Interacting and reaching out to students at the outset of a lesson might be a tough job if you're teaching foreign students. Here are specific hints to prevent the clash of cultures inside the classroom.

Be prepared to face a bunch of unresponsive students in Asian countries at the beginning. Unlike US, where students are used to far more active classrooms, most Asian nations like Vietnam, China, Cambodia etc. are a lot more used to classes where the students are diligent listeners.
Try breaking the ice with the students by behaving properly. Informality in dressing, like wearing jeans, and casual sneakers in class and sitting on desks sipping coffee, is well accepted in the US. Yet the rest of the world sees it a bit differently. Dressing up formally or semi-formally and maintaining a dignity befitting a teacher is what students expect in a lot of countries. In Asia, semi-formal attire is accepted for teachers, whereas in Korea dark colors exhibit an authoritative look.

To prevent clashes inside the classroom, you ought to select safe topics for discussion. The teacher ought to decide which topics are considered cultural, political or socially taboos and stay away from them at all costs. You'll find nations where these discussions may possibly not work, such as the Middle Eastern countries, which have scruples in giving their opinion on any matters. Apart from this, the may Polish feel uncomfortable stating their religious beliefs and salaries, French consider questions pertaining to family life being rude etc.

Most students nod their head in approval even if they fail to understand. Attempt asking some questions that may reveal how far they have understood and explain the matter once more. Then again, by no means ask, "Do you understand?" as you will never get the correct answer to this question. In China, "a student who asks questions is considered a pain in the neck" , so they stay away from asking questions even if they do not comprehend. A different reason behind this could be boredom. Attempt to spot this and make issues interesting, so that the students don't loose interest.In a bid to find out whether or not the students have understood or not, do not single them out. This could be great in America where students feel proud to answer questions due to the competitive spirit, but other countries look upon it as boasting of your knowledge. So attempt to give assignments and quizzes dividing the class into groups. Give them homework and grammar worksheets to test their knowledge. Even encourage them to talk in English so that you'll be able to correct them, but only in grammar class and not outside. This can help with their progress as well.

Try to find out the local language as soon as possible since this can bring you closer to your students, who are going to be able to communicate with you without being scared of humiliation. This can also help you to pick out better and more relevant topics for discussion and sort out pronunciation issues. It really is better for you to know cross - cultural styles of communication, as this helps to regulate your behavior accordingly. Like American students prefer participation, French like wit introduced in lectures, and Japanese on the other hand think silence is important between questions allowing the student to think.

Make the class interesting and vibrant by introducing real objects and deliver your lectures according to rationale. Change your teaching method from time to time as some students learn more easily by listening, some by reading, and some by writing.

Michael Bayman

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