Cross-cultural Schemata and Change in Modern China: 'First Fresh Air Comes In and also Flies Come In'

Basic theorising regarding the notion of 'cultural schemata' is presented as well as an analysis of how this theory impacts on cross-cultural understanding in modern China. A small-scale classroom study of an aspect of cross-cultural thinking related to marriage and divorce is outlined. The procedure, developed with a group of Chinese university students, demonstrates the value of simple 'in role' drama as a means of stimulating dialogue and transforming ordinary discussion into a powerful learning and thinking process. The paper concludes by emphasising that task-based problem solving approaches, which have a socio-cultural basis, can provide a very useful structure for developing oral language skills in an 'English as a Foreign Language' setting.