cultural awareness in the classroom.

This module is designed to give you an insight into how culture impacts on English language
teaching, both in English speaking countries and in places where English is a second or foreign
language.

In this module, you will find out:

● about the theory of culture, and how this relates to the classroom situation
● some common cultural faux-pas and howlers
● common cultural differences
● how to teach a monolingual and a multilingual class
● how to introduce students to the culture of English-speaking countries
●

Misunderstandings
It is relatively easy for a teacher and a class to misunderstand each other and make false
assumptions. For example, in many non-English speaking cultures, students are brought up with
more passive behaviours when interacting with adults.

Asking for help

A student may be less willing to ask a teacher for extra help or to admit that they don't
understand. This can lead to assumptions that non-English speaking students are less intelligent
than their native English speaking peers.

Perceived aggression
At the same time, non-English speaking students can quickly absorb cultural biases against
English speakers who come from a more driven and ambitious educational community than they
may be accustomed to. The teacher's attitude may be perceived as aggressive by some students,
who will then be even less willing to participate or ask questions.

Overcoming bias
We should try to overcome preconceived notions about different cultures and also help our
students to overcome biases against our culture. In that way we will create a learning environment
where everyone is valued for their unique heritage.

The five dimensions of culture

Hofstede has identified five dimensions of culture that can help us prepare for our teaching style
in a specific country.

Power distance
 ● In the EFL classroom the teacher is likely to be seen as a powerful person.
● In those countries where there is a large 'power distance', it is natural for students to be
deferential towards the teacher and unwilling to joke with them.
● Students from cultures where the power distance is large may not participate much or
make decisions.
● Your students will recognise that their teacher comes from another culture and make
allowances when you laugh and joke with them but be aware that their normal
expectation of a teacher is someone they respect, defer to and obey.
● Power distance scores are high for Latin, Asian and African countries and smaller for
Germanic countries.

Individualism
● There is always one person who will volunteer answers, come up with new ideas and
comments or points of view.
● This person is unlikely to come from a culture where individualism is low. If you are
teaching in a more collectively orientated culture, you can be less reliant on the
individual who will always answer your questions or volunteer a viewpoint.
● In more collective cultures it is not normal to deliberately be different or to try to stand
out from the crowd. This can be very frustrating if you ask students for an opinion or to
debate.
● Individualism prevails in developed countries and Western countries, while
Collectivism is more common in less developed and Eastern countries. Japan is
somewhere in the middle.

Masculinity
● So called 'masculine' cultures value competitiveness, assertiveness, ambition, and the
accumulation of wealth and material possessions, whereas 'feminine' cultures place
more value on relationships and quality of life.
● In a more masculine society women may be expected to be quiet and more deferential
to men. This becomes evident in the classroom.
● Masculinity is high in Japan, in some European countries like Germany, Austria and
Switzerland and moderately high in Anglo countries. In contrast, masculinity is low in
Nordic countries and in the Netherlands and moderately low in some Latin and Asian
countries like France, Spain and Thailand.

Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)

● The Uncertainty Avoidance Index indicates to what extent a culture programs its
members to feel comfortable in unknown or surprising situations.
● The opposite type, uncertainty accepting cultures, are more tolerant of opinions
different from what they are used to; they try to have as few rules as possible. They
tend to be more contemplative, rarely expressing their emotions.
● Uncertainty avoiders are going to like planned and structured activities and will seek
rules for the language you teach them. They may also be more intolerant of the views
and cultures different from theirs.
 ● Uncertainty Avoidance scores are higher in Latin countries, in Japan and in German
speaking countries. They are lower in Anglo, Nordic and Chinese culture countries.

Long-term orientation (LTO)

● In the classroom environment those with a stronger short-term orientation may seem
'serious' or formal. They may struggle with the concept of learning by playing games.
● The more long-term orientated students will be very concerned about losing 'face'.
Expect them to be reticent about speaking out for fear of making a mistake. You may
also find that they excel in writing but feel less comfortable about speaking.
● A long term orientation is mostly found in East Asian countries, in particular China,
Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
●

Here is a summary comparison example. It compares UK and South Korean cultures across the 5
dimensions. The teacher in this class is British and the students are Korean.

Power distance
The teacher is happy for students to treat him or her informally and to treat the students as
equals. Korean students expect the teacher to be formal and will seek to treat him of her with
respect and deference, rather than as an equal.

Individualism
The teacher comes from a highly individualistic culture where doing your own thing and finding
yourself (for example by travelling to Korea to teach), is applauded. Entrepreneurs are highly
valued and differences are celebrated.

This is fairly alien to Korean students. They tend to seek the right way to do things rather than
wishing to be different. As a rule, they do not want to be different and do not admire those who
are.

Masculinity
The UK teacher is from a culture that encourages competition. The Korean students prefer to
collaborate and nurture.

Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)

The teacher is likely to enjoy new challenges and changes. The students prefer traditional ways.

Long-term orientation (LTO)

Again the teacher and the students are poles apart in their values.
Now take a look at this example comparing Chinese students and an American teacher.

Power distance
The American teacher is likely to prefer a relaxed informal classroom atmosphere. The students
expect the teacher to be the leader and will treat him or her with respect rather than instant
friendship.

Individualism
The American teacher is likely to be highly individualistic and to recognise the value of being
different, of being a bit of a character with his or her own views and ideas. The Chinese student
does not share this admiration of that which is different but instead seeks to work for the good of
the group.

Masculinity
Here our American and Chinese are both likely to be warm and caring rather than competitive and
driven.

Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)

Again our Chinese and American are reasonably similar.

Long-term orientation (LTO)

Here our two cultures are poles apart. For the Chinese, saving face is vital. For the American,
having a go is more admirable.

Bear in mind that these cultural differences describe averages or tendencies and not
characteristics of individuals. In every country you can find individuals who do not share some
typical values and beliefs of their culture. Usually those are the ones who have some experience
of interacting with other cultures.

Shaking hands
There are different traditions of greeting people in different countries. For example, in Russia men
usually shake hands when they see each other for the first time during the day (whereas women
never shake hands). You may see your male students shake hands with each other, however the
teacher (male or female) is not expected to shake hands with students.

How are you?

If you ask a Russian 'How are you?' they may take the question too literally and launch into a
lengthy account of their latest achievements or family problems. They are unlikely to ask 'How are
you?' in return because it is not a traditional greeting in their culture. A good idea is to explain the
English custom of asking 'How are you?' to your students from the start. Tell them what the usual
responses to the question are.

A Chinese greeting
When Chinese people meet each other, they often say, "Have you had your meal yet?" which is
more of a friendly greeting than of a question of concern, but foreigners, not familiar with such a
form of greeting, tend to find it rather awkward. Another common form of address if you meet
someone in the street is asking 'Where are you going?' instead of 'hello'. If your students ask you
these questions you need to be aware that they are attempting to greet you rather than being
nosey or impolite.

Taboo Subjects
Getting together with your students to discuss a topic is a great way to encourage conversation
skills, but be careful to choose a suitable subject. Unless you really know your class, you should
avoid discussing any contentious subjects. The discussion about who should stay at home and
look after the housework is a non starter in many countries, as is the discussion about the merits
of cohabiting before marriage.

Some other likely taboo subjects might include:

● Sex, drugs and alcohol

● Any criticism of a country which appears in the international press, e.g. human rights
issues in China
● Wars and political unrest
● Some aspects of history
● Homosexuality in some cultures
● Religion
● Challenging cultural norms
● The value of honesty
● Attitudes toward children
● Attitudes toward animals

Gestures and body language are thought by some to convey more meaning that the actual words
spoken. Naturally just as languages differ so do body languages.

In many cultures certain things may be considered inappropriate or disrespectful. Here are a few
examples:

● Touching the head, shoulders or back of an older person

● The thumbs up gesture is considered obscene in many countries
● For a man to make any comment about a woman's appearance can be considered
inappropriate
● Pointing with one's index finger is considered impolite, especially when pointing at
people
● Politeness measured in terms of gallantry or etiquette is important e.g., standing up for
a woman who approaches a table, giving a seat on the train/bus to an older person.

Here are some ideas. Are they similar to yours?

● Thoroughly research the culture of the country you will be teaching in

● See if you can find out if there are any taboo subjects
● Speak to other teachers about any mistakes they made
● Ensure you understand the dress code and rules of the school you will be teaching in
 ● If in doubt, play it safe!
● Build a good rapport with your class. If they like their teacher they are more likely to
forgive you any cultural faux-pas
●

Respect the students and teach them to respect one another

The main issue for the EFL teacher with a multilingual class is to ensure that everyone gets on
and respects each other. This starts with the teacher doing just that and never showing a
preference for any particular nationality. Each nationality will have its own pronunciation
problems and in some cases, students will find it hard to understand each other. Do not tolerate
any form of ridicule from other students when a student makes a mistake. Do not let your
students make racist comments or at least signal your disapproval and move on.

Give power to quieter students

The other issue is that there can be marked differences in your students' expectations and
behaviour in the classroom. If you have a class comprised of, for example, outgoing Brazilians
and Italians and a few quieter Taiwanese and Chinese, you need to bear this in mind when you
allocate your students to groups. While the quieter students may be happy to listen, the more
outgoing ones can become resentful as they feel they are doing all the work. So, occasionally it is
good to put the quieter ones into a group together and give them a chance to have their say. You
may be very surprised by the output.

Make the most of diversity

On other occasions get your students to enjoy their diversity. Savvy teachers can arrange group
projects designed to encourage students to share and explore one another's cultures. As a task
based discussion, get the class, in small groups, to imagine that they are going to open a 'fusion'
restaurant featuring starters, main courses and desserts from all the countries represented in the
group. Your class will be describing national dishes and will leave the lesson with a good appetite
for dinner!

Decorations such as country maps, flags, and pictures of prominent leaders can bring a taste of
each nation into the ESL classroom in a positive way.

Bilingual and Bicultural

While your ultimate goal of teaching English as a second or foreign language is to create bilingual
students, an additional goal should be to create bicultural students. To do this, you should
practise cultural sensitivity and encourage students to learn about new cultures. As students
learn to compare their old culture with their new culture, they can gain an appreciation of both
without minimising or denigrating either culture. Take a look at these activities that can help with
this process.
Polls
Taking polls of students' assumptions and beliefs about English culture and discussing the
results.

Excursions
If you teach in an English speaking country, visiting museums, art exhibits, historical sites etc.

Films
Watching and discussing films which have become an important part of your culture and which
illustrate some typical features of your culture.

Q&A
Encouraging question and answer sessions about the new culture while comparing it to students'
native cultures, such as discussing popular television shows, slang, or other lifestyle
characteristics.

Guest speakers
Inviting guest speakers who have successfully integrated into the new culture but who are still
active. This will demonstrate how biculturalism can enrich your life.