24/06/2023, 21:49 Class context - Cultural differences - World TESOL Academy

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Class context

 Class context -
Introduction

 Class context - Age

range

 Class context - Cultural

differences

 Class context - Purpose

 Class context - Learning

styles

 Class context - Visual,

auditory, verbal, &
kinesthetic learning
Class context – Cultural differences
 Class context - Summary

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24/06/2023, 21:49 Class context - Cultural differences - World TESOL Academy

When teaching English around the world, you’ll find yourself in countries with cultures vastly different from your
 Class context - Quiz
own. As such, there may be certain cultural differences that you’ll need to observe when conducting your classes
and creating your lesson plans.

Below we’ll list a few examples that you might come across.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Interactions between males and females:

In certain conservative regions of the Middle East, there may be cultural norms regarding how girls and boys
should interact with each other.

Having an activity where students name clothing items and then as a reward get to dress each other up
might work well in Thailand, but could be frowned upon elsewhere.

🔺 Hierarchical relationships:
Some cultures, particularly in the Far East, may place a strong emphasis on hierarchical relationships
between students and teachers, where teachers are considered authority figures and students are expected
to show deference and respect.

In other cultures, more commonly seen in Scandinavia, there may be a more egalitarian approach where
students and teachers interact on a more equal footing.

Being mindful of the cultural expectations around hierarchical relationships can impact your teaching
approach and classroom management strategies.

😳 Loss of face:
The concept of ‘losing face’ or being embarrassed in front of the class could be a big issue for students in
some regions of the world such as Japan, China, and Taiwan.

For students affected by this, it could cause them to avoid answering questions even if they’re relatively sure
of the answer because they could be afraid of making a mistake in front of other students. Similarly, they
might take criticism more harshly than intended.

For such students, you might need to start by fostering a supportive environment in the classroom and
demonstrating that it’s ok to make mistakes during class.

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24/06/2023, 21:49 Class context - Cultural differences - World TESOL Academy

🔀 Communication styles:
In some cultures, direct communication may be highly valued, while in others, indirect communication or
nonverbal cues may be more prevalent.

For example, in some cultures they might prefer frank and direct feedback, while other cultures might prefer
teachers to be more sensitive with delivering feedback and criticisms.

There aren’t any rules which can be learned here and applied in all situations. However, you should do your best to
learn about the cultural norms of whichever country (or even region) you visit, and don’t be afraid to ask your
school, or other teachers for advice.

Back to: 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course > Class context

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