Promoting Multicultural Education
Developing intercultural competence (ability to interact effectively with people from other cultures.) is more than knowing how to greet someone in their language and what type of food his or her culture is known for. Effective multicultural education provides opportunities to dive below the surface level of culture, to uncover the values behind the traits a culture exhibits, and to develop intercultural competence and tolerance.
Multicultural Communities & Multicultural Classrooms
The intimate connection between language and culture is strengthened through developing competence in understanding a culture, its value system, skills to navigate effectively, and a clear sense of one's own native culture and language. Being able to interact successfully in another culture requires more than just knowledge of the culture's particular attributes, it also entails being able apply this knowledge and be aware of the personal reactions these actions may create.
TESOL Trainers provides communities, teachers, and students with experiential programs that encourage multiculturalism and multilingualism by exploring the marvel of cultural and linguistic differences, the benefits of being bilingual and bicultural, and strategies to enhance multicultural education.
TESOL Trainers provides communities, teachers, and students with experiential programs that encourage multiculturalism and multilingualism by exploring the marvel of cultural and linguistic differences, the benefits of being bilingual and bicultural, and strategies to enhance multicultural education.
Challenges in Multicultural Education
Educators and communities face many challenges in promoting multicultural education.
- Teachers/Students may not have sufficient training in what intercultural competence is.
- Teachers/Students may not be able to identify when a classroom issue is cultural and when it is not.
- Teachers/Students may not understand their own culture and their own cultural biases.
- Teachers/Students may not possess the skills to promote intercultural communication.
Intercultural Competence
Intercultural competence is gained by having the knowledge of cultural norms, the values they represent, how to follow them, and how they relate to one's native culture. Much like non-native English speaking students may have to learn the language and culture of their community students also must understand the culture of academia and be able to use the appropriate tools to successfully navigate through this.
Tips for promoting multicultural education
- Be aware of what parts of KASA you are teaching. Of the four components of culture, the aspects that are most often taught are knowledge of the culture (Knowledge) and how it is similar or different from one's own (Awareness). Attention to why a particular cultural trait exists (Attitude) and how to apply this cultural learning (Skill) should also be a part of the lesson.
- A lesson does not need to always have every component of KASA.While this is ideal, one or more of these aspects may not be appropriate for a particular lesson. Nonetheless, a teacher should be cognizant of touching on each aspect over the duration of a unit. Keep in mind our tendency to teach only two of the four aspects of culture.
- One of the easiest components of culture to incorporate into your lessons is the self awareness, the last A in KASA. After all, we enjoy talking about ourselves. Finding ways for students to reflect on cultural similarities and differences engages them and creates a personal link between their culture and the one they are now learning.
- Language & culture are intimately tied together. Consider specific language students need to use the cultural skill, discuss its attributes, and apply it effectively in school. For example, US Academia has a very specific set of academic vocabulary words that students need to master in order to succeed. At other times, students need the language associated with a social function, interrupting for example.
- Give yourself a break; give your students a break. When teaching students whose culture differs from your own, you may make a cultural faux pas (e.g. putting your feet on your desk, giving someone something with your left hand). You also might mistake a student's actions or speech to be offensive (that Asian student speaks so forcibly; it's offensive). Our first inclination in each instance should be to consider the role culture may have played.
For information on how TESOL Trainers can provide your teachers, students, and community with promoting multicultural education please contact us.
