The NaZa NaZa Cross-Cultural Simulation:

Appendix 3 - Handout for Za Members


THE SECRET RULES OF ZA CULTURE
(Do Not Tell Anyone Else There Rules)

Each person in Za Culture receives five cards at the start of the game with four possible patterns:

plain ("pla"),    bold ("boa"),    underlined ("una"),    and italics ("ita").

RULE 1. In your culture, people try to make as many points as possible by trading cards. Za people are honest and proud of their culture. Also, all people are equal at the start - but some become richer by the end of the game. Za people earn money by handing in a set of four consecutive cards of the same type to the Za leader (also called the Great Banker). Money is a highly valued sign of success. People in Za culture love money.

RULE 2. People should do business standing up. To start business, shake hands with a partner. Shaking hands means you agree to do business. (If people don't shake hands, they do not want to do business with you.) Business must be conducted in the Za language. If a person makes more than THREE MISTAKES in the Za language, you will no longer do business with them. They are unreliable. The Za language is different from English in just four ways -
  1. QUESTION GESTURE - You must clap your hands once at every question. (If someone asks you a question, but forgets to clap - you should clap your hands for them. . . it is impolite answer any question unless there is a clap.)

  2. OTHER GESTURES - There words are expressed only by gestures - they are never spoken: 
    	 *  HELLO - Scratch the stomach.                * GOOD-BYE - Scratch the back.
	 * I WANT - Point to your chest.                * YES -  Point to the ceiling.
	 * I DON'T WANT / N0 - Point to the ground.
	 (If a person says these words out loud, you should repeat the correct gesture.)
  3. PATTERNS - The Four Great Patterns are expressed through these words -

    PLAIN is Pla, BOLD is Boa, ITALICS is Ita, UNDERLINED is Una


  4. COUNTING - The Za way of counting cards is based on the repetition of each card shape. For example, if you want a Number 6 card with an underlined pattern, you should point to your chest, then say "Una, Una, Una, Una, Una, Una." Your partner can either agree or disagree to exchange cards. If she agrees, she will point to the ceiling and say, "Exchange!" If she disagrees, she will point to the ground and say, "Exchange!"
RULE 3. Cards offered for trade are held up so the other person can see the numbers and patterns. Do not show the cards you don't want to trade - only the ones open for trade. People do not talk about the cards they have - just the ones what they want.

RULE 4. The goal is to get a five card set. Any consecutive sequence of five cards of the same pattern is a five card set. For example, a group of italics 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, and 5 cards would be one possible set. At 9, 10, 1, 2, 3 card sequence of bold cards would be another possible set. Once a person gets a five-card set of the same pattern, she records her score on the chalkboard and picks up a new set of cards from the Za Leader (the Great Banker). When each participant turns their five card set in, they get some money, and a new set of random cards from the Za Leader.

RULE 5. The skill of this game comes from being able to figure out which set to try to get. You can also bargain with others, balancing greed with "fairness" as you wish. If you have a card someone really wants, you can ask for two or even three cards in return.

REMEMBER THESE RULES CANNOT BE TOLD TO THOSE OUTSIDE YOUR GROUP!


Abstract Nihongo no Gainen Introduction Rationale BáFá BáFá NaZa NaZa
Other Simulations Conclusion Survey Results Na Rules & Na Materials Za Rules & materials Feedback Form


Chronological Index Subject Index Title Index
www.tnewfields.info/Articles/nazaAp3.htm
Copyright (c) 2001 by Tim Newfields