There are many cultural
issues that should be addressed by the teacher in both the mainstream
classroom and the ESL classroom. These issues include social
conflict, cross-cultural communication, culture education, cultural
acclimation, etc.
I can only hope that
this site will provide some insight into some of these issues.
In a classroom with
ESL/LEP students, the teacher is responsible for acting as a mediator
between the different cultures represented in his or her
classroom. This is important even in the mainstream
classroom. A classroom environment filled with cultural tension is
not an environment conducive to learning. This is especially
important in a middle school classroom in which this particular age
group experiences a newfound sense of self through peers. The
following is a list of links which should be helpful in finding ways to
overcome cultural differences in the mainstream classroom: Multiculturalpedia
http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~tokyo3/e/
This is a site where students and teachers can learn fun facts about other
cultures. It gives interesting and fun information about various countries
and their customs. Instructor
- Unbeatable Ways to Reach Your LEP Students
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/specialneeds/lepstudents.htm
This is another great web site that is absolutely perfect for the
regular classroom teacher who wants to find ways to reach his or her ESL
students. It includes special advice sections of experienced
teachers who have had ESL students in the regular classroom. On
teacher who wrote about her experiences on the web site has had 43
different ESL students who spoke 21 different languages! There are
specific strategies for ways in dealing with students from each
different cultural background. Also, it lists universal ways of
communication that will show an ESL student that he or she is special. Many
Languages, Many Cultures
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/teachstrat/manylanguages.htm
This web page would be excellent for a teacher who is looking for
ways to better communication with his or her ESL students and the
students' families. It lists four specific strategies of working
with students from other cultures and their parents. Because
parental involvement is so important in any child's education, this page
would be a priceless resource; however, the page could have used more
real-life scenarios and actual experiences from teachers who have had
ESL students. |
