Do this grammar exercise quick!

Think of a countable noun in English that ends with a silent e...

Now use that word in a sentence that has two verbs...

Translate that sentence into Chinese.

How does your brain feel now?
Q: What does out of awareness
mean?

A: Here is an example: Your heart is
beating right now. Were you thinking
of this before I mentioned it?
Probably not. The beating of your
heart was out of awareness.

Another example: There are sounds
(probably from traffic, machines, or
people doing things) which you can
only hear right now if you stop
everything and listen carefully. These
sounds were there when you were
not listening, but they were out of
awareness. Likewise, most of our
cultural knowledge is out of
awareness.
If you're normal, this little exercise was not fun, and your brain was not happy. That is because grammar
is usually hidden somewhere deep in your brain, and most people would like it to stay there. Some
people like to think about grammar.







I don't.

Grammar is a system of rules we use so we can speak to each other correctly, so that we can
understand each other. If you speak your native language, you almost never think about grammar rules
-- they are out of awareness. You learned them as a child without knowing you were learning them. But
when you learn a foreign language, grammar rules cannot be ignored. Before you can communicate well
in the new language, grammar rules must be brought into awareness.

This course is not about grammar, so don't worry! This course aims to help you cultivate, or develop,
awareness of the hidden rules of culture, which you might well call "cultural grammar." Culture is like
language: there is a part that is easy to see and hear, and a part that is a hidden system of rules people
use to think and behave "correctly," and to understand each other.

I find this kind of "cultural grammar" very interesting, and I think you will, too. Questions to keep in mind
are:
- What are the hidden rules in a culture? Do I know the hidden rules of my own culture?
- How is knowing these rules going to help me live and work with foreigners?
- In what ways are cultures different from one another? In what ways are they the same?
- I like grammar! Why do you say I am not normal? (humor)
Cultivating Cultural Awareness
Have you read the introduction to this course?
On this page:

A brief explanation of
awareness, as in cultural
awareness and out of
awareness.