Lesson Ten
The Green Banana
Donald Batchelder
Teaching Procedures
Introduction to the background knowledge
The structure of the text
Detailed discussion of the text
Conclusion of the text
Assignment
Author and the text
The text is taken from Beyond
Experience: An Experiential Approach to
Cross-cultural Education edited by
Donald Batchelder and Elizabeth G.
Warner in 1974. When the second edition
of the book was published in 1993,
Batchelder explained his view on crosscultural education:
Author and the text
“If some of the goals of education in modern
times are to open up possibilities for discovery and
expand learning and the chance for mutual
acceptance and recognition in a wider world, it
may be important to offer students a perspective
on their own immediate center of the world by
enabling them to participate sensitively as crosscultural sojourners to the center of someone else’s
world.”
The structure of the text
Part 1 (paras. 1—4): The story of the “green bananas”
Part 2 (paras.5-8):
What the author learned:We should
respect all civilizations in the world.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
What is “learning moments”? Have you ever
experienced “learning moments”? Have you ever
heard of or encountered the experience of cultural
differences? List the examples.
The occasion called for some show of recognition
on my part. (para. 3) What does this sentence
mean?
… trying to show interest if not complete
acceptance. (para. 3) Does the author agree with
the villagers?
Detailed Discussion of the Text
… its time had come to meet my need. … It was my own
time that had come, all in relation to it. (para. 5) “It was
my own time” to do what? Why is it, in the author’s
opinion, that many useful things remain unknown to us?
Who is to blame?
But once a conscious breakthrough to a second center is
made, a lifelong perspective and collection can begin.
(para. 7) What does he mean by the “second center”?
Which is the first center? How can we make a conscious
breakthrough to a second center? What does he mean by
“perspective” and “collection”?
Detailed Discussion of the Text
My ancient jeep was straining up through
beautiful countryside when the radiator
began to leak. (para. 1)
to strain: to try very hard
 radiator: the part of a car which prevents the
engine from getting too hot (散热器)
 When the radiator started to drip, my old jeep
was trying hard to climb up the mountain in the
picturesque rural area.

Detailed Discussion of the Text
The over-heated engine forced me to stop at
the next village, which consisted of a small
store and a few houses that were scattered
here and there. (para. 1)

Due to the high temperature of the engine, I had
to stop at the next village, which contained a
small shop and several houses that were loosely
distributed.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
He patted me on the shoulder, assuring me
that everything would work out. (para. 1)

He patted my shoulder, confirming that all the
things would be resolved.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
Similarly:

1. to wound sb. in the leg= to wound one’s
leg

2. to hit sb. at the back= to hit one’s back
Detailed Discussion of the Text
I did not ask them, though, as that would
show my ignorance. (para. 2)

However, I did not inquire about the reason,
since it would reveal my lack of knowledge.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
He, in turn, inspected me carefully, as if to
make sure I grasped the significance of his
statement. (para. 3)

Then he examined me with great caution in the
way of ensuring that I understood the
importance of his words.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
They then refilled my radiator and gave me
extra bananas to take along in case my
radiator should give me trouble again. (para.
4)

Then my radiator was filled again by them and
I was provided with more bananas as a
precaution my radiator should leak again.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
As a product of American education, I had
never paid the slightest attention to the
green banana, except to regard it as a fruit
whose time had not yet come. (para. 5)

As someone educated in the United States, I
naturally had never paid any attention to the
green banana, except to take it as a fruit which
was not yet ripe or which was not yet ready to
be picked and eaten.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
It was my own time that had come, all in
relation to it. (para. 5)

It was me who had come to know the green
bananas, and everything connected with it.
According to the author, every civilization has
special geniuses (symbolized by the green
banana), which have existed for many years.
But they will not come to your notice and
benefit you until and unless you are ready to go
out and meet them.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
I had been wondering for some time about what
educators like to call “learning moments”, and I
now knew I had just experienced two of them at
once. (para. 5)

The two things that suddenly dawned on him are: the
fact that every civilization has wonderful treasure to
share with others and the idea that every village, town,
region or country has a right to regard itself as the
center of the world.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
I had at first doubted their claim, as I knew
for a fact that the center was located
somewhere else in New England. (para. 6)

The author obviously was born and brought up
in New England. Therefore he had always
regarded it as the center of the world.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
The cultures of the world are full of
unexpected green bananas with special
value and meaning. (para. 8)

The green bananas have become a symbol of
hidden treasures from every culture. For proper
understanding of a piece of writing, it is often
important to notice such symbolic language and
to know what the symbols stand for.
Detailed Discussion of the Text
Question 6: In Para. 9, when Carlos offered Karen
a lead part in a play, Karen said that she did not
want to be funny. How do you interpret the girl’s
words?
Carlos promised the play was funny. But Karen
quickly took the subject of “being funny” to be
herself. From her response, we knew that Karen
still thought she was a laughing stock of the
others. Although Carlos had done a lot to change
her appearance and her participation in activities,
she had not achieved a complete transformation.
Conclusion of the text
The use of green bananas first is regarded as
something to stop the leak of the jeep
temporarily and then as a symbol of the
unknown treasures of each civilization. The
author believes that every nation has good
things to offer to the rest of the world. It is
therefore wrong to regard any nation as
inferior. We should reject ethnocentrism
and adopt cultural relativism.