Issues for the Multicultural Classroom
Non-verbal Communication Can Be a Cross-Cultural Challenge
May 13, 2009
Students are coming to class with an increasing diversity of cultural communication styles, multicultural values and non-verbal communication behaviors that may be unfamiliar to teachers
To improve cross cultural communicative competence and to reach students from a variety of cultural backgrounds, teachers need to raise their awareness of important differences in non-verbal communication between cultures, especially those that have a direct impact on teaching and learning in the multicultural classroom.
Some important non-verbal communication behaviors to be aware of include:
Impulsivity/Reflectivity
In some cultures, such as most of the USA, children are encouraged to give an answer to any question quickly, while in other cultures, “reflectivity” is encouraged: time is given by a teacher for children to consider all aspects of a problem before they give an answer.
Impulsivity rewards “thinking on your feet” and being the first to speak, while reflectivity rewards detailed, thoughtful answers. Obviously, a child used to being taught in one way who moves into a classroom where the opposite approach is the norm will be at a disadvantage.
Proxemics
The study of how close or far away people stand from each other when interacting is called “proxemics.” Each culture has its own norms for distance to stand when conversing, and these norms may also differ for teachers and students and when sitting, standing, etc.
Students from a culture where people stand closer together when conversing may feel rebuked or at least confused by someone standing further away, assuming subconsciously that this distance sends a negative message of some sort.
Volume of Speaking
Another variant is the volume at which people pitch their voices for “normal” conversation. This can vary widely, even among subcultures, and will also put a child at a disadvantage if either speaking “too softly” or “too loudly” is negatively evaluated by the teacher.
Eye Contact
In some cultures, respect is shown by avoiding eye contact, while in others making eye contact is evidence of honesty and respectfulness. Competent cross-cultural communicators are alert to subtle cues that enable teachers to address the needs and concerns of students from many cultures, and to build a truly multicultural classroom.
Mastering Multicultural Non-verbal Communication
All humans are basically ethnocentric and human communities encourage insularity, but all humans also have the ability to learn to function within different cultures and in multicultural contexts. Students, especially younger children, moving into a new culture can quickly adapt and pick up the communication styles of the new environment, but sensitive teachers can assist them by giving value to unfamiliar communication strategies.
Such cross cultural communicative competence will help the newcomers, and will also provide a healthy model of openness and multicultural values to the rest of the class. Teachers in a multicultural classroom can heighten their own and their students' awareness of varying non-verbal communication styles used by students, and can resist the tendency to evaluate differing cultural styles negatively.
By raising awareness of the non-verbal communication strategies familiar to students from other cultures, such as reflectivity, proxemics, volume and eye contact, teachers and students can significantly improve communication in the multicultural classroom.
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