Teaching culture in a multicultural classroom

What do we mean by 'culture'?
Many teachers quote the Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede’s maxim ‘Software of the Mind’, the subtitle of his 2005 book ‘Cultures and Organisations’. What culture covers is the commonly held traditions, values and ways of behaving of a particular community. It includes what we used to call ‘British and American life and institutions’, ‘daily life’ and also cultural artefacts, such as the arts or sports. This is all interesting and sometimes useful knowledge and it is often included in textbooks.

However, there is also another level of understanding, of culture. This is how you develop cultural sensitivity and cultural skill. This covers how you build cultural awareness, what qualities you need to deal successfully with other cultures, and how to operate successfully with people from other cultures. This is often considered to be a business skill for adults, such as international sales managers or explorers. But if you think about it there is a set of skills also needed by refugee kids, ‘third culture kids’ following their parents as they are posted around the world, and students going abroad on gap years before university or overseas study grants. Therefore we could argue that the teaching of culture in ELT should include these things:

·                     Cultural knowledge
The knowledge of the culture’s institutions, the Big C, as it’s described by Tomalin and Stempleski in their 1995 book ‘Cultural Awareness’.

·                     Cultural values
The ‘psyche’ of the country, what people think is important, it includes things like family, hospitality, patriotism, fairness etc.

·                     Cultural behaviour
The knowledge of daily routines and behaviour, the little c, as Tomalin and Stempleski describe it.

·                     Cultural skills
The development of intercultural sensitivity and awareness, using the English language as the medium of interaction.

Culture – the fifth language skill

Why should we consider the teaching of a cultural skills set as part of language teaching and why should we consider it a fifth language skill, in addition to listening, speaking, reading and writing? I think there are two reasons. One is the international role of the English language and the other is globalisation.

Many now argue that the role of the English language in the curriculum is a life skill and should be taught as a core curriculum subject like maths, and the mother tongue. The reason for this is globalisation and the fact that to operate internationally people will need to be able to use a lingua franca. For the next twenty to thirty years at least, that language is likely to be English. That means that English will be a core communicative skill and will need to be taught early in the school curriculum. Many countries now introduce English at eight years old and many parents introduce their children to English at an even younger age, using ‘early advantage’ programmes.

The second argument is globalisation itself. You could say, ‘We are all internationalists now’. We are or will be dealing with foreigners in our community, going abroad more, dealing at a distance with foreigners through outsourcing or email, phone and video-conferencing. And this isn’t just for adults. Kids are interchanging experience and information through travel, keypal schemes and networks like Facebook. This is the time to develop the intercultural skills that will serve them in adult life.

Up until recently, I assumed that if you learned the language, you learned the culture but actually it isn’t true. You can learn a lot of cultural features but it doesn’t teach you sensitivity and awareness or even how to behave in certain situations. What the fifth language skill teaches you is the mindset and techniques to adapt your use of English to learn about, understand and appreciate the values, ways of doing things and unique qualities of other cultures. It involves understanding how to use language to accept difference, to be flexible and tolerant of ways of doing things which might be different to yours.  It is an attitudinal change that is expressed through the use of language.

Conclusion
These are some of the big picture issues I would be delighted to exchange ideas on with you. In the next article we can look in more detail at some of the ‘nitty gritty’ operational issues that teachers and materials developers have to deal with in their daily lives.

How to Teach Culture In Your Classroom

1.Food

Everyone eats, but not everyone eats the same things, and the differences in diet from one culture to the next can be very dramatic. You can let your students share their culture through food by inviting them to talk about or share dishes typical in their countries. To do this, have a cultural food fair or ask your students to prepare a national dish in a class presentation. If everyone in class gets a little taste, even better, just keep in mind food allergies that your students may have.

2.Holidays

What better time to talk about traditional foods than during the holidays. Any holiday that pops up on the calendar is an excuse to celebrate any and all holidays from January to December. Ask each of your students to talk about a traditional holiday from their native culture. They can give information about the holiday itself as well as national and family traditions. The students in your class will enjoy sharing some of their traditions as well as hearing about those of their classmates.

3.Clothing

Often another element of holidays or special occasions is traditional dress. It is not unusual for ESL students to bring some pieces of formal or traditional dress when they travel overseas to study. If you are teaching immigrants, your students also have a good chance of having these clothing items at home. You can invite your students to wear traditional clothing on a certain day or bring picture of themselves or others in traditional dress. Encourage each person to explain the significance of the different pieces, if any, and give an opportunity for everyone in class to ask questions.

4.Time

While you are talking about holidays in your class, have another conversation about what people do in their free time. Generally, a person’s schedule will be reflective of his or her values. Looking at the typical distribution of time can give an insight into what is important in a given culture. Of the 168 hours in the week, how many do most people spend working? Studying? Going out with friends or spending quality time with family? The answers to these questions and the differences from one culture to another will help your students understand and appreciate what their classmates value.

5.Music

While you are at it, does anyone in your class play a traditional instrument? That may not be all that common, but most students could probably play some popular music from their country for the class. Bring in an iPod dock and play a little rock and roll, then invite your students to share some of their music. Again, encourage open conversation and question among your students. Be sure to remind your class that national preferences vary as do personal preferences, and remind them to be sensitive to what their classmates share.

6.Money

Why not bring culture into the classroom with a little show and tell? Set a day, perhaps at some point during a unit about business, to invite your students to bring in a sample of money from their native countries (which you should make note that they brought and make sure they bring home). Either collect all the money in one place or pass it around and let your students look at the coins and bills. Have them take note about who or what is pictured on the money, and give your students a chance to talk about these people and things. By sharing stories about what is important enough to put on the country’s currency, your students will gain another level of cultural understanding from their classmates.

7.Traditional Stories

Traditional stories such as folk tales or tall tales are another way to bring culture and history into the classroom. You can have your students read English translations of traditional tales or have your students tell the stories to their classmates. By noticing who plays prominent roles in the stories and how they handle conflict, you and your students will see some more of what motivates and challenges a national group.

8.Religion

Though religion is not necessarily a national value, allowing your students to share their religious beliefs and those that most members of their culture hold will also provide valuable opportunities for your students to understand one another. With a spirit of open-mindedness and acceptance, ask your students to share some religious practices or beliefs and allow the rest of the class to discuss the issues that may arise from the discussion. If everyone in your class can be tolerant of their classmates beliefs, there is the potential for a very powerful and informative discussion on the topic of religion, simply proceed with caution.

9.History

Often key events in a country’s past will either establish or define that culture’s values. You can give your students an opportunity to discuss significant events in their country’s history, and if you do asking, them to explain how those events influence their people today will give you an insight into culture. If you have done other activities on culture, you may have already touched on these events when talking about holidays or money, but looking at things from a historical perspective can add another layer of understanding for your students.

10. Family

Not only does a country hold particular values, but families also hold certain values that they pass on to their children. Allowing your students to share about their families can open the door to talking about the values that their families hold. Talking about these family values will also often lead to a discussion about the values of a people group. When opportunities arise for your students to talk about their families, encourage it and perhaps your students will learn a little more about one another.Culture permeates every aspect of our beings. These topics are just a few that you can use to intentionally bring a discussion of culture into the classroom. As a general rule, take advantage of any opportunities to talk about culture with an open mind.You will be a better teacher for it, and your students will be better leaders of their nations.