The purpose of "critical incidents" is to reinforce the concept that one action can be interpreted in many different ways. It is not to make overarching generalizations about the culture and how people will definitively react in a given situation.

E: Cultural Homework

Surveys

If your learner is interested in learning more about cultural norms, you may want to use surveys. Surveys are short lists of questions that the learner uses to get information from two or more people.

Surveys can be on a variety of topics and can be written for beginning to advanced learners. While you could write the survey yourself or take it out of an ESL text, it is best to have the learner write the survey with your assistance. Before you write a survey together, ensure that your learner is comfortable talking to native speakers about the assigned topic and knows people (from school or work) that are willing to be interviewed.