Ch. 12,
Language of Peace). In that situation, students,
parents, and community members referred to all the
dimensions of peace!
Strategies by Wong and Grant for
peacemaking in ESL/ESOL classrooms



Teach to the whole person: cognitive, emotional,
physical, spiritual, social
Transform conflict: Teachers of English learners have
a special role in countering negative, antiimmigrant, anti-“foreigner” discourse. Mediate
conflicts. Model cooperative learning.
Support civic engagement of English learners.
Support learners’ writing and publication about
their own experiences.
Strategies by Wong and Grant for
peacemaking in ESL/ESOL classrooms


Pay attention to oppression and imagine a different
future. Ask political questions about power
structures.
Use a “funds of knowledge” approach, which says
that each student comes to class with funds of
knowledge to be shared.