Just a funny cultural difference
Friday, when I went to the school to teach English at 4pm, I heard Veasna's voice, so knew that he was still teaching. Not wanting to interrupt, I waited out of sight, in the front part of the school.
I could still hear him teaching in a very loud voice, but noticed that there were students walking around. Huh! I wondered what the deal was. So I asked one of the students why he wasn't in class. He said it was over. Then I asked why Veasna was shouting and he told me that he was giving his mid term test orally to each individual student. OK... So I asked again, "why is he shouting when there is only one student?" The response I got didn't make sense to me, so I figured that it was just my lack of understand Khmer (the Cambodian language).
I asked another student who seemed to say the same thing.
So, I went into the school and while Veasna was getting his stuff out of the way, I asked him why he was shouting. He said " Well I am just a little guy." (Again, not making sense). I said that still doesn't explain why you were shouting, since you didn't need to shout to be heard. And, I got the same explanation from him as I did the students.
Here is the explanation: they believe that you remember better if you are scared. An example of that is, as I was told, that if a robber comes up and shouts at you and scares you to give him your money, that you will remember that entire episode very clearly. Therefore, if the teacher can shout at you and scares you, you will remember what he says better and for longer. So, since Veasna is "a little guy" and they aren't afraid of him, he was shouting in hopes that it scared them and they would remember better.
How's that??!! The good thing in all this was that I DID understand the WORDS they said just fine....I just didn't understand the meaning. So there are additional barriers to understand over and above the language. Makes life interesting!
Much love,
Ronda
PS. Another graduation coming up on October 31st!!!
I could still hear him teaching in a very loud voice, but noticed that there were students walking around. Huh! I wondered what the deal was. So I asked one of the students why he wasn't in class. He said it was over. Then I asked why Veasna was shouting and he told me that he was giving his mid term test orally to each individual student. OK... So I asked again, "why is he shouting when there is only one student?" The response I got didn't make sense to me, so I figured that it was just my lack of understand Khmer (the Cambodian language).
I asked another student who seemed to say the same thing.
So, I went into the school and while Veasna was getting his stuff out of the way, I asked him why he was shouting. He said " Well I am just a little guy." (Again, not making sense). I said that still doesn't explain why you were shouting, since you didn't need to shout to be heard. And, I got the same explanation from him as I did the students.
Here is the explanation: they believe that you remember better if you are scared. An example of that is, as I was told, that if a robber comes up and shouts at you and scares you to give him your money, that you will remember that entire episode very clearly. Therefore, if the teacher can shout at you and scares you, you will remember what he says better and for longer. So, since Veasna is "a little guy" and they aren't afraid of him, he was shouting in hopes that it scared them and they would remember better.
How's that??!! The good thing in all this was that I DID understand the WORDS they said just fine....I just didn't understand the meaning. So there are additional barriers to understand over and above the language. Makes life interesting!
Much love,
Ronda
PS. Another graduation coming up on October 31st!!!
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