English is a useful tool that will enable our students to communicate internationally. When communicating with people from different language backgrounds, students will inevitably also be communicating with people across cultures. This means communicating with people who might have different norms, different behaviors, and different communication styles from what they might be used to. So how can we prepare our students for such interactions?
Many teachers might be familiar with materials that use topics like food or festivals around the world as a basis for teaching English and getting students to practice speaking. These colorful aspects of culture are a great way of engaging students and they deal with parts of culture that we can easily see.
Another aspect of culture that can be visible is behavior. We might greet someone in a certain manner or make someone feel welcomed in a particular way. We interpret what they say through the lenses with which we see the world. And when others behave in a way we are not used to, it can be easy to jump to conclusions based on our perspective of things. This could potentially result in miscommunication or misunderstandings. By encouraging students to explore these different aspects of culture, we are training them to become more aware, more open, and more prepared to adapt to the people they’ll communicate with in English.
One useful way of helping students to develop intercultural skills is by using stories — stories of intercultural communication that might feature some kind of misunderstanding or miscommunication. These stories are known as critical incidents. Take this critical incident, for example:
In class, Li Wei often uses his phone when working in groups. His group mates think he doesn’t really like his classmates or the task, and that he doesn’t really want to be there. They slowly begin to ignore him in their discussions.
What advice Might you give Li Wei’s classmates?
What advice might you give Li Wei?
Li Wei’s group mates assumed that his preoccupation with his phone was due to his lack of interest in his classmates or in the task. However, there might be other reasons for his behavior. He might, for example, be using his phone to take notes, do research on the task, or find translations of the words his classmates were using. Alternatively, he might just be used multi-tasking when working together with others. By encouraging students to discuss the given scenario more deeply and consider multiple interpretations of a behavior, students are given a chance to engage in speaking practice while learning to see things from different points of view.
Perhaps when discussing this critical incident, students might realize that part of the issue is the lack of communication between Li Wei and his group mates. It is likely that Li Wei didn’t realize that his group mates had a problem with his mobile phone usage. It is just as likely that his group mates did not clearly voice their feelings about the issue. Instead of ignoring Li Wei, his groupmates could choose to speak to Li Wei, ask questions, and find out more. If Li Wei is able to notice the discomfort in his groupmates, he could help the situation by being more transparent about why he’s using his phone.
While there isn’t one correct solution to such critical incidents, the very act of discussing and exploring them allows students to increase their self-awareness, develop their ability to spot potential misunderstandings, and learn to accommodate and adapt to the people they speak to. In this way, we can help students build stronger relationships and have more effective interactions across cultures.
Teach skills to succeed in a globalized world
Grab your copy of Chia Suan Chong’s NEW Professional Development title.
