Teach English in Fengsheng Zhen - Chongqing

Cultural Sensitivity in the ClassroomCrossing cultures is a wonderful thing. There is so much benefit that can be gained by both teachers and students in the cross-cultural, language-learning setting. However, it is possible to step ?over the line? sometimes and offend another?s culture. That?s why it?s very important to be cross-culturally sensitive in the classroom. I?ve enjoyed seeing the world get ?smaller?. Well, it?s not really smaller, but it seems like it. I first lived abroad in 1993. Since that time, Globalization has spread like wildfire. I?ve traveled to and lived in several countries since that first time I lived abroad. While I believe Globalization is a great thing, it is important that we be aware of the potential for misunderstanding as we engage with students that are from a different culture than we are. I once had a boss that had spent a lot of time abroad. He?d lived in Eastern Europe and Asia in a leadership role. As he and I talked about the issues of crossing cultures, I realized that he?d likely offended a lot of people in the countries he?d done business. He tended to ?bowl people over? with very little consideration for how others felt or whether or not he may offend them. He used his position of power to exploit others. He didn?t relate cross-culturally; he just ?bossed people around?. I know he lost face in Asia and must have insulted lots of people in Eastern Europe. In my first experience as a teacher abroad, I realized some potential for misunderstandings cross-culturally. I was a single guy living in Ukraine surrounded by beautiful, single women in the classroom. Age didn?t matter to most Ukrainian women?at least not as much as it does in the U.S. I had good cross-cultural training with the group I was teaching English with. This training helped me to be kind to women, but not lead them on thinking that I was interested romantically. Something that caught be by surprise in Eastern Europe was the power that teachers had. At the university where I taught, teachers were treated by the students with great respect. My ?style? was more informal than many of the teachers. The students liked this very much. But, I had to be careful that I continued to present myself as a professional instead of a ?buddy? to the students. I improved as a teacher by watching other teachers, asking questions (to both other teachers and to students) and by continuing to adapt my ?style? to be more appropriate to the culture. Currently, my wife and I volunteer to teach ESL classes for Latino?s here in Kansas. In this setting, it?s ok to be more informal and friendly. That?s what the Latino?s want and expect from us. If we were too formal, they?d not want to come back to our classes. They are not required to be there ? they simply come on their own to learn English. There is lots of joking and laughter in these classes. And unlike in Ukraine, we invite them to our home and out to social gatherings often. This helps us to build relationships across cultures and to help them improve their English. Being sensitive across cultures is not Rocket Science. Being open to differences, treating others well ? these are keys to cross-cultural success. Learning about the cultures that we teach in is also very important. Most of all, we should have a mentor and friend that can help us to adapt in the new culture where we?ll live. By taking these steps, we can be successful and cross-culturally sensitive teachers.