Taking a Chance With Words
The two articles we read last week were quite informative to me. The last time I learned about specific cultures was in college. I remember bits and pieces of things I learned back then and every little bit has helped, especially last year when I had one of the most diverse classes I have had in my teaching career. I feel it’s helpful to learn cultural beliefs such as those I read about in “Taking a Chance With Words.” In college I remember learning about people from cultures that don’t shake hands or don’t look others in the eye. It was interesting to read about the different Asian beliefs in this article. It was kind of an “a-ha” moment when I read that Asian students, like Jeff, might not speak up in class because his culture believes it’s considered a sign of strength to solve problems on his own. I always assumed students were either too shy or too afraid to speak up in class or ask for clarification on something. I wonder how this is instilled at a young age? Are these students told not to ask for help or is this a learned behavior?
I feel it’s so important that other teachers have this information so their young Asian students are not just deemed as quiet and slip through the cracks. Teachers need to be aware of the fact that Asian students, as well as other students, might not feel they are allowed to ask questions when they lack an understanding in what is being taught. Teachers should note the ideas mentioned in the article that will make Asian students feel more at ease when speaking in class. Forming small groups, assigning a designated leader, and giving everyone an equal chance to speak are some of the ideas students that were interviewed in this article gave to make speaking in class a little easier. I hope we read more articles like this on many different cultures!
