What do I need to know about the culture of my ELL students?
Knowing the culture of your ELL students is important because there may be crucial differences in the beliefs, customs, and mannerisms of your students that may affect the classroom environment. Here are some facts that are known about certain cultures. It should also be stated here that these are generalizations and should be considered on an individual basis. Teachers should use these as general guidelines, but are encouraged to allow some time to get to know the individual students and their families.
(Ashworth, 1992) offers second-language teachers the following helpful insight for developing a teacher’s cultural awareness:
It is important to know the immigration status of students. If they are refugees, they may be dealing with the impact of war and death, as well as with changes in customs, climate and foods. Children of refugees are often not consulted about the decision to leave what is familiar, for what is new, different, and often frightening.
- Values may differ in areas such as punctuality, privacy and public behavior. Such understanding helps relieve the tensions some students may feel when values differ between home and school.
- The relationship between children and adults, as well as the roles of boys and girls, may be challenged in this culture. Some girls may seem withdrawn because women are discouraged from speaking out in some cultures where men are the dominant gender. Boys, on the other hand, may have problems adjusting to female teachers.
- Teaching and learning styles can differ greatly between cultures, so some students may be confused and frustrated during their adaptation to a classroom if their experience with schooling has been very different.
- Play may not be considered essential for children’s growth and development in some cultures, so some parents have difficulty with seeing games, puppets and field trips as valuable instructional tools. Tutors and teachers can help parents understand the place of play in our educational system. LEP students often feel isolated on the playground because they may not know how to play the games in which the other children are involved. It will help to build their sense of belonging if LEP students are invited to teach classmates a game from their country.
- Religious holidays vary from culture to culture, so some children may sometimes be absent from school as their cultural traditions require.
- Attire can have a religious or other type of significance in some cultures. Teachers can help new students by explaining to others the significance of different clothing customs For example, the religious significance of the turban worn by men in the Sikh culture or the cultural significance of the hijab (scarf) worn by Muslim women.
- Some foods are not eaten by particular cultures, and many ordinary lunch-box items may be totally unfamiliar to students or their families. Teachers can help all of their students by discussing cuisine from other countries with the class.
What is Sheltered Instruction?
The following cultural points are examples specific to the Southeastern culture. Although by no means comprehensive, this will give you an idea of specific issues you might encounter with a child from a different culture.
Examples of Southeast Asian Culture
Anglo American 1. Touching someone’s head is permitted. It is often done as a show of approval or affection. 2. Kissing in public is usually acceptable. 3. A man and woman may hold hands or touch in public. 4. Looking straight into someone’s eyes shows respect and honesty. 5. Americans prefer saying things directly in most situations. | Southeast Asian 1. Touching the head is forbidden. The head is considered the most sacred part of the body. 2. This is done in private quarters. 3. People don’t do this in public. This is considered inappropriate behavior. 4. It is disrespectful to look someone straight in the eye when speaking to them, especially with one who is older or superior. 5. Southeast Asians prefer indirectness. |
How can I make a newcomer feel welcomed and comfortable in my classroom?
Entering into a new classroom environment is stressful for any child regardless of the country they come from. When we add to this a new language, a new culture, and sometimes a new living environment, we have a situation that would overwhelm even the strongest of us. Not only is your new student confused and scared, but they have no way of sharing this with you. Here are some things you can do that will make your classroom inviting and will minimize the trauma experienced by your new student.
- Introduce the student to his/ her classmates and encourage the children in your class to be as helpful and friendly as they can.
- If available, have a student who speaks the same language work with the newcomer until he/she becomes familiar with the routine and new environment.
- Learn a few key phrases in the child’s native language. This will show them that you are willing to do a little work too in order to help them adjust.
- Assign a trustworthy student to work with them on classroom assignments.
- Seek commonalities and be aware of differences (cultural traditions, foods, beliefs, etc…)
Activities that Promote Cultural Awareness
- Prepare family maps / tree.
- Table displays which exhibit cultural artifacts or symbols, such as flags, money, menus, clothes, and toys.
- Bulletin boards should include magazine or newspaper clippings from native language sources.
- Listen to, dance to, and read the lyrics of native language sources.
- Classroom library should include native language books and magazines.
- Films on various countries and films in the native language should be incorporated into the curriculum.
- Prepare biographical projects about famous individuals from the student’s native country.
- Celebrate a classroom, grade-level, or school-wide multicultural food festival.
- Celebrate a classroom, grade-level, or school-wide multicultural show where native cultural dances are performed by the students.
What should I do if a newcomer is teased by other students?
Growing up, I remember being teased by some of my classmates. Much of it was done in play, but this has, none the less, affected me as I sought to fit in and succeed in school. Children, sometimes, don’t think about the effect and consequences of their actions. They don’t stop to consider how they would feel if they were on the receiving end of the teasing. Below are some suggestions on how to deal with teasing.
- Address teasing directly and let the students know that such behavior will not be ignored or tolerated.
- Teachers can conduct role-playing sessions in which students can play the part of someone being teased, someone doing the teasing, silent bystanders, and friends who intervene.
- Have discussions with the parents and be open to suggestions.
- Talk to students about cultural differences and issues such as accents and grammatical differences within languages.
- Visit nobully.org or call 1-800-No Bully for more information on this topic.
Check out the following link to access frequently asked questions on ESL and Bilingual Law in New Jersey.
https://hctutorial.com/esl-and-bilingual-frequently-asked-questions/
Free Sheltered Instruction Online Course
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL_e48z694tw9bqI1mUbHjg
Math and Language Arts Videos in Haitian Creole
