Teach English in Chaoyi Zhen - Weinan Shi

To be successful in the practice of teaching English as a foreign language, cultural sensitivity is a vital characteristic to employ. If one is unaware of the cultural differences that are present in the resident country, it is likely that acting in a way that’s normal to one’s native country will create unnecessary tension. With minimal effort, it isn’t difficult to become aware of the major elements of behavior that are native to the resident country. It is quite useful to incorporate these elements into the classroom, and teaching style. This will create a positive environment in the classroom makes it possible to have the focus be on learning. These days it isn’t difficult to get information about the social norms that are present in different places around the world. There is useful information to be found in travel publications, such as Lonely Planet. If you have access to the internet, it’s simple to run a Google search for “Cultural do’s and don’ts” for your new location. Expat forums are also a source of good information, and it’s typical that the company that is running the classes will have good information as well. In The United States of America, it’s common to pat a small child on the head to express praise. However, in Thailand, this would be taboo. In Thailand, as in many countries in Southeast Asia, the head is considered to be the most sacred part of the body, and it is considered very rude to touch someone on the head, even a playful ruffling of a child's hair. While it’s expected that there will be cultural differences between Asia and the USA, it would be more difficult to appreciate the nuanced social expectations you might find in France. Even though it is the goal to teach English, it is considered good manners to say a few words in French first. This will put the students at ease and it will be probable that more focus can be put into the lesson. On the other side of the coin, students who are going out of their to learn English are likely to be curious about the expected customs of the teacher’s home country. This is important information for the students, as this will help them to speak English more naturally. Using America as an example, it is likely that some impressions will have been gathered from watching films and television shows. Some of them will give extreme examples of American customs. These can be explained as being uncommon. In the context of the classroom, it is important to take care to share manners that are based on polite behavior. This is the starting point for cultural assimilation. While children may bring of examples that are more at the far ends of normal behavior, it’s to the students best interests to steer them towards language that won’t be seen as offensive. There will be plenty of opportunities to broaden their awareness as their interaction with English develops. Being unaware of the local customs makes it possible to be unwittingly offensive, and create an impediment to passing along the lessons for your class. As tempting as it may be, it’s vital to refrain from making “right” and “wrong” judgments about the native culture. This doesn’t mean that one has to give up their own value system. That being said it’s crucial to assimilate into the resident culture. It can be in the littlest of things. If everyone is taking their shoes off before entering the classroom, then that is the social norm, and it will be a wise practice to follow. With success as the goal, taking the time, and effort, to learn about the normal practices of the destination country will make a significant contribution to creating a classroom where the focus can be on learning English, and the students will graduate with a sense of accomplishment.