27 October 2020

Week 07: Difference in Manners

Have you ever done something that someone looked at you weird for? How about something that is normal as walking with your hands in your pockets? Each culture has different manners that are normal or abnormal.

Working in an ESL classroom may help you to see more of these differences. There are differences such as blowing your nose, where you put your hands on the table, or how to greet someone that are very different. Americans have a very independent cultural which allows them to have a bigger personal bubble then other cultures. Americans will sit apart from other students where as some Asian cultures will sit right next to you even if there are plenty of other seats.

If differences in culture begin to be a problem between students it would be wise to address these differences. It would also be wise to discuss why other cultures do what they do if at all possible. This would help students to be able to recognize why students act or say what they do.

Because of a change in culture when learning a new language, it is important to discuss someone of these differences with your students to help student feel as though they fit in more or don’t get offended from what others may say or do.

27 October 2020

Week 07: Cross-Cultural Students

In any room there are always different cultures that come together. These cultures can be very similar or drastically different. These differences in the dynamic of a room can be because of differences in public expression. In a classroom there is a difference in respect for their teacher.

Different cultures have ways of expressing themselves. Asian cultures are more reserved when talking in class and out in public. When found in a classroom they may not comment as much compared to European cultures. You can also see the many Latino cultures are very expressive and will talk and comment on almost everything anywhere they are.

In the Asian culture there is a huge respect for their teachers. In your classroom you may see them not commenting as much or finding the behavior of other students disrespectful. They respect teachers highly enough to not even debate what they have said. In America there are many times were in the classroom you are reminded to raise your hand and follow the rules. There are also times where debating the teacher is appropriate and not seen as disrespectful.

Over all a classroom can be full of different persecutions on how students and teacher should react and due to differences in expression.

23 October 2020

Week 06: Attributional Tendencies

We live in a world they there is always blame for out success and out failures, but within each culture there is different people that are to blame for these situations. Before we dive into who is to blame we need to know how they are categorized.

Internal attributional blame is when we place the outcome of the situation on our own actions.

External attributional blame is when we place the outcome of the situation on someone or something else. Examples can be teacher, parents, family, and God.

In each culture you can see a normal tendency of where people place their blame. Americans seem to place their success internally, while they place their failures very externally. This can be harmful to their relationships with others in the long run.

In Japan they place their successes externally and thank those who were part of there success. While there failures and places heavily on themselves and seem to be buried deep. This not good for their self esteem and is one reason they have a high suicided rate.

There are some cultures like India and Hong Kong they find internal attributes for both there failures and success. This kind of thinking can help keep you progressing without diminishing your self esteem completely.

By understanding these differences in thinking you can sympathize with people and help them find a healthy way to place the blame of their failures and success. This is especially useful when teaching students of different nationalities as they all learn and blame themselves differently. This can also help you as a teacher to understand why some student place the blame on you and why others do not.

23 October 2020

Week: 06 Personal Space Differences

In America, we have this thing called personal space. I think of it as an imaginary bubble that we don’t want people to invade unless we know they and have given them permission. This is not the case for all cultures though. Many other cultures are very close and are not use to having personal space. In the video below you can see how people in Japan are without personal space when riding the train.

Could you imagine being pushed onto a train so that everyone could fit?

Other cultural differences can be seen when talking about personal belongings as well. Americans are very possessive when talking about what belongs to them. Brother Ives, a BYUI professor, talks about how Americans think of their belongings as an extension of themselves. This is not normal for all cultures. Some cultures are very giving and can barrow whatever is around. This is like a “what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine” mentality.

When discussion differences in cultures before someone is to visit or move. It is important to understand this concept. If this is not understood some people could be accused of stealing or weird for invading their personal bubble. If taught correctly this cultural difference can help these new comers to ask before they use others belongs and be seen as a polite person. I also believe that by more people understanding that each culture has different personal space ideas we can be less judgmental of others and talk things out that seem different.

22 October 2020

Week 06: Individualism and Collectivism

We live in a world where each culture lives and does what they normally do, but what happens when you move or visit a new culture? Will you fit right in or will you stick out in the crowd. There are many things you learn before you go to your new destination such as the language and greeting customs, but did you know there are other customs that are over looked that you may find very odd or uncomfortable with? I would like to express one culture norm that gets over looked a lot. This is the difference between being in an individual society or a collective or group society.

Individualism is a way of life in which you get to decided when, where, and what you do. The Untied States follows an individualistic culture as they live by there constitutional rights. This right is also not just given to adults, but to children of all ages. Many Americans take this right for granted and don’t realize that many other counties do not get to share these cultural rights.

Collectivism is seen in many Asian counties and the Philippines. In this video you can learn a little but about who Japan uses collectivism to there advantage.

As you can see this collectivism helps children stay safe and families and friends help each other. These counties also have a since of unity when put in groups for activities and traveling. It is an honor to be put in group and you should help, respect, and honor the other individuals in that group.

When teaching students about other cultures it is important to express these differences and how they differ from there existing culture. If a student was to go get a job in another culture while attending school or while working internationally the concept of being fired might not come to mind for them. Many students might have questions of why individualism is mean or free spirited. These questions can be addressed by helping them gather a better understanding of the good that comes out. Such as having the time to get to know people on a more personal level or allowing children to learn on their own and gain their own experiences.

Over all neither cultural way is wrong. They both have their advantages and disadvantages and each culture is okay with that, but it is important to understand the cultural norm so that you can feel comfortable where ever you are.

19 October 2020

Week 6: Differences in Emotional Expressivity

In a lecture by a BYUI professor, we learn that emotional expressivity is one of the most misinterpreted cultural norms. These expressions can be put on a scale from low to high emotional expressivity based on how much a country shows there emotions outwardly. Many Asian cultures are found on the low side of the emotional expressivity scale whereas many European and Hispanic cultures are found on the high emotional expressivity scale the United States is found towards the middle of this scale.

