ESL Newsletter
October, 2016
The topic of this month is cultural competence
American classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse. As NEA President Dennis Van Roekel has noted, “Educators with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to value the diversity among students will contribute to an educational system designed to serve all students well.”
Cultural competence is a key factor in enabling educators to be effective with students from cultures other than their own.
Cultural competence is having an awareness of one’s own cultural identity and views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families. It is the ability to understand the within-group differences that make each student unique, while celebrating the between-group variations that make our country a tapestry. This understanding informs and expands teaching practices in the culturally competent educator’s classroom.
To be "culturally competent" one must...
- Value Diversity. Accepting and respecting differences—different cultural backgrounds and customs, different ways of communicating, and different traditions and values.
- Be Culturally Self-Aware. Culture—the sum total of an individual's experiences, knowledge, skills, beliefs, values, and interests—shapes educators' sense of who they are and where they fit in their family, school, community, and society.
- Understand the Dynamics of Difference. Knowing what can go wrong in cross-cultural communication and how to respond to these situations.
- Have Knowledge of Students' Culture. Educators must have some base knowledge of their students' culture so that student behaviors can be understood in their proper cultural context.
To better understand a student's culture, look beyond the surface level... check out the graphic below about the iceberg of culture:
Below are examples of diversity in cultural differences:
Eye contact
In some cultures women should not make too much eye contact with men as it could be misconstrued as a romantic interest.
In countries such as China and Japan, eye contact is not considered an essential to social interaction, instead it is often considered inappropriate because it is a sign of disrespect.
In many circumstances intense eye contact is seen as aggressive, confrontational and extremely disrespectful.
Personal space
Personal space is the distance that you keep between yourself and another person. It varies widely between cultures.
In the United States: two meters' space between friends and family members, and up to three meters between strangers and business associates. Similar in the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, and other European countries.
Latinos and Saudi Arabians: Often stand very close to one another, even those they don't know well. Latino friends often hug and hold hands.
Asian cultures: Not as close as Latinos, but less personal space than western cultures.
Hand signals
CLICK HERE to learn about hand gestures in various cultures.
Laughing
Arriving on time
Research it!
Cultural Corner: Holidays in October
Rosh Hashanah - October 2
Columbus Day - October 10
Columbus Day is the celebration of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on October 12, 1492. Christopher Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who discovered the Americas for the Spanish King in 1492. King Ferdinand of Spain sponsored the expedition west in the hopes of sailing to India. In August of 1492, Columbus set off into the Atlantic with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Two months later he would set foot on the Bahamas and establish settlements on Hispanola Island (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Upon his return to Spain, he spoke of gold in the New World and thus the Americas were opened up for European colonization.
Yom Kippur - October 12
Ashura - October 11
For Shi'a Muslims, Ashura marks the day that Husayn, the grandson of Muhammad, was martyred. For Sunni Muslims, it marks the day that Moses was saved from the Pharaoh's tyranny
Diwali - October 30
Halloween - October 31
Upcoming Events
Carly Baker
Email: cabaker@pennridge.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/pennridge.us/mrs-baker-esl/
Location: Pennridge High School, North 5th Street, Perkasie, PA, United States