Teach English in Guanzhuang Zhen - Yan'an Shi

Increasing numbers of people all over the world travel away from their home countries. There are many reasons for this. Some are interested in exploring other parts of the world or taking stimulating vacations. Others may need to flee an unbearable situation. Still others are simply seeking better opportunities for jobs. In all these situations, learning to speak English is profitable and teachers of English are sought after. What must teachers be aware of and how should they adapt their teaching to accommodate students of various nationalities and cultures? Before beginning to teach students, it is helpful to know about their background. What is the culture of their homeland? Culture is defined simply in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.” With this in mind, important areas of culture of which to make a careful study are language, worldview, food and clothing, holidays, religion or other beliefs, and education. Learning about these ahead of time will help build rapport, especially during the Engage phase of the lesson. This can also help in taking care to avoid embarrassing moments with sensitive subjects. Education is important in all areas of the world, but expectations and approaches are vastly different. An understanding of the educational approach in other countries will help teachers to understand their students better. For example, in some countries the class may be very teacher-focused and the students may not participate much at all. A more casual English conversation class, with many students trying out the new sounds, will be hard to adjust to. Even though they have a desire to learn English, it may be very difficult to make those first attempts to speak in front of others. Instructors should be sensitive to this and allow for small groups or pair work to let students sound out words with just one other person. Once they become more confident, they will be ready to speak in front of the class. Another educational challenge is the pronunciation of various sounds that are not a part of the native language. For example, some language learners are unable to pronounce the “th” sound. They may use “t” or “f” instead. Asian language speakers have difficulties with “r” and “l” sounds. Using visuals to show where the sound is made in the mouth and then modeling it for the students is a start. Then follow up with games and activities that reinforce what they are learning. A simple tongue twister will keep things light and fun so the students do not become discouraged. Students who have moved to an English-speaking country will still have cultural standards that are important to them. These might include religious beliefs, food, and dress. Instructors who are aware of and sensitive to these standards are less likely to offend. In my experience, I have had students who take religious observances very seriously. They stop at a set time of day to pray. This is easier in a one-on-one situation as the teacher can adapt and wait until the student is ready to return to the lesson. Other religious practices may cause difficulties for the student such as fasting at various times of year. Students might not be able to focus as well during these times. Although classes may not be canceled for this, teachers need to be sensitive to it. The areas of food and dress are important in a culturally diverse class. If students are offended by the dress of the instructor, it may become enough of a distraction that they are hindered in their learning. Certainly, there is no need to dress in the fashion of other countries. But when teaching students from other cultures, it is even more important to dress professionally and inoffensively. Teaching and talking about food may also cause problems that can be prevented by a little research ahead of time. Some foods may be offensive to students. Or food that students like may be repulsive to the teacher. But the wise teacher will be prepared for this and will not react in a negative way. Teaching about foods can help students to avoid situations where they unknowingly violate their conscience. For instance, some cultures prohibit the eating of pork. teachers who are prepared can instruct their students about all the possibilities of food that contains pork such as sausage, pepperoni, and bacon. It is very satisfying and rewarding to teach multi-cultural students to speak English. Watching them progress from just mimicking words to really understanding whole sentences is exciting! By taking time to be more aware and understand their cultural background, teachers build rapport with students, bringing about a productive learning environment for all students, regardless of culture.