Do you notice that some people watch you closely when they hear you and other people who, on the contrary, avoid eye contact? Do you notice some others who enjoy interrupting the conversation and others who remain in silent until you stop talking? Do you consider excelling in class a fault or a virtue?
We can consider rude or sympathize with certain behaviors. We tend to judge more promptly than to take time to think about why people act in one way or another. This is one of the thing we must consider when we relate to people from other cultures because each culture has its own paradigms and perceptions of the same reality. Moreover, if we are teachers and want to help others, we need consider cultural-based differences.
“Miscommunication is rampant between cultures. It causes a lot of difficulties; it may even cause wars. It can cause murders, sexual assaults, etc.” John Ivers.
As I said in the previous post, there are differences between cultures that we should pay attention to.
There are many cultural variables to evaluate: Environment, time, space, competitiveness, thinking, and others.
For example, in a monochronic culture, the time is perceived differently than in a polychronic one. The schedule is like the Holy Scriptures for monochronic people, and polychronic people are very sensitive towards people´s feelings. That´s why it´s probably that in an ESL class you will find students from fixed-time cultures who place value in being on time and getting things done on time while fluid-time students are comfortable with flexible deadlines and shifting priorities.
“The time variable also has other implications. Since teachers in the United States tend to be single focused, students ought to interrupt a teacher for questions or comments in an indirect way, for example, by raising their hands. A simple verbal interruption may be interpreted as being rude. One method that Americans use for polite interruption is apologizing in advance: “Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I had one question.” (Linda Callis Buckley)
I always remember an experience with an American missionary. I was talking about my experience in Pathway, the differences in teaching and vacation periods and he remained silent. I did not know if I was being bored or uninteresting until I finished talking and he started telling me about his experience. I was confused because I was not used to talking to people who do not interrupt me by showing their interest in the matter. In my culture, if you are interested in the conversation, you maintain eye contact and ask questions or at least try to make a sound.
There are other factors such as individualism and competitiveness. American people tend to be very individualist and competition is accepted to achieve personal goals, while in collectivist cultures, “group identification and decision-making are emphasized and compromise, cooperation, and consensus are promoted to create harmony.”(The CATESOL Journal)
Another important thing to keep in mind when teaching in an ESL class is what John Ivers said, “ all people on earth have the same emotions, and we all have similar facial expressions in private, but public facial expressions can vary immensely. While in American culture smiling is associated with happiness and cheerfulness, in Asian cultures it can be associated with confusion and embarrassment. ”
As we can see, there are many cultural differences that can generate misunderstandings. In the process of getting to know our students, knowing their cultures, customs and paradigms will allow us to help them in a more effective way. Be aware of students’ postures and facial expressions and give them opportunities to work the way they feel comfortable. Remember that we are facilitators, the person in charge of helping them reach their goals and acquire the new language.
References
- John Ivers, Cultural miscommunication.
https://video.byui.edu/media/04%20Cultural%20Miscommunication%20/0_3aaa6xxh/280-27982
- Linda Callis Buckley, “A Framework for Understanding Cross-cultural Issues in the English as a Second Language Classroom”
file:///C:/Users/yae21/Desktop/TESOL%20103/10%20Cultural%20differences.pdf
- Moony Niu, 5 Tips for Avoiding Cultural Misunderstanding in the Classroom.
https://www.chinaelg.com/5-tips-avoiding-cultural-misunderstanding-classroom/ “
TESOL Certificate 
It is fascinating to learn about different cultures and how they differ from one’s own. From young, I was taught to not interrupt someone who is speaking. Fortunately, I have also been taught to look the person in the eye and nod and show interest so I can understand how your interaction with the missionary might have seemed odd, considering your culture is to be more vocal. Miscommunication or a lack thereof is an issue that needs to be addressed, as society has shown that many an argument or conflict could have been avoided had there been proper communication or understanding. Thank you for your quotes and references.
LikeLike
Thanks Clinton I agree with you. As a society, we must be aware of these problems because there are more chances of misunderstanding if we ignore them.
LikeLiked by 1 person