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Cultural sensitivity is very relevant and important subject in today’s multicultural world. If there is lack of cultural sensitivity in the classroom, many problems can arise concerning students. Students have one common goal while in the classroom and it is to learn. However, multicultural students have different backgrounds. In these classes, teachers should avoid topics such as religion, politics, discrimination, gender inequality or money. For example, let us think about a class of multilingual learners. Such class may include people from different religions and countries. Imagine that a careless teacher ask students various questions about religion. As a result, students get anxious and concerned, they can even hesitate to talk or they may say something disrespectful to others. Another example can be when teacher starts talking about gender equality in a male-dominated country. The female students would feel very uncomfortable or offended. Obviously, such experiences can lead students to stop attending the courses of that particular teacher. Not all students in the same classroom are from the same country or even the same region. Foreign students may feel a cultural shock and some of them don’t want to be involved in the class activities because they might feel different or misunderstood. A teacher should recognize every student and show genuine interest in them. It is important to realize that some of the cultures are more talkative than others. They like to make conversation to strangers and discuss various things. And there is that other half of people, who likes to take tests and they are sensitive to losing points or getting bad marks. A teacher also should know that different cultures have different non-verbal messages when it comes to eye contact or body language. For instance, in most western countries, eye contact is a form of body language which is important during communication. Good eye contact shows attentiveness and confidence. However, in many Middle Eastern countries, eye contact is much less common and considered less appropriate compared to other countries. There are no guidelines for teachers, how to be culturally sensitive. They might obtain this skill with time and experience. Cultural sensitivity is really helpful in creating an environment in which students of all cultures feel comfortable and are ready to learn. Firstly, teachers should get to know their students and develop positive relationships with them and their families. There should be no judgement in the class, only tolerance and understanding. Secondly, the teacher should let all students meet foreign students and let them to introduce themselves. For instance, a foreign student can make presentation about his/her home and explain the traditions of their origin country. As a result, the students will learn the main lesson subject and also they will learn more about other cultures. In conclusion, cultural sensitivity plays huge importance in school classrooms and especially if there are people from other countries. Teachers, who are sensitive to their students' cultures are able to relate to the students more easily and do not have many problems creating a positive and motivating classroom environment. There are many things to know before teaching an international classroom, such as the body language, making eye contact or other cultural points. The teacher can include many activities, which can make the students of all cultures feel comfortable and ready to learn.
