5/31/2019; Week 6: Individualism vs. Collectivism

It is important to have great knowledge of cultural diversity, especially for being prepared for having new students from other parts of the world. English classes are very dynamic and in this field, work in groups is in everyday lesson plans. 

Individualism and Collectivism are two aspects that have a great influence on our students' behavior in the classroom. Both have positive and negative sides. If we teachers learn how to use the positive part of these two paradigms we will get great result in our students developing with English. 

In the case of having new students, we have to communicate them (students and their parents) how our class works and also ask them how they had worked in their original culture. This will help us to avoid any misunderstandings. 

If we have "collectivism" oriented student we have the responsibility to increase their "individualism" side and adapt this method with individualism students who have to work more with their collectivist side. 

In my opinion, is fundamental to include collectivism in the classroom because it helps students gain self-confidence and also develops many values in our students such us, making friends, work together, respect others, etc. 

Like I wrote before in this article, teachers need to try to adapt and develops skills of these two topics. Students need to be prepared to interact in cultures which practice individualism and collectivism. 

Try to understand each of your students, remember that each one of them are different worlds trying to "keep going" in a universe with more and different worlds.  Be their SUN. 

What methods do you use in the classroom to adapt to Individualism and Collectivism?

28/05/19; Week 6: Differences in Emotional Expressivity

Emotional expressivity has been defined by Kring, Smith, and Neale, (1994) as “the degree to which an individual actively expresses emotional experience through verbal or nonverbal behaviors” (p. 934). On the other hand, Gross and John (1997) have proposed a heuristic model of the emotion process in which environmental cues trigger emotional response tendencies; these tendencies prepare the individual to mount a behavioral response, subject to a number of emotion regulation processes. In this model of emotion, emotional expressions are the behaviors that arise from emotional impulses (Gross & John, 1997). 

Now, let's talk about what are the emotional expressivities in different cultures. 

Sometimes you have heard about how "expressive" is a culture. For example, when people are happy in South America, they celebrate it with parties, a lot of music and many laughs, but this is not the same reaction in other parts of the world, for example in Asia. 

The need to interact with others has produced cultural diversity. We can find this diversity, especially in the education field, where teachers have two o more students from a different country. 

Emotional expressivities can affect a lot in our students learning. Because they probably will see our reaction different from what they had seen all their lives. If we don't give a solution to this problem these students may be affected by the learning filter. Also, they could lose their confidence with themselves and others. 

My advice for teachers and parents is to create an activity about "Feelings and emotions" where students learn these concepts in English, at the same time of doing mimics of these feelings. The teacher needs to carefully pay attention to their emotional expressivity and also the parents must observe how are expressed this emotional expressivity and trying to explain them at home. 

We the teachers, should have a close relationship with the new students' and get to know their families. In my opinion, is the best way of obtaining information and create the correct environment for developing our students' abilities with learning.

Obtaining this information we'll know how we can manage these differences in emotional expressivity and we'll avoid misunderstandings. 

Remember that we all are different and unique in our way. 

2/26/15; Week 2: Cultural Miscommunication

When you are planning to go to another country with a different language most of the time people try to learn its language for having good communication and experience. But there is something called "culture" and this is what people must to investigate before going to another country. 

 

In the TESOL field, we learn how to manage these situations. Sometimes there is something more than just the language. Gestures, customs, and other types of body talk mark a great difference at the moment of interchange ideas between people of different cultures. 

Kelly Garbo says that" only thirty percent of communication comes from talking. Your gestures and other non-verb non-verbal actions matter, too. But in different cultures, the same action  can have different meanings."

In schools, we find a lot of cultures diversity that's why is it important to be ready to face many of these cases for avoiding misunderstandings. Especially for teachers is a challenge to have new students with new cultures in the classroom. 

How can we manage these cases?

Well, my advice is to study a lot about cultures and to have a personal conversation with all the students in our class. Independently if they are out of our country, we need to talk with each student. Each student has also family habits so is necessary to investigate their cultures and also ask them directly. 

Let's read one example of cultural miscommunication...

An Ecuadorian family is traveling to China. When they arrive there, they want to go to a Chinese restaurant. The father asks for information to a Chinese man. The dad extends his hand, and he does not respond to his greeting, he only nods his head. All the family gets surprised. The man provides information about a good place to eat and then he starts walking. In the restaurant, the family starts a conversation about what happened.

For Ecuadorian family was strange do not receive the greeting back but in China, all the people greet only nodding their heads. 

My Experience

In my classroom, I always have students from different parts of South America, where the cultures are similar and the time of assimilation a new culture is easier and faster. But even that, I found little differences that can grow the affective filter and stop my students' motivation with English. I try all possible to learn about them, I also use the learning model of BYU-I about learning each other.

I would like to conclude citing one more time to Kelly Garbo, "Understanding even a few keys gestures from different cultures can make you a better communicator. So next time you travel, try being culturally sensitive."

5/22/19 Week 5: Cultural Differences Concerning TIME

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When I was 14 I traveled and lived in the USA for four months. This was a great and rich cultural experience for me. I felt like in a new world. In my hometown, people aren't on time and all plans are set in an hour but everyone knows that you have to go there an hour before, if you're from Ecuador you will understand my point ;). This is just one example of many cultures differences that we have around the world but is necessary to know it for avoiding misunderstandings, especially if we're talking about a classroom with many culture diversity. 

As English teachers is our obligation to plan classes which contain activity that integrates everyone in the classroom. Teachers must have in main that each culture is different and perceptions vary depending on students' background. 

Like I wrote before, time differences in each culture are totally distinct. In South America people doesn't have a specific schedule, they most of the time change their planes for attending family and friends needs. They left what they had planned at the first for helping their loved ones. But is no the same in other cultures, for example in the USA, people have a different concept about schedules, they don't change their planes easily and have a strict ideology about time. 

In our future classes, we'll find these two cases. Let's see an example:


Mrs. Hong planned a food festival and ask each student to bring a typical food of their culture. The activity starts at 4:00 p. m. and Enrique González who is from Ecuador was assigned to talk in front of the class (he has lived in the USA for 4 months).  Mrs. Hong arrived at the school at 3:00 p. m. and decorated the place. At 3:50 p. m Mrs. Hong got a little worried about Enrique because he had to talk. Enrique arrived at school at 4:30 p. m. when the presentation and the talk were already given by Mrs. Hong. He and his family were confused about it. 


For Enrique and his family, the activity starts at 4:30 because in their hometown most of the activities start an hour later. 


We have to be prepared for these situations and understand our students' ideologies and explaining to them what are the parameters of our class. Also, having a good relationship with them will allowing us to know their challenges and difficulties for adapting to the new style of life and culture. 


In my short experience being an English teacher, when I have new students I try to know everything about their cultures. I spend extra time for having a conversation with them. I adapt my classes to their needs so they suddenly understand my methodology of work concerning time differences. 

We need to mark the differences in their cultural transition and be their guide for avoiding misunderstandings in their new home place. 

05/21/2019 Week 2: Cultural Paradigms

Cultural Paradigms

Do you know what is a paradigm?

In science and philosophy, a paradigm is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitutes legitimate contributions to a field (Wikipedia).

So now let's link paradigms with culture...

Each culture has its own paradigms and all societies are marked for them. These paradigms may change through time but they always have the same essence. 

In all your life you probably have heard about many cultures and their habits. Maybe you got surprised or scared, I don't know. But what I really know is that this culture paradigms make each culture different and beautiful in their own way.

In the past, all the cultures and people staid in their own places, but these days we are one big diverse family.  We are more familiar with persons of other countries and learning about cultures is part of our everyday. 

TESOL and CULTURE PARADIGMS

English is one of the most popular languages around the world. This language connects cultures and persons. As English Teachers, we need to be ready for teaching to everybody. 

Apply these tips in your classroom:

• You need to study and investigate your student's beliefs and cultures. 
• The first day of the class learn all possible about your students! 
• Plan a meeting with the parents of your students and talk about what are the challenges that they're having. 
• Do not call your students by their nationalities or physical characteristic. Call them by their own names.

Sometimes culture differences could increase your students' anxiety and create the "learning filter". Don't worry! It is totally natural. But you should gain your students' confidence. Try to implement activities which develop the value of "working together". 

Do we (teachers) must implement culture activities? 

YES!

Do not be afraid about talking or teaching about cultures. You need to be prepared for teaching about RESPECT. Cultural activities are rich in knowledge and all classroom must integrate them. Link these topics with values and teach your students about the beautiful diversity that we have here on Earth and why it makes uniques! 

TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS. 

For reaching all these goals we need to work like a "triangle" which is conformed by the teacher, the student, and parents. Get to know your students and their families. Talk with them the class goals and ask for their help. Remember that parents are the first students' teachers. 

MY EXPERIENCE

For me teaching about it is really a pleasure. Cultures have a great value to me. I try to create a home environment in class, where students from different parts can feel like at "home". I love my students and I love learning about them. All my students are different, anyone is the same, they're special to me and they are just exactly who inspire me!

TESOL is a big area of teaching, you can find it in every country .The most important step in this field is to accept and love others no matter where your students come from.

Response to "Is the Great American Teacher Dead?"

March 3rd, 2019.

John J. Ivers wrote a lot of interesting facts about teaching. All persons who want to become teachers must have the vocation for teaching and apply the following aspects in their future classrooms:

- Teachers need to know that they are principal characters in one student's learning life. Independently of what motivates them to teach, they are required to know that the real purpose of their professional life is to contribute in all classroom's member life and to help, motivate and contribute them to accomplish all their goals. "Teachers should not fear to be a little more exciting, a little more courageous, a little more entertaining, a little more stimulating, and a little more inspiring. If one believes he or she is engaged in a great work, one’s comportment and bearing need to be proportionately reflective".

- Student's attention

All teachers know that each lesson must to be well-planed for giving students a lot of resources of learning. But do we really to that? Do we carefully think about in our class needs? If we did it's OK. But it would be better if we focus on catching each integrant of the class' attention and apply with enthusiasm each point od our lesson plan. We need to write and apply it. 

-Real world situations.

We talk about many items in each class and we share our knowledge with it but sometimes we forget to PREPARE our students for real-life situations and teach them how to act into them.  As John Ivers mentioned, we need to become those teachers who really help students to gain confidence with themselves, so they can be independent and take good choices at the moment of being in front of this situations.

For example:

In one TESOL classroom, the teacher needs to provide chances to students practice how to respond to a common conversation. The teacher teaches about grammar but also apply methods and techniques where this grammar can be used with fluid dialogues and daily circumstances.

-Finally, I would like to focus on how the brain remembers the emotional components of an experience better than any other aspect. 

In this article, I mentioned how to create situations where our students can participate. These activities are essential in each class, these create a good classroom environment, where the affective filter is low. If our class has the correct environment we effectively will accomplish each objective and our class could become in our student's second home, where they increase their motivation and love in learning. 

Don't forget that teaching is art and the students are the motivation that an artist needs.

For which piece of art do you want to be remembered?