Intercultural Communication Plan for a Multicultural Classroom - Research Paper Example

? Intercultural Communication Plan for a Multicultural room and number: submitted: Intercultural Communication Plan for a Multicultural Classroom Recent events, for instance, the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US and the bombings in Bali continue to shock people and instill fear across the globe. Since the event of the aforementioned terrorist attacks, people feel increasingly insecure living amongst people from different cultural backgrounds. According to Henderson (2004), the events of 9/11, the outcome of the Bali bombings, and the situation in Iraq and other warring nations exemplify an increasing uncertainty, as well as interconnectedness, which typifies the modern world. These events continually push people to reflect on their cultures, as well as other people’s cultures. These events and issues regarding culture continually prompt questions on the preparedness of children to live harmoniously with people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Such preparedness can only occur when education systems provide children with viable interconnection skills in the class environment. This issue is paramount for educators responsible for imparting on children the necessary skills and knowledge to allow children to live harmoniously with people from different cultural backgrounds (Gudykunst, 1991). This paper offers an intercultural communication plan for a multicultural classroom, discussing the importance of educators to create a multicultural class environment, which encompasses different ethnic groups. This will ensure the creation of a proper learning environment for all students regardless of their cultural backgrounds or resources at their disposal. Culture refers to the manifestations, such as language, arts, films and architecture of the intellectual attainment of humans, which is attained collectively. In my experience living within a multicultural community, I have learned that the facilitation of intercultural communication, as well as cross-cultural appreciation, is highly possible for students in a multicultural classroom. I have also learned that a single classroom can incorporate students from different cultures (De Melendez & Beck, 2010). This school district caters for the education needs of students from at least three cultural backgrounds. Schools within the school districts have innovative programs that center on the premise that multicultural education is only possible in the event of multicultural communication within the classroom. The creation of a multicultural education program in schools promotes an appreciation of the diverse demographical environment in which the student live. The population of community I live in shows a massive ethnic, cultural and social diversity, which is an intensive mixture of different cultures that give all students the chance to gain knowledge about people from different regions globally, which are present in their classrooms. Essentially, the school offers a viable environment in which students have the chance to attain their full potential on an academic, social, as well as physical level. A school, which offers a welcoming environment, assists students and families to feel comfortable, as well as a valuable addition to the education community, particularly with regard to ELL families. Going into a friendly and immensely energetic environment shows students and their families that the school is an integral constituent of the community (Houk, 2005). This is particularly crucial for immigrant families since they feel welcome to the community. Notably, when schools take the initiative to get to know ELL families intimately, this helps to establish a valid relationship based on mutual appreciation and trust. This is always a fantastic way to let the school community and parents to celebrate the cultural diversity present within the school. This offers a suitable opportunity to have such families volunteer to share their skills, culture and hobbies with the community. Teachers in the modern society need to be knowledgeable regarding how minority culture children perceive the world, as well as the class and school community. Teachers must also learn innovative ways of processing and organizing information to ensure superior learning for all students (Irvine, 1990). The three groups present in the classroom are students of Hispanic, African American and African origins. Hispanic students in the classroom encompass at least 5 percent of the total population. While researching the Hispanic culture, it is evident that their religion, language, values and customs are integral to their culture. Perhaps some of the most significant elements in their culture are their commitment, involvement, as well as familial support. In essence, this intense sense of other-directedness does not conform to Americans’ mainstream emphasis on elements of individualism (Vasquez, 1990). Hispanic students can feel comfortable within the classroom by grouping themselves in small groups in their classes, which helps to establish a minimally daunting environment. Educators can also find creative ways of merging the Spanish language with the current curriculum thereby allowing Hispanic students a higher position than Americans within the classroom. This will allow Hispanic students to appreciate their position in the classroom and feel appreciated by the education system. The second group encompassed in the class population is African American students. It is relatively difficult to define African Americans within the classroom since African Americans encompass quite a diverse group of individuals. The culture of African Americans is a diverse mixture of both Caribbean and African cultures. In essence, African Americans consist of people from various ethnic backgrounds, which encompass the Caribbean culture and the African culture. The spirituality, as well as family life, tends to be relatively crucial to African Americans. People of African American cultural background make up a communal family structure, which is one of their most outstanding inherent characteristics (Harry, 1992). The African American culture is quite diverse to the extent