Cultural Responsiveness in TESOL

Course Objectives

• Identify issues involved in intercultural communication
• Understand different extant cultural perspectives, both in the United States and globally, and how they may influence student population
• Learn teachers’ and learners’ own cultural assumptions and frames of reference that might present themselves in a classroom context.
• Apply appropriate approaches, methods and techniques to manage issues in intercultural communication
• Adjust teaching practices to ensure the projection of multicultural perspectives as an integral part of the language classroom
• Anticipate and deal with any bias or frames of reference on the part of learners or teachers that might interfere with projection of a multicultural perspective in the classroom

What You Learn

• Language and verbal communication across cultures
• Nonverbal communication across cultures
• Cultural influences on the expression and perception of emotions
• Cross-cultural concerns and conflict styles
• Identity and intergroup communication
• Adapting to an unfamiliar culture
• Cross-cultural considerations of effective teaching practices
• Defining culture
• Stereotypes
• Socio-cultural variables
• Learning styles
• Acculturation
• Critical inquiry
• Cross-cultural considerations in adult education and immigrant literacy
• Paulo Freire and popular education
• Cross-cultural considerations in academic and IEP settings
• World Englishes

How You Learn

• Lectures
• Reflective journals
• Presentations
• Creation of a lesson plan
• Cultural linguistic autobiography