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Cultural sensitivity is being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist without assigning them a value. When taking on a job in teaching in another country, we must learn about that countries culture, this way you can gain understanding and respect for that country. This is very important in a classroom. Our world is filled with diversity and we must understand and respect others values and beliefs, it is important to make an effort to adapt to another country’s norms and way of life. Teaching in another country is not easy by any means, since there can be a major difference in culture depending on where you are from and where you are going to teach. The first step to being cultural sensitive in the classroom is getting to know the country you are living in, their religious beliefs, their political beliefs, even what is allowed to eat and what is not allowed to eat. For example, in India cow meat is not allowed because the cow is considered a sacred animal. Another example is body language, different parts of your body and the gestures you make can be highly offensive. By knowing this, you will be able to avoid doing things that can cause discomfort in your students. This will help you avoid certain topics or even images that may cause offense to the students. Also when learning about their culture, you make the students feel that you are interested in their ways of life. As a person who has traveled extensively, I have seen firsthand how difficult it is for people to accept foreigners. When people feel you are trying to adapt to their way of life such as speaking their language, even if your pronunciation is not the best or correct, it makes them feel that you have interest and you are making an effort to learn their ways of life. A great way to have a cultural sensitive classroom and connecting with your students is by having the students talk about their culture. This can be done through a variety of teaching activities. An example of this would be having each student name their country’s favorite typical food, for example in Peru a student can say my favorite food is Ceviche, and you can start writing on the board the different foods and ask what it is. When teaching young children, you can have them dress in an outfit that represents their culture and country for example in Japan, it could be a Kimono. These activities make students feel more comfortable and it teaches me more about the students way of life. Being aware of a country’s culture definitely impacts the learning and outcome of the students. When you are aware of the cultural differences you are less likely to offend a student and more likely able to create a positive situation. Being cultural sensitive in the classroom means that you must know what is acceptable and what is not. In Middle Eastern countries and even in Asia, for example, it would not be a good idea to be liberal when teaching. This can make them feel uncomfortable. They are more structured. In Latin cultures, they are more open to innovative teaching methods. We must always be aware of the culture and to be sensitive to students of that culture.
