Fact

Fact

In 1987, 89% of our teens were born in Canada.

In 2008 just 56% of our teens were born in Canada.

(Project Teen Canada as reported in MacLean’s April 13, 2009)

Helen Chadwick 2012 St. Lawrence College

The Multicultural Classroom

Helen Chadwick, International Student Advisor

St. Lawrence CollegeJune 2012


Disclaimer!


SLC International Student Orientation 2009

Today

• Identify some strategies for communicating with others from different cultures;

• Consider how to recognize your own assumptions;• Understand the impact of assumptions and personal

context on interactions with others; • Gain appreciation of effort made by individuals from

diverse backgrounds.


hopefully…

Recognize the opportunities that intercultural knowledge can bring to communication and engagement with others.


Let’s play cards!


Barnga

• What did you see happening?• What did you think about what was

happening?• What do you feel about what was happening?

D.I.E.• Describe, Interpret, Evaluate.


Culture?)


Culture?• Culture is a set of values, beliefs and expectations

that members of a group come to share.

- it is learned;

- the various facets of culture are inter-related;

- it is shared and defines the boundaries of

different groups.

Edward Hall, American Anthropologist Helen Chadwick 2012 St.

Lawrence College

“Sometimes we cannot get the

ideas of each other, or we

offend, due to the culture

difference.”

Chloe, home country China,

2008 Helen Chadwick 2012 St.

Lawrence College

The Tip of the Iceberg

• We see approximately 10% of a person’s ‘culture’. The rest is hidden.



What’s above water?

Below?


Religious ceremony

Body Language

FoodLanguage/Accent

Personal HygieneClothin

g

Skin Colour, Hair Tattoos

Work Ethic

Morals

Ethics

Perspective

Values

BeliefsSexuality

Tradition/History

Assumptions


We need to consider ethnicity, race, religion, and nationality, and

• Personality• Gender • Age (Veteran, Baby Boomer, x, y and …)• Time in Canada• Profession• Socio-economic status/employment status• Abilities/disabilities • Mental Health

etc.


“In Canada students call

Professors by their names. In

Nigeria this is never possible.

Also, students are so free to talk

to their Professor. There is good

communication between teacher

and student.”

Olanrewaju, 2009


Intercultural Competence

• Intercultural competence “is not natural. It is not

part of our primate past, nor has it characterized

most human history. Cross-cultural contact usually

has been accompanied by bloodshed, oppression, or

genocide. The continuation of this pattern in

today’s world of unimagined interdependence is

not just immoral or unprofitable – it is self-

destructive.”

• Milton Bennett (1993)


Stages of Cultural Competence

Unconscious Incompetence

Conscious Incompetence

Conscious Competence

Unconscious Competence

William Gudykunst (1993)


“I was surprised that every

student in the program

participated actively in

class.”

Judith, home country Mexico,

2009


Country of family origin and heritage Languages spoken Interests or hobbies Favorite foods Preferred types of movies, tv programs Preferred types of music Pets, if any, or favorite animals

What’s In A Name???How do you think your partner would respond?


Bharadia/Walt Carleton University 2012

Break


Cross-Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communication

Space – Personal space.

Gestures – Do speakers move their hands? What do

these gestures mean?

Touch –What does touch mean? Do friends touch

each other? Acquaintances? Colleagues?


Eye Contact – Where do speakers look when talking?

If they make eye contact is it across the group or

individual? If individual, how often and how long?

Dress – What is acceptable?

Time – How late can you be without offending? What

do people say when they’re late? Monochronic –

Polychronic.


Facial expressions – How often do people smile? Show

anger? What do they do when students ask questions?

Classroom behaviour – Do students or teachers smoke,

drink or eat in class? How do the students sit? How do

students get the teacher’s attention? Can students leave

a class in session and what do they say or do if they want

to leave?

Adapted from Skills in Intercultural Communication, UBC Centre for

Intercultural Communication 2007.03


Share an example of being surprised by a nonverbal

communication


"I find it hard that so much

communication is by e-mail -

with the professors and fellow

students. In my culture, face to

face meetings are important.“

Karla, home country, Mexico

2009


Tips for Successful Inter-CulturalCommunication

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDvLk7e2Irc&NR=1




Summary

1. Use observation skills and mirror other’s actions, behaviour and body language.


2. Appreciate differences.We are unaware of our own level of inter-

cultural sensitivity and skills.


3. Don’t assume; respect instead.

We all see the world partly through the lens of our own cultural backgrounds, and we are often unaware of this.


4. Patience. Take the time to understand – and enjoy – communication with someone from another culture.


Intercultural Dimension

• Unpack the underlying questions, IF ANY- “Tell me more.”- “Help me understand why you’re asking.”- “What do you mean by…”

Remember, sometimes a question really is just a question.



• Remember to allow time for reflection.– Use of silence in many cultures is valued.– Resist the urge to answer without thinking

through the various ways to interpret the questions.

– Fiver the person time to reflect on your response before using “conversation-closing” language and behaviours.



• Develop and use a protocol for ensuring that you have been understood and that you understand:– Ask individual to summarize the conversation– E-mail written summaries using “handout

language”– Use notes, even for yourself



• Quickly discern whether a communication challenge is based on culture. How?– It’s a trick question – You can’t.

The trick answer is to ALLOW for cultural differences in every problem-based interaction.



Rather than a “culture-free” or bi-cultural approach, take an inter-cultural approach.

- Avoid the “fairness trap”, i.e., plagiarism

“Fairness is not Sameness.”Helen Chadwick 2012 St.

Lawrence College

Strategies for improving Cross-Cultural Communication in the classroom

Make your expectations and reactions clear. Listen actively: be patient, listen carefully and avoid jumping to

conclusions. Repeat, rephrase and illustrate messages and instructions. Avoid or explain slang, jargon and colloquial expressions. Beware of acronyms. Tell personal stories instead of jokes which often depend on subtle

distinctions in the language. Expect delayed reactions – respect silence.


You talk for a while!


The Danger of a Single Storyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

Chimamanda Adichie:


http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

Reflection STOP, START, CONTINUE

• Reflect on what value(s) or behaviour(s) need to Stop, Start and Continue in order to further open yourself to new experiences and new cultures.

Who are you?


We are both encountering a situation

that is equally difficult for both

parties. We both have a responsibility

to adapt.


“ I’m Venezuelan; I can’t behave like

you. I’m from a different culture and I

can adapt, but I am Venezuelan.”

Barbara, 2009


“We don’t see things as they are. We see things as we are.” Anäis Nin


Documents

Fact