1. Crossing Cultures Maximizing Learning Opportunities for ELL Students

2. What is Culture? The complete way of life of a group of people. Examples: Values Etiquette Communication Styles Social Interactions Business Interactions Community Roles Assumptions Biases

3. Cultural Awareness How close do you usually stand from a friend while talking? How about a business colleague? A stranger? How close is too close? How much eye contact is too much? Too little? Why? How comfortable are you when a friend touches your shoulder or pats your arm while talking with you? A colleague? An acquaintance? When does it become too much? When showing someone where something is, do you point? Gesture with one finger? The whole hand? How do you beckon someone? Fingers inward? Outward? What’s the sign for money? What gestures are taboo?

4. Cultural Awareness Culture influences our behavior in countless ways, guiding our actions, reactions and interactions. Key aspects of culture include: Views of Self: individualist or collectivist? Perceptions of Time: linear or cyclical? Verbal and Non-verbal Communication Styles: direct or indirect?

5. Culture Shock We cannot underestimate the results of culture shock. The emotional disturbance and confusion of moving can be devastating to any child. Symptoms are more complex when the child comes from a different culture and does not speak English.

6. What is Culture Shock? A term used to describe the feelings people have when they move to an unfamiliar culture. Immigrant children may become withdrawn and passive or even aggressive. The greater the differences between the new culture from their own, the greater the shock. Immigrant students have left behind family members, friends, teachers, and pets. They have lost their language and culture. Parents may not be able to provide adequate support because they are also experiencing shock.

7. Stages of Culture Shock Every student will react differently to moving to a new place, but often go through the 4 stages of cultural shock described by Judie Haynes: 1. Euphoric or Honeymoon Stage During this stage newcomers are excited about their new lives. Everything is wonderful and they are having a great time learning about their environment.

8. Stages of Culture Shock 2. Culture Shock Stage The differences between the new and the native cultures becomes more apparent. Students feel overwhelmed and frustrated because they cannot communicate and are bombarded with unfamiliar surroundings, confusing social signals, and an unrelenting barrage of new sounds. Students experiencing culture shock may seem sleepy, irritable, disinterested, or depressed. Some students may become aggressive and act out their frustrations. Newcomers in this stage of culture shock need time and patience from their teachers.

9. Stages of Culture Shock 3. Integration Stage Newcomers begin to deal with the differences between the old culture and new culture. They learn to integrate their own beliefs with those of the new culture. Some students will start to replace the old values with new ones, while others will begin to find ways to exist with both cultures. Parents may start to become alarmed at this stage because they do not want their children to lose their language and culture.

10. Stages of Culture Shock 4. Acceptance Stage Newcomers are able to enter and prosper in the mainstream culture as they accept both cultures and combine them into their lives. Some students will adopt the mainstream culture at school and follow the values of the home culture outside of school. Parents may make it clear to their children that they do not want them to adopt the mainstream culture out of fear they will forget their native language and reject their culture.

11. Easing the Transition ELL students deal with a variety of development issues, such as self-esteem, peer acceptance and socialization, physical development, and abstract reasoning (Herrera & Murry, 2005, p.35). Teaching modifications needed to address the cognitive dimension include being cross-culturally sensitive, effective in reducing the need for re-teaching concepts, and seeking to reduce the slope of the learning curve for all students. Constructive learning environments assist in making cognitive-linguistic and cognitive-sociocultural connections, and encourage the active and affective involvement of learners (Herrera & Murry, 2005, p.37 – 38).

12. Respecting Language Differences People communicate differently based on a number of factors including gender, socioeconomic status, and cultural background. Educators need to have a respect for language variety and be familiar with students’ home languages and backgrounds.

13. Language Learning Language learning is a long-term process that takes patience, practice, and consistency. Research shows that students best learn a new language when they are encouraged to interact with others.

14. Language Transition Many of the challenges associated with language transition are attributed to the learning environment, teacher expectations, and staffing. ELL students need authentic literacy instruction and activities from the beginning. With a variety of learning styles, each student in the class will benefit more from a variety of instructional strategies.

15. Language Transition Focus on the most critical concepts, emphasize strategies for learning words and concepts from context, scaffold student instruction, connect between prior and new knowledge, and review. Ideally, activities can be designed to emphasize multiculturalism and affirmation.

16. Diversity in the Classroom Ask bilingual parents to do cultural demonstrations in mainstream classrooms. Encourage newcomers to share their language skills by teaching their classmates to pronounce their home-language words on the labels placed around the classroom. Display pictures in your classroom from the students' home countries. Have newcomers write in a home-language diary, read books in their home language, draw pictures of people and places in their home countries, and listen to native language music

17. Adding Culture to Curriculum Tie the cultures of your ELL students to your curriculum whenever possible. These students bring a wealth of experiences from their families, homes, neighborhoods and communities. Children with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds have stories and experiences that are unique and will help native students begin to understand other cultures.

18. Adding Culture to Curriculum Build on the knowledge the students and families have of the countries they come from and the cultures they represent. When students see their home cultures and languages being studied in the classroom, they will feel their culture has been validated. This helps to develop positive self – esteem in culturally and linguistically diverse children.

19. Resources Culture Crossing. Explore your cultural baggage. http://www.culturecrossing.net/explore.php. http://www.culturecrossing.net/explore.php Haynes, J. (2004). Help your newcomers develop pride in their heritage. http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/culturedisplay.php. http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/culturedisplay.php Haynes, J. (2005). How culture shock affects newcomers. http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/cultureshock.php. http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/cultureshock.php Herrera, S. & Murry, K., (2005). Mastering ESL and bilingual methods. USA: Pearson Education, Inc. Lacina, J., New Levine, L., & Sowa, P. (2006). Helping English language learners succeed in Pre-K elementary schools. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL).