Nonverbal communication and culture. Identity, stereotypes and prejudices, страница 70

Empathy. Finally, a key characteristic of the competent teacher is empathy. The empathic teacher must be able to infer the feelings and needs of his or her students. He or she must be able to imagine what it might be like to try and adapt to a classroom where surroundings, language, and behavior are often different and unfamiliar. Additionally, teachers must use cultural knowledge and acculturation assessment information to determine appropriate cultural responses to their students' needs. From observing the teacher's empathy and actions, students too will learn empathy and tolerance.

SUMMARY

- Education is an important social context in which cultural influences are much in evidence.

-  Systems of formal and informal education seek to meet the perceived needs of societies.

-   Schools help to fashion the individual.

- Schools are a primary means by which a culture's history and traditions are passed from generation to generation.

-   Schools teach the informal knowledge of a culture.

-   Schools are a primary vehicle for teaching cultural values.

-   Learning styles are particular ways that individuals receive or process information.

-  Cognitive, communication, relational, and motivational learning styles have a profound impact on classroom learning.

-  Teachers should develop a socially sensitive multicultural classroom setting.

-  Teachers should know as much about students' cultural backgrounds as possible.

-  Teachers should be aware of what they bring to the classroom.

- Assessing the acculturation levels of the students in the classroom will help teachers determine how much their students are involved in their own culture as well as the predominant Anglo American culture.

-  A key characteristic of the competent multicultural teacher is empathy.

1. Comment on the statement that the schools of a country are its future in miniature.
2. What kind of relationship is there between culture and education?
3. What are the cultural commonalities and differences in education?
4. What problems might students from various cultural backgrounds encounter in a classroom setting that does not foster a variety of approaches to learning?
5. Compare the educational practices in other countries with those in Belarus.
6. What is multicultural education in the USA based on?
7. What affects how students learn in a multicultural classroom?
8. How can communication be improved in a multicultural classroom?
9. How are multicultural teaching competencies practiced in the USA and Belarus?
10. How can multicultural education be effective if it must deal with a large variety of learning styles and language differences?

REFERENCES

Calloway-Thomas, C., Cooper, P.G. & Blake, C. Intercultural Communication: Roots and Routes. – Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999.

Cardenas, J. A. Multicultural Education: A Generation of Advocacy. – Needham Heights, MD: Simon & Schuster, 1995.

Clegg, L. B., Miller, E. & Vanderhoff, W. Celebrating Diversity: A Multicultural Resource. – New York: Delmar, 1995.

Chen, G. M., Starosta, W. J. Foundations of Intercultural Communication. – Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1998.

Dresser, N. Multicultural Manners: New Rules of Etiquette for a Changing Society. – New York: Wiley & Sons, 1996.

Gollnick, D. M., Chin, P. C. Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society. – New York: McMillan, 1994.

Henri, J. A Cross-Cultural Outline of Education. In: J. Roberts & S. Akinsnya (Eds.) Educational Patterns and Cultural Configurations. – New York: David McKay, 1976.

SEMINAR 7

FOLK AND POPULAR CULTURES

IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION