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."