University of Cahul, Moldova
I always thought I knew what cheating was, until I spent two years living in another country. Having been a student and teacher in the United States, I thought I had a pretty clear understanding of cheating. In fact, I would argue that cheating was a universally understood concept. All of my students knew what it looked like, and everyone understood that the consequences were dire. I never really had to explain it to my students. They just knew that it was wrong, and one should never do it.
My interpretation of cheating went out the window when I moved to the Republic of Moldova as a Peace Corps Volunteer. From 2003-2005, I was a university English professor and teacher trainer in this tiny former Soviet republic, which is also known to be one of the poorest countries in Europe (World Bank, 2022). I might also add it is populated by some of the most welcoming and kind people I have ever met. I taught several sections of English language and American culture classes to groups of talented students who were clamoring for any exposure to a native English speaker. They were hardworking and motivated, so I was amazed to see what ensued on the first day I gave a test.
Me with some of my students 10 years after serving in the Peace Corps
Twenty college-aged students sat down before me, as I handed out the tests face-down to each of them. As I started the clock on the assessment, they each turned over the document and immediately started talking to each other, full volume. One leaned toward another and asked what they got for number three. Another turned around to a neighbor to ask if their answer was correct. There was no whispering or trying to hide what they were saying. After five minutes of watching in disbelief as this happened in every corner of my classroom, I stopped and asked what was happening. One of the class leaders simply said they were taking the test. When I asked why they weren’t silently answering on their own, she earnestly explained, “Why would we take the test alone, if together we can get more of it right?” This wasn’t the response I had expected.
After a rich conversation with them about the importance of showing what they as individuals know, it became clear to me that the expectation in Moldova was to share knowledge to put your best foot forward. From my American worldview, my expectation was that tests were individual endeavors and that it was a chance to show the teacher what each student had learned. The concept of cheating was interpreted differently in this new cultural context, and in the moment, I had a very hard time shifting my perspective. To this day, I continue to question the value of individual assessments as compared to group work, and what about my cultural perspective influences how I view education. That day in Moldova was also a lesson in letting go of my cultural assumptions to try and relate to the perspectives of my students.
Discussion Questions:
-How could I have contextualized the test from the start in order to honor both my intentions and the cultural context in which I was giving the assessment?
-Can you share an example when your cultural assumptions were challenged by someone else’s worldview?
13 Comments
Ella L · October 2, 2022 at 8:15 pm
I recently was walking on main street with a friend to get dinner. I suggested pizza since as an American pizza is a very common food to eat. My friend said she couldn’t eat pizza so I asked her why. I assumed it was an allergy or something but then she explained to me that her religion majorly influences her eating. It is a sin to commit self harm and then she explained to me that most pizza had pork in it. Pork was made from pigs and pigs eat mud and dirt. She explained that meant she was putting that into her body and that was considered self harm. I was shocked that people would think so deeply into food and where it came from when I just ate while trying to be healthy. This really made me think about how majorly people are influenced by their religions.
Araceli L · October 3, 2022 at 6:05 am
Q#2:
Last year, I went to Mexico where my parents and family are from. It was my first time going to Mexico and seeing where my parents grew up, it was a very exciting experience. Many of my family members live there and I was so excited to meet them, as well as getting to know them. We went to Mexico for 2 months and my brother’s birthday was within those 2 months. We wanted to do something special like a birthday party for him with all our family members there. We stayed over at my aunt’s house and we realized that her culture did not allow her family and her to celebrate birthday parties or even go to parties. So we couldn’t celebrate his birthday with them and had to go to our grandma’s house to have a little celebration which made me a bit upset because I wanted them to be there. I didn’t think that some cultures didn’t permit people to do certain things like going to parties or celebrating one. I now know that there are different things that aren’t permitted in certain cultures and it’s totally fine.
Rebecca W · October 3, 2022 at 7:08 pm
1. You could have made norms for the test and discussed with your students how they take tests in Moldova, and come up with a way to compromise in the middle.