In many times in a private setting all strong emotions are the same through out different cultures. The difference in emotion is seen more as you observe people in public. There can also be differences in emotion within the same culture such as the United States. In the United States you can see that the amount of emotional expressivity is different from those who live in the mid west verses those who live in some of the big cities such as Chicago and New York.

I have seen many of these difference as I have moved to many different places in my life. I have noticed that everywhere I go I have to learn something new that is social expectable in public. I could feel as I walked the streets of Chicago that I felt awkward smiling everywhere I went. At that point I was from Texas and found that smiling was just apart of the day. Talking and asking how people were doing were part of what we did. By simply changing the culture I was able to see a change in what was normal for there cultures emotional expressivity.

16 October 2020

Week 5: Cultural Miscommunication

Have you ever been somewhere and done something that seemed to be founded upon? Like saying no to seconds or greeting someone in an unfamiliar way. These inconsistencies are simple differences in Culture.

I served a mission on San Jose, California. I loved it because I was always within the Hispanic community. I quickly learned customs as I knew they would be different. Honestly learning these customers where much easier then I though. I hugged everyone on Sunday and also exchanged a kiss on the cheek. It wasn’t until I got home that I had forgotten how cultural some of the things I picked up were. After a conversation I felt uncomfortable as I would go for a hug but it was not replicated. I would eat slower so that I was given seconds and thirds, but in reality my family hated that I took so long to eat. I had grown accustomed to many things and had forgotten that they were not things I had done before.

Every culture has there way of doing something, and no one is wrong. It is just different. It is important to teach TESOL student customs of those counties that speak English. It is also important to make sure as a teacher you know the customer that are associated with your students so that you can better interact and teach them.

15 October 2020 Week 5: Cultural Differences Concerning Time

In an article by BYUI. I was able to dive deep into the preferences that cultures have as far as how they respect their time and others time. In some cultures their lives are not as structured as someone who works in a business. There are not daily and weekly deadlines. There are things that need to get done, but many things are dependent on others. If someone was in need of help and you can find the time then you would help them. It wouldn’t matter what was going on or what was excepted by others.

This sight about time is a polychronic thinking. This is not the normal for the United States who is a very monochronic thinker. This can been seen as many times if its not on the schedule it doesn’t happen. Appointments are made and not missed. Many Americans feel bad if they miss or forget an appointment.

I was able to serve my mission on San Jose, California within the Hispanic community. After reading this article I was able to better understand why people would not be there or wouldn’t answer the door. Many cultures see that giving you a time to talk later is more polite than telling to you no you don’t want to talk. In the American culture that can be seen as impolite as time is very important.

When teaching culture in a TESOL classroom this should be an important topic to remember, because being polite is something everyone wants to be. You do not want your students to feel as though others think they are being rude when that is a normal aspect of there culture.

13 October 2020 Week 5: Cultural Paradigms

As we grow we are taught what is normal and what is abnormal. What we need to avoid, be afraid of, walk away from, ignore, smile at, talk about, and so much more. This on its own is were we can see some of the biggest cultural differences. Just in the way we act and react around each other.

During this lesson I was able to watch a few videos about what cultural paradigm is and see it in action as a group of men from Sudan who have come to America the first time. (Click here for a short eye opening video clip.) Many of their cultural indifferences have been a sad change for them, but many of the freedoms and technological advancements are what have brought them to America.

I have not had the chance to really understand the cultural difference myself by adventuring out side the United States, but I do have many friends that have made there way here and have found it to be different. They have changed some of there lifestyle to better fit what it is like here.

I served my mission in San Jose California and was given the opportunity to speak Spanish and immerse myself in the Hispanic community. I was able to learn of traditional foods that I would not have been eaten except though this experience. I was also able to understand the many differences in the standard of living and friendliness of many. I also found that unlike most Americans religion was normal topic in there day to day lives. You could walk up to anyone and they would gladly have a religious conversation with you.

I had not understood the importance of realizing the cultural differences and their importance in the classroom until today. Every student has a set of traditions and things they do and do not do. Until they understand what is and isn’t acceptable these TESOL students maybe in shock or confused about what is going on. I know that as I work to make sure that my students feel as though they know the culture they will be able to feel more comfortable in there new location.

I have been working as an para educator for the last year but have been working with children for while. I have enjoyed these aspects of my life a lot and have learned from them as well. While reading “Is the Great American Teacher Dead?” I was able to learn more about the important of giving the proper education to those we teach.

Teaching is not just a simple check marks the box. Many times it is repetitive and in need of a good student teach relationship to find the patient that is required to give each student the education that deserve. I work with many kids that have disabilities and the education presented needs to entertaining and meaningful to them or they don’t understand what is going on or to the depth that it needs to be understood.

Brother Ives has given ten points that help create a good teacher. These ten points include…

• A positive teacher-student relationship
• A good “delivery”
• Edifies rather than damages a student’s self-concept
• Clarity through examples
• Encourages deep and critical thinking
• Variety instead of monotony
• Grading and workload is generally perceived to be fair
• Enthusiasm and zest for the topic
• Meaningful to real world problems
• Potentially transforms one’s world view from one of uncritical acceptance of cultural dictates to one of deep, reflective, and compassionate thinking

These simple actions can take a life time to master, but working hard on them can enhance the enthusiasm of your students learning. It is always important to know how your students react to what you present to them. I know that students will normally try to test your boundaries and by knowing how they react and you react you can have a well maintained classroom with students who are learning. Students and teachers need to work together to learn and accomplish the learning in the classroom.