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Teach English in Yitang Zhen - Xuzhou Shi

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I chose the subject ‘Why cultural sensitivity in the classroom is important ‘ , because I feel when teaching English abroad , it is crucial to understand the important sensitivities of different cultures , from different parts of the world . Cultural differences from different countries is also a personal interest of mine . Firstly it is important to understand the question ‘ What is culture ? ‘ Culture is the framework around which we build our identity . It influences how we engage with the world, the perspectives we take , and the expectations we have . Everyone of us has a culture, and many of us have identities built from many cultures . ( Walden University , education for good ). Common cultural differences in classrooms are ; Race Ethnicity Religion Language Economic Gender Identity Every classroom in the world contains different dynamics and cultural sensitivities . A class of Thai people in Thailand will have different cultural sensitivities to take into account , than say a class of Spanish people from Spain . There may be different and more cultural sensitivities to take into account in one particular classroom situation than another . It depends . For example , if I was teaching Business English to varied people and cultures living in a western country , I would probably have to take a lot of different cultural sensitivities into account , because I’m teaching immigrants from vastly different cultures and countries . Research of the country , region , school , and students is important . As teachers we must be prepared . I believe as a teacher , it is a very important skill to create a classroom that is culturally sensitive and caters for the needs of the students . Our curriculum and lesson plans need to be culturally relevant and inclusive to all students no matter what their cultural differences . We need to get to know our students as individual people , and also to be aware of our own cultural bias , and to overcome stereotypes . We need to use culturally sensitive speech , for example pronouncing our students names correctly . When teaching English it is important to encourage our students to speak and think in English , while respecting the students home language . We need to encourage students to praise their own and each others cultural heritage , which helps to create cultural harmony in the classroom . It is important to remember that individuals are culturally diverse . Cultural sensitivities in the classroom were very important from my own teaching experience at Broome Regional prison , WA , Australia . The majority of my students were Aboriginal . A lot of them had gone through traumatic experiences , and from my point of view this had to be taken into account . Cultural and personal sensitivities were of utmost importance . I’d had good knowledge of Aboriginal culture through my own research and experience living in the Kimberley region , WA . In the classroom , my students were of different age groups from 18 to 70 sometimes . All these different age groups had to be respected , as elders play a very important part in Aboriginal culture . Knowing the history of ‘The Dreaming ‘, and their connection to the land is very important in Aboriginal culture. I used Visual and sculptured Art to express this with my students , which they passionately embraced . Traditional law is also very important in Aboriginal culture . Knowing the do’s and don’ts of this law helps in general classroom cultural sensitivity . Knowing about their own family and kinship forces are very important in the cultural sensitivities of these people . Kinship provides psychological and emotional support which binds Aboriginal people together . This is very apparent in the prison , classroom situation . As a teacher I had to respect these family and kinship values . It helped in positive rapport , and general respect between the teacher and student . Overall , being sensitive to Aboriginal culture , law , and history helped in a successful relationship with my students . In conclusion , cultural sensitivity in the English teaching classroom is very important in every country of the world , and should definitely be a priority for the teacher and student in every classroom situation .


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