Why Is Culturally Responsive Teaching Important

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences A multicultural world urgently needs a culturally sensitive educational system. In most countries around, schools are filled with students who come from different cultures. The variety of cultural backgrounds of students in schools is beneficial for the academic community as it contributes to their different experiences that provide all students with the opportunity to learn about different aspects of life. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dainaliz Feliberty H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Students in a multicultural environment learn to be culturally aware and to develop a sense of identity as individuals. Even though...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences When teaching English to non-native English speakers one may often come across a learner from a different culture than one's own. Many certified TEFL teachers may have been drawn to this program because of this exact aspect. Teachers may want to fulfill personal goals of traveling to unique countries and experience different cultural activities. Teachers with their TEFL certificate are extremely likely to find themselves teaching students with a different cultural identity than their own. This is very rewarding for students and teachers alike but comes with certain challenges that should be dealt with appropriately. Every country has subjects and issues that are taboo and not engaged with much in everyday...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Cultural capital according to French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu is the gathering of knowledge, skills, and cultural traits that a person obtains from their personal, social and educational environment (Bourdieu, 1991, p. 14). The educational system in a Korean society differs from the learning practices in Western society. Asian societies such as South Korea, prioritize a teacher-centered learning style where students are expected to respect teachers and not solicit too much information since communication is often indirect and implicit. This group-focused thinking is a main cultural learning difference from Western teachings where individualism is more emphasized and students can freely interact with the...  [Read more]