that it can be rather difficult to define. The combination of various cultures, as well as their unique encounters, makes African Americans exceedingly unique. African Americans have a rich history that makes them rather unique, particularly with regard to their experiences of racism and slavery within the American society. In previous times, the family, church and community were all African Americans could have at their disposal. Although these experiences were adverse, they assisted African Americans to form their unique traditions and values, which exist to date. In order to understand and respect the traditions and values of African Americans, one must always be engrossed in their community to appreciate their culture. Educators must have the inherent ability to embrace their African American students’ knowledge of their culture, traditions, heritage and history, which are unique to African Americans. The last group in the community is Africans, particularly Nigerians. The culture of Nigerians is primarily a multi-ethnic culture that encompasses different religions. Nigerians are proud of their differences, particularly with regard to their diverse dances, literature, films, languages and music. Nigeria has three primarily ethnic groups, which include the Hausa Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba. Nigerians speak at least 250 languages, although, English is primarily their official language. On the other hand, the culture of Nigerians encompasses various forms of clothing, which they all wear with an air of immense pride. Nigerians are fantastic hosts since they welcome their guests with immense affection and hospitality, which are a crucial part of the culture of Nigerians. Nigerians are also quite family oriented in their business and social lives and place immense value in education and achievements of their children. The community I live in is a superior community, which works in a manner that helps families, which live below the poverty level since the community has immense resources that help families to become self-reliant. The community promotes and supports families by offering all mothers a proper beginning to facilitate the birth of healthy babies. The hospitals and other health facilities within the community also ensure that all persons receive effective and sufficient health care services, thereby, ensuring that all persons, including school going children are sufficiently healthy to perform their tasks and duties. The head start program is one such a program, which is a valuable resource that offers superior quality early health care services to not only young children, but the entire family, as well. The community also boasts of another program referred to as the Child Care Assistance Program. This program is quite remarkable since it assists low-income families to pay for health care services for children whenever their parents are either going to school or working. These programs base their payment procedures on the number of hours their parents either go to school or work. Culturally responsive form of teaching refers to a pedagogy, which attaches importance to the need to include students’ cultural references with regard to all aspects of learning; hence increasing the superiority of students’ learning experiences (Nieto & Bode, 2012). One element that becomes quite obvious when researching all the aforementioned cultures, is the issue that the families of all cultures teaches their children the needs of setting goals, which, in turn, helps them in their future endeavors. The various traditions, as well as cultures, within any family are quite critical to parents and all persons because the attributes are passed down from one generation to another. All grownups use the different forms of traditions, which they were brought up with to enhance the lives of their individual families, particularly their children’s lives. They accomplish this through different cultural religions and traditions. The immigrant families within the community face immense problems when they arrive in the US, for instance; most immigrants do not speak English as they first language. The children of such families have trouble in school, especially with regard to learning new languages, as well as the notable shift to a new environment. This can be a considerable hindrance to the children since some of their parents either speak little or no English at all. Such situations cause these parents to have immense difficulty getting involved in their children’s education. The Tourist Approach At the start of all school years when students have an opportunity to get into their classrooms, it is quite crucial to establish a cultural environment that appreciates all cultures and ethnic communities. This allows teachers to be able to create diversity within their classrooms and fortify multiculturalism within their classrooms. The classroom should always encompass posters of the different ethnic groups, as well as families represented in the classroom. Such posters can show different people of different ethnic communities wearing their traditional clothes. Within the housekeeping region, there should always be different representations of different cultures represented by students in the classroom. For instance, there should be either chopsticks or a tortilla warmer in the housekeeping area, thereby representing many cultural backgrounds in the classroom. The classroom should also include multicultural books, as well as materials of a multicultural nature, which students use or play with in class (Derman-Sparks & The A.B.C. Task Force, 1998). Showing respect for the students’ different languages is also an added benefit within the classroom. Teachers should be affectionate, warm and attentive towards all students regardless of their cultural backgrounds. The class environment must always be conducive towards effective learning and playing since both activities provide all students with a distinct sense of belonging. The head start program continually assists students to appreciate the value of multiculturalism, as well as the most viable way of approaching the topic successfully within the class environment. Programs vary rather widely in terms of their approaches to and