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Cultural sensitivity in the classroom Classroom, especially in USA, represent a global village where students of all cultures, ethnicity, race, and religion come together to learn. For the majority of students the classroom may be the initial environment where they engage academically and socially with other students and teachers from different cultural backgrounds to their own. students and teachers alike bring into the classroom their own ethnocentric biases which affect their learning and teaching (Henderson, 2004). According to Stafford, Bowman, Eking, Hanna, & Lopoes-Defede (1997) cultural sensitivity means being aware that cultural differences and similarities exist and have an effect on values, learning, and behavior. Cultural sensitivity is needed in the classroom in order to help ESL learners in acquiring English. There are components of cultural sensitivity, two of which, are valuing and recognizing the importance of one?s own culture and realizing that it will affect an individual?s communication and participation in education in various ways (Cichoskikelly, Backus, Giangreco,& Sherman-Tucker, 2000). There are many cultural sensitivity issues in ESL classroom that teachers must address to ensure that they are delivering language instruction without prejudice, discrimination, or bias. When teachers are sensitive to students? culture and understand the potential problems, they can avoid creating an English-centric classroom while increasing their students? language skills. One of the many unintentional biases teachers of esl students has is the assumption that a student?s lack of understanding of the English language results in an automatic lack of understanding of the classroom material being delivered in that language (Baldano and Holm, 1997). This bias can lead to high achieving students being deemed lazy, unmotivated, and unintelligent. Another cultural bias and assumption is that non-English speaking students are less intelligent than their native English speaking peers because the culture of the non-speaking students is generally more passive when interacting with adults. This can hinder non-speaking students from asking for extra help or tutoring from teachers. At the same time, non-English speaking students can quickly absorb cultural biases against English speakers as they witness a more driven, ambitious educational community than they may be accustomed to. This may lead students to be even more reserved, hampering their language skills even further as they refrain from asking for assistance when needed. Using a well balanced ESL curriculum will help both students and teachers overcome preconceived notions about different cultures to create a learning environment where all students are valued for their unique heritages. Teachers need to create a cultural sensitivity atmosphere in the classroom. The best way to practice it in an ESL classroom is to encourage cultural awareness by exploring and sharing each student?s unique culture and heritage. Other ways are to establish and post classroom rules in all appropriate languages; use decorations of various countries; encourage students to work with others from different cultures; and arrange group projects designed to encourage students to share and explore one another?s cultures. While the ultimate goal of an ESL classroom is to create bilingual students, an additional goal should be to create bicultural students. Therefore, teachers should not only practice cultural sensitivity toward their students? native countries, but also encourage students to learn about their new culture. Activities should be geared to impress upon students the value of embracing and understanding their new culture while still celebrating their old cultures. References: Baldonado, A., & Holm, et al. (1997). Cultural/ethnicity issues in the classroom. Hoitotiede, 9(5), 231-6. Cichoskikelly, E., Backus, L., Giangreco, M. & Sherman-Tucker, P. (2000). Families & cultural sensitivity. Retrieved on April 3, 2012 from http://esl.yourdictionary.com/lesson-plans/esl_classroom-and cultural_sensitivity. html. Henderson, s. (2004). Strengthening cultural awareness in the classroom: A case in point. Retrieved on April 3, 2012 from http://lsn.curtin.edu.au/tlf/tlf2004/henderson.html. Stafford, M., Bowman, R., Eking, S., Hanna, E., & Lopoes-defede. (1997) ESL Classroom and Cultural Sensitivity. Retrieved on April 3, 2012 from http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/prlc/unit3_slide/sld005.htm
