Cultural Paradigms

 

2/1/22

Week 5: Response to "Cultural Paradigms"

 

Cultural paradigms are the ways that the culture we live in shapes our perceptions of reality. Our paradigms include our ideas of what is right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable. It seems like cultural paradigms are one of the biggest influences on our behavior and also how we feel about others’ behaviors. This is important in the context of ESL teaching because ignorance of students’ cultural paradigms could cause damaging misunderstandings. As a teacher, I could misinterpret a student’s actions as disrespectful when it could just be a cultural misunderstanding. Brother Ivers pointed out that “sometimes it doesn’t hurt to challenge our thinking a little bit.” I agree, and I think that it is especially important to do as a teacher so that we can understand our students better. Consequently, they will be more comfortable in the classroom and that affective filter will be reduced.

The videos we watched were very interesting and really helped to point out how cultural paradigms can potentially cause problems. One of the African students mentioned that he thought Americans were unfriendly. His cultural paradigm allowed for talking to strangers on the street, or going to someone’s house who you don’t know if you need to ask for help. I found it interesting, though, because I think it can also be a matter of circumstance or perception. While it is true that Americans don’t generally go up and talk to strangers on the street, I think we can be friendly in other ways that other cultures find strange. For example, in another class I took, we gave several examples of cultural misunderstandings. One student told about how in some Eastern European countries, it would be considered strange to smile at strangers, like the checkout person at the store. In the US, however, it is perfectly acceptable and even considered friendly to smile and thank people like waiters or clerks. So, in one perception Americans can be seen as unfriendly, but in another they could be considered overly friendly. These misunderstandings are why it is so important to keep an open mind, and to learn as much as we can about our students.

Comments

  1. YamFebruary 1, 2022 at 11:39 PM

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights. We really need to continuously learn other's culture to open the doors to understanding and friendship. It's not only apply to students in the classroom, but in the workplace. Miriam Morgan here your classmate.

    ReplyDelete
  2. madelisa.ducusinFebruary 2, 2022 at 6:48 PM

    Hello! Amber,
    Thank your for sharing your points of view and I learn a lot reading at your article. I love and agree on what you have said that ignorance on the cultural background of our student could cause damaging misunderstanding. I think it is our responsibility to know them as our ELL'S so we can provide an equal and better approach to all our student.

    Smile,
    Madel

    ReplyDelete
  3. Roman AguilarFebruary 2, 2022 at 9:00 PM

    Hi Amber, your opening lines clearly explain what cultural paradigms are, you have helped me better understand and define this concept, which is crucial for our work as teachers. Thank you for sharing some about the American culture too.

    Greetings

    Roman Aguilar

    ReplyDelete

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