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As a foreign teacher in a foreign country, cultural sensitivity is one thing that must be taken into account at all times but especially in the classroom. Failing to follow the cultural tendencies of a country will not only discredit a teacher in front of the student but can also be quite embarrassing. It is a good idea for the teacher to do some research on the culture of the country they are going to. There are plenty of ways to do research such as the internet, books and movies. Every culture has its own set of quirks and unwritten rules, even the western cultures. In Asia there is a cultural sensitivity known as saving face. If a teacher embarrassed a student then the student is seen to be losing face. For this reason the teacher must always be aware that at no time should he put any of his students into a situation where they can lose face. To make an Asian lose face not only makes it bad for them but also looks bad on the teacher because the other students see what he has done and lose respect him. Being aware of cultural sensitivities doesn’t only apply to how the teacher behaves in the class it also applies to how the teacher reacts to interactions. When the teacher is in a foreign country he will be facing new situations daily and must react according to local cultural acceptances. Many Asian cultures have a straightforward approach to asking questions. This means it is fine for them to ask how much money you make or how old you are. In western culture these are not normal questions and can sometimes be offencive. The teacher should take these situations in their stride and not take offence because in most situations they were not meant to be offensive. Going to or from the classroom is virtually still the classroom, so for these times the teacher must be aware of local customs. If the teacher behaves accordingly in the classroom but fails to behave correctly when they are in the school yard then the students will see this and lose respect for the teacher. For example if a teacher is in a hurry to class in Japan he might think it is ok to eat his lunch on the way to class. To eat and walk in Japan is not accepted and will be looked upon as bad manners and therefore the teacher will be seen as uncouth. The behaviour of a teacher in the classroom has repercussions beyond campus. All students have friends and family outside the class and if the teacher does something wrong a student could tell the outside world what has happened. Parents feeling that their child has been disrespected can take further action by approaching the school or taking their child out of school. This is not good for the school and will cost money to the establishment and maybe eventually the teachers job. To finish up the teacher in a foreign country has the responsibility to make sure they are aware and follow the local cultural sensitivities. It is as important that the students feel that the teacher respects their culture and beliefs.
