2/15/21; Week 7: Response to Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom

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"Give them the benefit of the doubt"

 (Professor Ivers)




I am from Brazil and I've never been abroad. I can't tell you how it's to live in another country and immerse yourself in a different culture, language, weather, and so on. However, even within Brazil, we can find many subcultures. I live in Santa Cataria, which is a state in the South part of Brazil. I know people from many different states and I guarantee how many different paradigms and beliefs exist in my own country.  

Teachers need to deal with those differences in the classroom and sometimes they find some challenges that have to be overcome in order to assure the success and happiness of their students. Some cultural differences may be misinterpreted which can cause anxiety, frustration, and even hatred. These feelings may lead to a bad relationship among students and teachers.

Professor John J. Ivers from the BYU-Idaho University once said that "whenever a student is from a different place or ethnic group or something does anything weird, you have to give them the benefit of the doubt.  Even though you may be interpreting it negatively, it may not be meant negatively".  In a diverse country like Brazil, teachers need to understand that people have different ways to view reality, and sometimes when a student is acting "weird" he/she may be following his/her own paradigms, according with his/her cultural rules.

 
Giving the students the benefit of the doubt mentioned by Professor Ivers is a great principle that TESOL teachers have to be in mind, no matter where they teach. For example, in Brazil there are bad words that depending on the region are not considered bad words, so imagine a teacher hearing a bad word from a student, how will this teacher react? There are other subcultural differences in Brazil such as how a student has to talk to the teacher, how a student has to behave in the classroom, and how a student has to deal with the learning process.

I believe that being an opened-mind teacher, being aware o those potential differences, and showing love and respect for the students will avoid misinterpretation. Moreover, I truly believe that communication is the key to great relationships. So, if a student act "weird", first give him/her the benefit of the doubt, then talk kindly to him/her. 



References:

https://video.byui.edu/media/06+Cross-Cultural+Students+in+the+Classroom/0_r2lcaswt 






Comentários

  1. Eleonora R.16 de fevereiro de 2021 às 13:53

    Thank you Larissa for your post! Your advice about giving the benefit of the doubt, think about different 'sayings' will help us to build a culture of respect and understanding in our classrooms.
    Eleonora.

    ResponderExcluir

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