Cultural Diversity in Our Classrooms

Culture Shock

Have you ever traveled somewhere, and things were so different you weren't sure how to behave, react, or simply felt uncomfortable in your surroundings because it was unfamiliar? Another state, another city, another job, or another country - culture is everywhere; it is what defines or base of familiarity. Many students new to the country and new to the English language, or any new language, also experience "culture shock" (Hall, 1959). Because their sense of culture is so deeply ingrained, as it is with all of us, moving from one country to another can have a profound impact on learning because they must operate outside of a comfort zone they've have become accustomed to.

It usually begins with a honeymoon stage: we're excited by a new surrounding, the difference, and the exposure to something new has removed us entirely from what we thought was boring or old. Culture shock moves from the honeymoon phase to the aggressive or hostile stage, where the newness diminishes and instead is replaced with frustration, anxiety, and anger about our inability to function as we did in more familiar surroundings (Ogberg, 1998). This can also be known as "homesickness."

Once recovered, a newcomer adjusts to the language and to the host culture, as well as to the new environment.  Anxiety takes a back seat to new food, cultural habits, and acceptable norms with which to now live and thrive.

How does all of this adjusting affect the classroom? It is important for teachers to know and recognize the symptoms of culture shock, and expect to see manifestations to various extents at each stage depending upon the student. This is why it is so important to help students maintain a positive attitude about themselves, and about their new life here. It often begins with teacher attitudes toward learning in general.

Culture Shock in the Classroom

Culture shock is the shock of the new and unfamiliar, and for ESL students almost everything a new country can be culturally new and unfamiliar. Second language learners come from a variety of backgrounds. Some may have come from a country where the goal of education where knowledge was is acquired by rote memorization of facts, and therefore learning in a less constricted environment where the onus for acquiring new knowledge is on the learner might be completely foreign, uncomfortable, and intimidating. Not used to learning by discovery or applying critical thinking can result in suspicion, fear, or even perceived threat. This can result in their remaining silent for fear of being perceived as showing off, as not intelligent, or fear of losing face by giving the wrong answer. Being praised in front of others for example, can cause some students embarrassment if they aren't used to being praised. Others might feel uncomfortable when asked to share opinions and beliefs that they were taught were supposed to be private and never shared. Some ESL students may be unused to being taught by teachers of the opposite sex, or they may have come from schools where the expectations and treatment of boys and girls are different. When these cultural beliefs are challenged, learning can if not handled properly.

Social differences

ELL students are often confronted with social differences that may cause stress, and stress can also derail learning. Not all, but many important school social events and holidays are related to American culture, such as the sports banquets, graduation ceremonies and the Christmas prom, and religious holidays like Easter and Christmas.

Second language students can respond in a variety of ways to these situations. Some out of a desire to fit in, will do so. Some will rebel, and others resentful that their own culture does not seem to be valued, or out of a loss for an ability to value it. Some may fear retribution at home for celebrating or integrating into a culture other than their own, or fear losing their own identities.

Emotional and Psychological Effects of Culture Shock

Along with emotional reactions to culture shock are physical reactions: tiredness, sleeplessness,  oversleeping, headaches and stomach aches can all be symptoms of culture shock, or homesickness. The emotional effects can include anxiety, irritability, aggressiveness or depression. Behavioral effects can include refusing to speak the mother tongue with the parents, especially in front of non-native friends. Some students reject native cuisine and will not wear traditional native clothes. Others may openly rebel against the traditional role expected of the child in native family life. It can present particular challenges when school culture shock is combined with typical adolescence.

The Educator's Role, and the Parent's Role

Not all ELLs will experience culture shock, and much of it will depend upon how it is handled at home, at school, and the extent of cultural integration they have become immersed in (there may be a sub-culture of related cultures for example like Latinos or Asians in neighborhoods where such cultural diffusion takes place).  Most students that do have problems adjusting initially, eventually find their own way and adjust, particularly when they are younger.

• Show empathy. Make it clear to your students that you understand the pressures they are under. Try to relate to them your own experiences with cultural integration, either at work, in another city, or share the experiences of other students and how they adjusted.
• Use culturally-friendly curriculum, and if one is not available search the Internet for supplemental resources (see Module 20 for a list of resources).
• Share this knowledge with parents, and encourage their cooperation and support in this transitional period. Make them aware of the stages and phases of culture shock at school, and share these solutions with them.
• Encourage students to take part in an extracurricular after-school opportunities such as sports, music, book clubs, writing clubs (where appropriate) and anything else that might interest them. Make them know to them by directing their parents to information, or pairing them up with other students who are patient, caring, and could take on the role of mentor.
• Contact the student's other teachers or counselor if the student is withdrawn and taking an unusually long time to adjust. The more support they can have, the easier the transition will be.

References

Brown, H. D. (1994) Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.