10/15/17; Lesson 05: Response to "Cultural Miscommunication”

As a result of immigration or globalization, there's a good chance for an English teacher to teach students from another country or cultural background at some point in her/his career. Teaching foreign students can be a tricky job, because even simple communication differences can cause major miscommunication issues. A teacher can be given hard times by several issues the result of which could be miscommunication: language, nonverbal communication, gestures, personal space, timeliness.

Language

If a British student tells another – "Let's do something some time", this is a just an expression; she/he just wants to be polite, the expression being similar to the well-known "Hi, how are you". Or if a Polish student just directly asks her/his teacher to help her/him with something, without using at least two "pleases", one or two "could you's" and "would you's", as an English person would do, it doesn’t mean that she/he was rude. In many languages, such a multitude of polite expressions in one sentence tends to be considered excessive and according to those languages – a simple "would you" already implies softened message and a polite request.

Nonverbal Communication

In the U.S., making eye contact with someone shows interest and engagement in the conversation, but when speaking to someone from Latin American, Middle Eastern or Asian countries, looking someone in the eyes might be considered rude. Showing the soles of your shoes can be very insulting to a Middle Easterner. Simple body language is enough to offend other cultures, so being aware of some of the things other cultures find offensive can help to create good relationships with foreign students.

Gestures

Before using the "OK" hand sign, peace sign, thumb up or pointing at anything, be aware that these all can be disrespectful to a foreign student. Depending on the country, these gestures can be equivalent to "giving someone the bird" or treating them like an animal. Foreign women often do not shake hands with men, so men from these countries may not be accustomed to shaking hands with women in general. A handshake may also be seen as aggressive in other countries.

Other Communication Issues

At some point in life, a person will likely have an experience with a "close talker." The amount of personal space required varies by culture, and differences can create an uncomfortable interaction for both parties. Americans, for example, tend to require more personal space than others, so Americans may see a lack of personal space as pushy or aggressive. But Mexicans’ approach is that of “close talkers.”

Timeliness is another issue that may arise in the teaching process. For example, Americans value timeliness, while in Latin American countries appointment times are often not as strict. You, as a teacher, may think it's rude if students arrive late, but it could be something usual for them.

A good cross cultural training will empower a person with knowledge, understanding and skills she/he needs to communicate and communicate effectively across cultural barriers. Cross cultural communication improves relationship with people who belong to different cultures.