2. One example is in Rome, it is customary to pay to use the bathroom. My family was not aware of that, so we walked into a cafe looking for a bathroom. The owner yelled at our family because we didn’t buy anything. Finally, my dad bought a cup of coffee, and then they only let one person go to the bathroom instead of my whole family. This was very different from what I’ve experienced in America because im used to free bathrooms
Nicholas C · October 3, 2022 at 10:44 pm
This may have been a hindsight is 20/20 thinking idea but maybe the only way to honor both sides of cultural and educational aspects of test taking was to have the experience of witnessing and immersing yourself into Moldovan test taking culture. Maybe one could argue that you could research this aspect of life in Moldova but it would be hard to have that openly shared without having that immersive experience. There are certain experiences in different cultures and society that I feel like there is no way to research or prepare for you have to live it.
I can’t think of a specific example where I have made cultural assumptions in another country to this level but on a similar level I have had people made cultural assumptions with my heritage. I’m an Italian-American and sometimes there will be moments good or bad that can be funny or unsettling. My father and I call these moments ‘medigan moments. We like to poke fun at people in a light hearted way who may mispronounce our last name-Caputo- or mispronounce a common food that we eat. My friend will tease me sometimes on using Italian words or phrases to describe certain things. That is the closest example I can give for this particular situation.
M · October 3, 2022 at 11:01 pm
In our class discussions, I talked a little about my experience with work hours and ethics during my time in Spain. For Spaniards, people start off their days late and end it early. They also make sure to incorporate an hour-long break in the middle called a ‘siesta’. Originally, I thought that this just meant that the people there were just lazy. After spending more time there, I realized that this was not the case. Most people in Spain put a lot of effort into the work they do. The breaks taken during the day are a great way for the Spanish people to not become stressed and have a positive attitude towards their work.
Now that I think about it, I wouldn’t mind having a siesta or two every once in a while.
Max W · October 3, 2022 at 11:22 pm
1. You had no idea how tests were taken in Moldova, so I don’t think there was a great way for you to know how your students would react to a test unless you had watched them first hand. You could have asked them how they take tests, or explained your rules for the test, but the general assumption is that tests are taken independently. Combining that with little to no experience in that sort of test taking environment, I don’t think that there was a good way to have predicted how they would act.
2. A great example of my cultural assumptions and background being challenged by someone else is when I traveled to Germany. In America, tipping is a big part of eating out, as it can add up to 20% onto your bill. However, while I traveled throughout Germany, I realized that tipping isn’t common at all, and most tips are at most 3 Euros, which is equal to about 3 USD. I assumed that tipping was a way of life around the world, but was pleasantly surprised at saving some money for food in Germany.
Bodhi V · October 4, 2022 at 12:27 am
I would say giving some time to share some cultural differences. Because you were if a new country, I think it would be best to assume that some ways are different. I personally don’t think it was your fault not knowing this was their way of taking a test but reflecting on it, I wonder, is this how they do all things in life? In America tests are taken alone, papers are written alone, and sometimes there’s a feeling of, “every man for themselves.” However, I think it would be more beneficial if we thought about work and tests as people do in Moldova. It’s easier that way(sometimes)
Ali S · October 4, 2022 at 1:42 am
I think when in a different country it’s always best to assume nothing is the same as where you are from. However, that sounds easier said than done, as it’s impossible to question our every belief. Perhaps talking to another teacher who came from a similar situation as you; or reading a blog of someone like that might have prepared you better. Unfortunately, there is not always a source available to answer questions you didn’t even know you had, so this may have been an unavoidable situation. That’s not even a bad thing though, as you learned from it, as you yourself touched on. Cultural shocks are unsettling, but not unbeneficial.
Secondly, my cultural assumptions were challenged when I heard about the HPI. I fell in love with the idea instantly, there wasn’t much shift needed, but an index that can actively measure happiness seemed so impossible and foreign to me that it was a shock. That’s another example of cultural shocks being good.
Grace G · October 4, 2022 at 2:27 am
I think that the difference in test taking in different cultures would have made a great in-class discussion while still being able to be respectful to both cultures. The way we see cheating in the U.S. during a test relates to so many negative feelings. I would instead of shaming like we would have done here I would have used it as a teaching point. I found it really interesting that Moldova’s test-taking strategy is to help others and that a group is more powerful together. While here in the U.S. we see it as if everyone can do it individually by themselves then maybe later on in the future it could be helpful in a group. These two points of view would create an amazing discussion that could, later on, help the class understand the teacher’s different rules without making their culture around education feel so out of the box.