the extent to which they can integrate multicultural programs within the classroom. Most classrooms make use of an additive or contributory approach referred to as the tourism curriculum (Otto, 2010). When teachers either accept or enhance ethnic differences within their classrooms, they are able to take the multicultural tourist approach. The teachers will be capable of doing this by exemplifying the importance of ethnic holidays of different cultures, teaching their students about the value of different cultures, customs and religions. This can also include serving food from all cultural communities presented within the community or school environment. Making use of this approach is capable of exemplifying the cultural diversity and help students to feel both accepted and welcome within the class and community. A multicultural tourist approach also enables teachers to make additions to the curriculum rather than change it altogether. Within a classroom, which makes use of a multicultural tourist curriculum, there is evidence on the walls, through pictures and images, which indicate and represent the different ethnic groups represented in the classroom. Such a classroom also encompasses books, which all students can read, in terms of both culture and religion. For instance, a multicultural tourist curriculum, during Christmas time, can include a theme such as Christmas across the world, which shows the different ethnic or cultural celebrations of Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and the Santa Lucia Festival of Lights. It is paramount to establish linguistic diversity in the classroom. This concept is aimed at teaching and learning all elements of the various, diverse cultures, which have different languages. Within the US, there are many languages, which give students the chance to discover various attributes of different cultures and languages. Presently, it is crucial to encompass linguistic diversity in the curriculum of early childhood education. This can allow the educator to establish a positive classroom environment, while at the same time incorporating the value of cultural diversity in the school curriculum. A classroom, which is both linguistically and culturally diverse, offers students a unique chance to become aware of different cultural experiences and learn about the value of such experiences in a multi-linguistic and multicultural environment. In the US, linguistic diversity is ongoing in classrooms across all states of the nation, and there are many educators who do not have adequate expertise and comprehension of how to deal with English language learners (ELLs). The area that most educators find exceedingly challenging is how to deal with a linguistically, as well as culturally diverse classroom. This is where proper classroom management becomes paramount. Perhaps one of the principal things that an educator should do is to be capable of creating a constructive classroom milieu, as well as an atmosphere of a quality learning community in the class. Educators must create a positive classroom environment, construct students’ first language competencies, as well as create a proper learning community in the classroom (Otto, 2010). One of the paramount and crucial roles of an educator is to be capable of creating different opportunities for students while at the same time establishing a positive and safe environment to facilitate students’ learning at their highest capacities. As an educator within a multicultural classroom, an educator must plan lessons, which provide immense opportunities for diversified learning. When teaching a reading class, an educator must incorporate different materials other than contemporary American literature, which fortify American culture. Educators can also ask parents to the classroom to offer their input on their culture to other students from other cultures. According to Nieto & Bode (2012), parent involvement refers to families or communities that take an intensely active role in the creation of a caring educational environment for all students. This not only fosters community spirit but also enhances sharing within the classroom. Whenever educators invite parents in the classroom, the educator must be flexible enough to allow such parents to give their inputs regardless of whether or not they are proficient in English. In conclusion, my responsibility as an educator entails being able to create and foster and environment which reinforces my students’ first languages since they will always be linguistically linked to their language. The creation of a proper and multicultural class environment is also possible through the realization that the parents of all multicultural students are crucial to the students’ success in education. It is crucial for all educators to learn effective intercultural communication. References Banks, J. A. (1994). Introduction to multicultural education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. De Melendez, W., & Beck, V. (2010). Teaching young children in multicultural classrooms: Issues, concepts, and strategies. New Jersey: Cengage Learning. Derman-Sparks, L., & The A.B.C. Task Force. (1998). The Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for empowering young children. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Gudykunst, W. B. (1991). Bridging differences: Effective intergroup communication. London: SAGE. Henderson, D. (2004). Reconceptualising our cultural maps: Teaching for cross-cultural understanding through the studies of Asia. The Social Educator, 22 (2), 5-11. Harry, B. (1992). Cultural diversity, families, and special education system: Communication and empowerment. New York: Teachers College. Houk, F. A. (2005). Supporting English language learners: A guide for teachers and administrators. Postsmith: Heinemann. Irvine, J. J. (1990). Transforming teaching for the twenty-first century. Educational Horizons, 16-21. Nieto, S., & Bode, P. (2012). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson. Otto, B. W. (2010). Language development in early childhood education (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. Vasquez, J. (1990). Teaching to the distinctive traits of minority students. The Clearing House, 63(7), 299-304. Read More