ESL Whiteboard

 CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENTS IN A CLASSROOM      I believe this topic it's just a branch off what we have been discussing about cultural differences. What does CROSS-CULTURAL mean? It means dealing with or comparing cultural differences among two or more different cultures. In a classroom it means the variety and diversity the students bring to class.     Brother Ivers gives great examples of cross-cultural differences in students in a classroom. He talks about how if we are not aware of those differences they can lead to misinterpretation. He talked about how education is valued differently in many if not most of the countries and teacher are seen as a figure of authority when in America it seems like it is the other way around.      In Mexico schools use uniforms and you most speak in usted-form to the teacher. You raise your hand when you have something to say but the teacher can or not call on you to share. My mom was a teacher so I remember ...

  Attributional Tendencies What are ATTRIBUTIONAL TENDENCIES ? These can be explained as deductions, presumptions, deductions that we relate as the reasons for our successes and failures. Fritz Heider was the first to expound how people makes these assumptions. These explanations can be categorized into two groups: INTERNAL and EXTERNALS . INTERNAL are those reasons we connect from our inner self. Some people tend to be good at internal attributions with is for personal success than for the success of others. For example: EXTERNAL are the reason outside of our control. These can often be related to failures or the successes of others. I believe that our tendencies to attribute tell about how we see ourselves and others and it is influenced by they way we are raised and the society we live in.  I couldn't help to think that these concepts almost relate to being humble vs proudful. It makes me think of being accountable for our thoughts, feelings and actions. We are free to cho...

  PERSONAL SPACE DIFFERENCES  I believe the concept of space is a very essential concept for all living creatures. If we think about it everything relates to the space we take in this universe.  We all see it differently according to how we have been raised and how we have been using it with those around us. In a molecular perspective even among atoms. Some atoms "personal space" is different depending what element they are around with. If it is not bondable it can be very reactive.  The same goes with people. We need personal space or personal closeness depending on who we are with and how our personal emotional space is as well. I grew up in a culture where houses are so close to one another, but it was expected to keep a respectful space on noise and cleanness with those you live near to. I remember as a kid we had the chore to sweep the sidewalk right outside our home. Often the neighbor would sweep all the way to our section, and we never saw that as intru...

  INDIVIDUALISM vs COLLECTIVISM      This was a very interesting topic for me since I don't think I have given it much thought. I like to look for the meanings of the words and terms because it helps me to get a better idea. What is  INDIVIDUALISM?  It is the freedom to be independent and self-reliant. According to Professor Ivers "In individualistic society, they'll have tolerance for individual mistakes that may cause tragedy for the group and just hope that doesn't happen again.       Now, what does it mean  COLLECTIVISM?  Without looking in the dictionary I can see the root of this word and it means to collect, to gather. In a culture it means to give priority to a group over each individual in it. Professor Ivers says " In a group-oriented society, they might have a little less tolerance for things that could hurt other members of the group big time." To me it means to gather the interest of each individual and gi...

 EMOTIONAL EXPRESSIVITY Emotions are universal. We all have them and we all express them in one way or another. After watching Professor Ivers, I had never thought of expressiveness as a way of communicating until he said that expressing emotions in public is often MISINTERPRETED.  Professor Ivers says "As far as what indicates a little bit of embarrassment or things like that, the facial expression might be quite different. But as far as the strong emotions, very little difference cross-cultural, maybe none at all". If we do not understand each other's cultural difference or know about them it is very easy to misinterpret people's emotions from one culture to another.  In a classroom with diversity in cultures,  emotional expressiveness will become crucial to be aware of since language often is a barrier of communication. This system of expression is influence by those cultural norms in the society we participate in. These norms can evolve and it is important we are...

     What is COMMUNICATION ? It is passing on or exchanging information. We are constantly communicating in one way or another. We communicate through our words, gestures and actions. When we fail to convey the right message is when MISCOMMUNICATION occurs. This can happen due to cultural differences and a lack of understanding each other's background. Professor Ivers gives several example on miscommunication among different cultures. He said that what may seem appropriate for some people it may not be for others. Never assume your expressions will mean the same to others and vice versa, never interpret other's expressions as your own.  I grew up listening to my parents saying "a la tierra que fueres, haz lo que vieres" meaning "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". As a kid I would often sarcastically respond like "so if I see them smoking or swearing I should to".   Now, I know better and that is not what it means. What my parents were trying to t...

  Monochronic vs Polychronic   What is the difference  between monochronic and polychronic? What I was able to digest from the video and searching the web, I can say that it means the way one person perceives time and how they manage it. Some cultures seemed to be governed by the clock and schedules and they work on one task to another. These type of people are monochronic, there is only one time, and that is being "on time". Polychronic are those that forget about time and rather enjoy the moment and value the time spent with the task or people.  Being on time is a great quality and for some cultures the lack of this value is unacceptable, but it can be view and interpreted as single minded and inconsiderate or insensitive. Giving priority to people rather than time is a thoughtful and attentive but it can be frustrating if the other person lack understanding of this difference. I am a Latino woman and I do admit that there is a different sense of time among those f...

 What does the word PARADIGM mean? According to Brother Ivers it refers to a concept, idea of something that gets stored in your head and we will use those to compare it with other concepts and either relate them or evaluate them. They can be simple like what we interpret as a tree or more complex like friendship.  Our brains are super computers and are constantly coding and processing information. The brain begins to create a master folder of what it is culturally acceptable or expected. We use our core values and principles be the guide to those concepts. Per example, I grew up in Mexico and it is expected that you greet with a hand shake when you meet someone for the first time. Now, some other countries may do the same or something totally different like a bowing. Brother Ivers shared a quote from Carlos Fuentes, "w e shall know each other or we shall exterminate each other." What I got from this quote is that if we don't put the effort to get to know each other with...