My family is quite spread out through the U.S and while we do not travel to foreign countries we still experience different cultures and worldviews. My one grandmother and uncle live in Georgia and one thing that is very different around the world is accents. My grandma has a pretty harsh southern accent and as well as not understanding some things she says she also uses different words than we do in the north. We were having a conversation one day and she used a different word than something we would have used up here. I was really confused because her sentence did not make much sense. So after I asked her a few follow-up questions I was able to teach her and she was able to teach me about words used even in a different part of the same country.
Maia M · October 6, 2022 at 2:06 am
For the first couple of years of my life, I lived in North Jersey where there was a vast Hispanic community. When I moved to my current house, there was more diversity because there weren’t mostly Hispanics. My neighbor is Turkish and Muslim. Since I was so used to being around Hispanics, I wasn’t used to the different customs that my neighbors had. I would go to their house all the time, and almost every time, I felt a little confused about why they did certain things. I never found their customs weird, but there were times when I would feel a little embarrassed because I would do the wrong thing. For example, I would forget to take my shoes off before stepping into their home, or I would make noise when they were praying. There was also this time when my neighbor’s mother was greeting me, and in Hispanic culture, it is common to “kiss” one’s cheek when greeting them, so when her mother came to greet me, I greeted her as I typically would, but as I was sitting back down, I noticed her mother turning to kiss my other cheek. I was embarrassed by it, but gladly, they didn’t think much of it. After reading this blog post, I realized that my worldview was what caused me to feel lost and confused when I first met my neighbor; however, with their help, I was able to adjust my worldview and allow myself to learn from and about their beautiful culture.
Lucas L · October 6, 2022 at 11:47 pm
1. For the first question, if you really want to let them do the test individually, you can’t just simply ask them to take the test individually or tell them the benefits of doing test individually, they wouldn’t listen because it is their cultural assumptions. My method is to let them finish a few questions together first, and then take the other questions individually, then you can ask them, “What did you feel?”, “Was it a lot harder working individually?. Finally explain that the only way to improve yourself is to finish tasks independently. It is ok to fail, once you got it right, you are going to improve. You can’t just simply tell them to do it your way, even if they did, they are still going to repeat when you are gone.
Sarah H · October 7, 2022 at 2:20 am
2. I remember hearing stories about when my dad was visiting Vietnam (his home country). He told us about how one home could be filled up with multiple generations of a single family. Grandchildren, parents, and even cousins were all living under the same roof. When you hear about this many people in a small house, you might think that it’s unfortunate that so many family members all have to live together. That’s what I thought. We’ve grown up enjoying our own personal space, so imagining a situation where you would always be surrounded by others might make us feel uncomfortable. However, my dad told us that when he talked to them, they were extremely happy and grateful that they could always be so close to their family. To them, the fact that they get to live with so many family members is amazing. There will always be someone to talk to and to help you whenever you need it. This story gave me another perspective. This is an example of how stories can have multiple perspectives, and can let others see the world in a way they might not have before.
Anna S · October 7, 2022 at 4:08 am
While I spent three month in France the past year, I learned something about the French food culture that I didn’t really know before. I kind of knew about it but I did not think many people would stick with it and take it so seriously. French people don’t eat in between meals.
They eat their meals: breakfast (petit-dejeuner), lunch (dejeuner) and dinner (dîner) but not one single thing in between. The only exception is the “goûter”, “snack-time” when you come home from school and need a little refreshment.
When I ate something in between meals at my host family’s house, they would look at me weirdly and ask me why I was always eating (which wasn’t very nice).
When I talked with one of my French friends, she told me that her mother used to tell her she would gain weight if she ate something in between meals.
I thought that was a little extreme. I mean it’s true that eating three proper meals a day and not snacking that much in between (overeating) is good for your body but sometimes you just need a little snack now and then. But now I realize that this is just how they do it and I don’t have to be against or for it, I just have to respect their kind of way.
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