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Teach English in Buji Zhen - Jining Shi

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Buji Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Jining Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.

Cultural sensitivity is a crucial topic in TEFL careers because different countries and regions can vary vastly in things like culture, behavior, appearance, and social norms. When traveling to different countries for teaching English, or frankly any reason at all, it is important to research and understand the culture of different countries to ensure polite interactions, proper job etiquette, and even safety. Knowledge and appreciation of a country’s culture is absolutely integral in conducting a successful classroom environment, as you want to be able to communicate without breaking social norms and offending students, friends, or other professionals. The Republic of India, a country located in southern Asia is a beautiful and culturally rich country that is vastly different than North American cultures. There are many factors that go into culture and it can be difficult to pin point every difference and its origin, however there are some recourses that some scholars use to get closer to comparing countries on a common scale. For example, according to the Geert Hofstede Analysis, a widely used theory for cross-cultural communication, India scores as 77 compared to a world average of 56.5 for Power Distance (PDI), 62 compared to an average of 48 for Long Term Orientation (LTO), 56 compared to an average of 51 for Masculinity (MAS), and 41 compared to the world average of 65 for Uncertainty Avoidance (UIA). What does this mean? PDI is defined as “the extent to which the less powerful members of organization and institution accept and expect that power is distributed equally.” Meaning that the higher the score, the more social inequality is widely accepted and not questioned or seen as abnormal. LTO is defined as a general connection of the past with the present and future actions and challenges where a higher score for LTO means a culture that is more perseverant and uses a more pragmatic approach to problem solving. MAS can be defined as “a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and material rewards for success.” A higher score in masculinity usually points to women who are more assertive and competitive however there is still a visible gap between the power of women vs. men. UIA is defined as “a society’s tolerance for ambiguity.” A country with a higher UIA score tend to adhere to stricter codes and guidelines for behavior and individualism is less accepted. Researching these scores and comparing them to your native cultures is absolutely important because this can help you to develop a sense of understanding for the new culture that you are going to be surrounding yourself with. These scores and other research can offer insight to their cultural norms that might be completely different than what you are used to being exposed to and operating by. With these scores in mind, one can start to consider how to operate and conduct oneself thought out day-to-day activities and even further, how to conduct a successful class for TEFL purposes. Appearance in the classroom is a very important consideration for TEFL teachers, as one needs to establish respect in order to conduct a successful class. India’s culture surrounding dress is much different than that of western cultures. For example, it might be acceptable to wear shorts that may even be considered conservative in North America; however, in India it is considered inappropriate for women to wear shorts even when exercising. Also, some materials that are common in one culture may be offensive in others. For example, the primary religion in India is Hindu, a religion that reveres cows, so any leather product or clothing item would be especially offensive to the people in India. A teacher in India would want to be sure to dress according to the cultural standards. Without following certain customs, students might feel uncomfortable and it would be hard to establish respect and rapport with students. Teachers would want to do plenty of research to find out the dress code for whatever school or institution they would be working for in order to adhere to the highest standards for their job. In addition to appearance, Behavior is also a crucial consideration when teaching English in a foreign setting. Behaviors, mannerisms, and even subconscious habitual behaviors can be can be inconsiderate within certain cultures. For example, in North America, it can be common to touch a child’s head in a praising or caring way. However, in India it would be offensive to individuals to be touched on the head because their religion dictates that the head is the “seat of the soul.” Also very relevant to teaching, in India standing with your hand on your hips (a very common posture in North America, mostly considered a comfortable or a sort of contemplating posture) may be interpreted as aggressive or angry which would be very counter productive for learning environments. Things that seem mindless like whistling or winking in North American cultures can be impolite and can even be interpreted as sexual gestures in India. It is crucial that TEFL teachers understand how to conduct themselves within a classroom according to the culture of the country they are teaching in order to be respectful of their students and the institution they are working for. There are endless examples of how cultural differences could cause confusion or offense, what is important is that teachers for TEFL classes be very mindful and aware of said differences in whatever country they may find their selves in. Being aware of cultural sensitivities will allow teachers to create a comfortable, warm, and considerate, and respectful learning environment that they possibly can. A culturally rich and positive atmosphere will always yield a higher percentage of learning.


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