Cross-cultural Communication and Classroom Ecology - Essay Example

Cross-cultural communication and room ecology Observing a room learning environment Iona Mani 10/24/05 Cross-cultural communication and classroom ecology Location: Fresno State University Fresno, CA Class: Spanish 1B Building: Arts and Languages Professor: Marina Santana Days: MWF 11:00-11:50 Materials: Spanish 1B Text Spanish Workbook Notebook/Journal Two blank sixty-minute tape cassette is recommended University of Chicago Dictionary (Spanish/English) paperback Prerequisite: 2 or more years of high school Spanish or 1-year college Spanish. Analysis: Spanish language classroom-learning environment. As I walked down the brightly lit hallway to go to the class, I looked at the beautiful artwork and poetry. In front of the classroom was the picture of a Spanish dancer. I was early, so I took a seat in the back. There were Spanish pictures and multi-language signs all over the classroom. It was a normal class of 30 pupils with an individual subject teacher. It was a regular classroom with a language lab next door and small study rooms. The students arrived and the settling-down period began. Then a beautiful lady in her late thirties entered the room and there was pin drop silence. I nodded to her and she acknowledged me. She was a stout, voluptuous young woman-a Spanish dancer type woman with bold, flashing black eyes. I couldn't take my eyes off her, yet I had to take notes. The culture's interests definitely centers around God and gold. She was wearing a huge gold cross around her neck, gold earrings, and golden pins in her hair, and large gold buttons on her dress. I had called her earlier to set a time to meet with her about our interview. She had an accent on the phone, but now I had a face to that voice. She called me in the front of the class and introduced me to her class. Some of the students said 'hi'. Then again, once I took my seat there was complete silence. Once the silence was overwhelming she took out her cassette player and turned on some Spanish music. It was traditional music using the xylophone, the great drums and trumpet. As soon as the drums came on she started dancing, initially taking a few steps and then rotating making her beautiful red dress move like waves. I noticed her stockings. Once the song came to an end, everyone cheered and she blushed. Once again she turned towards me and said, "This is what we do every class period, music is very important in the Spanish culture." The students sat up again in their chairs and soon the lecture started. She greeted them in Spanish. The presentation of instructions was given for the activity of the day. The material was read in Spanish. She read the questions and each student starting from the front gave answers to each of the questions in Spanish. Students exchanged their book with their partners. They corrected each other's book with different color ink, mostly red and would highlight the errors. After hearing a couple of answers she would interrupt the students by explaining the material using real-world incidents. This was mostly explained in English. After that was completed, she said they would be dismissed early because of our interview. Before the class was let out, they were read a piece of literature. She then asked questions and randomly picked on the students sitting in the front. The concentration level was on high. Their achievements and attitudes were subject to evaluation when the teacher posed a question to them. It looked like the less able students sat in the back. They were segregated from the front two rows. The front row students displayed more confidence while answering the questions. One of the students in the front looked like the teacher's assistant. She collected all the workbooks of the students at the end of class. The students then pulled out a journal in which they wrote the next class assignment. After the students were dismissed and the distractions were minimum, I went up to interview her. It was around 11:40, and I was left with 10 minutes for our interview. Mrs. Santana sat in her chair behind the desk, while her student assistant started working on the students' homework. I (Iona) Thanks for your time. It was fun being part of the class. M(Marina) Well, I like to make sure my students enjoy it. I Is this the only class that you teach How many hours are you at school M No, I also teach Spanish 1A, 1C and 7. And I have office hours allotted in the mornings between 9:00-10:30. I leave around 4:30. I How many additional hours do you spend on school-related activities each day What kind of activities are these M I spend almost an hour a day on additional activities for the class. Cultural movies, or songs or pieces of literature. At the end of every week is storytelling. I Do you have your own curriculum M I determine the curriculum and I choose the textbooks and the materials. We have periodical oral and listening tests and also occasional writing work. Main emphasis is on vocabulary. I How would you describe your students M My students are of different backgrounds, majority are Americans. I have to be very flexible, since the students have different backgrounds and have different learning styles. I use various methods to teach the students the vocabulary and grammar. I What personal qualities do you believe a successful teacher must have M A teacher must be able to impact her students with her knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject. She must be a role model for her students to motivate them. I What professional qualities do you believe a successful teacher must have M The teacher itself must hold a degree. She should dress appropriately and hold herself like one who has authority. I In your opinion, what do you believe the most challenging aspect of a Spanish language teacher M You must believe that all students can learn. And they have the potential to reach their goal. I How do you tell how well you are doing as a teacher M I have received positive comments from my students on the teachers' survey questionnaire. I feel since I enjoy the class, the students must like me too. I am mature, and I have a sense of humor. I What advice do you have for someone considering a career in Spanish cross-cultural teaching M Although Spanish uses English characters; Spanish has a deep culture and literature of its own. Many though are being translated for other cultures to understand better. We are definitely affected by the North Americans, as we live here. I would advice them to have a lot of patience. I Why did you agree to let me take your interview What are your expectations of me M I am happy to show anyone my way of teaching. Most of my students pass and those who don't, they must really put no effort throughout the semester. I give the student several exercises and use several different techniques for everyone to learn. I Thank you for your time. M Next class we will be doing role-play. Join us. It will give you more understanding about the Spanish culture. Impression of the Interview My focus was constantly on Mrs. Santana. She was a very stylish woman. She was like none other teacher I met on campus. She seemed very confident with herself and her students. It was a very friendly interview and she smiled a lot. She knew I spoke very little Spanish, so therefore the entire interview was conducted in English. There was a limited amount of code switching. She was fluent in English; however, she chose to interrupt some of the answers in Spanish. At times her student assistant would help her out. Second Meeting Witnessed role-play by the students. One group of students was a family visiting their extended family in the urban areas of Mexico. It portrayed the tremendous cultural and economic diversity, and traditional life-styles that prevailed in the more isolated rural areas of Mexico. It was a wonderful play with lots of music and funny comments. It included the Mariachi bands, tequila and the Mexican hat dance. It would not be a Mexican play without these three things. It was my opportunity to hear Spanish in a real-life setting of both modern and traditional Mexicans. I, like the rest of the students was handed out the translation of the spoken words of the play. Working Theory Mexico borders the United States, therefore it is bound to be affected by patterns of North America. Reviews of research on Mexico's culture and history tell us, 'that Mexico is economically and culturally dependant on the U.S. However, Mexico has a high illiteracy rate and very low health standards in contrary to the U.S. Life is slow-paced and the population consists mostly of farmers. Textbooks, newspapers, and such media as television and cinema, all of these contribute to the public education of Mexico. Their curriculum of school places strong emphasis on literature, and the Hispanic culture and civilization' (Culture and history of Mexico, n.d.). There are uncountable numbers of Hispanics in California. The term Hispanics refers to any country in which Spanish is spoken. This naturally includes Mexico, Spain and the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America. The methods of teaching, the matters of curriculum and the choice of textbooks and materials of instruction are all determined by the teacher. The teachers in the United States have more freedom than if they were in Mexico. Generally the only limits on the university teacher are set by the nature of the teaching assignment. If there are a number of teachers who teach a popular course, like Biology, English, which are taken by several hundred students and are offered by many instructors, then the teacher has a limited amount of freedom. She may have to choose the same textbook as those used by the rest of the instructors and she may also have to prepare her students for a common exam. On the other hand, Spanish taught in the United States, the teacher has wide freedom to choose the content and methods of instruction. This democratic theory works as the teacher can meet the needs of her students. In order to encourage performance, the teacher must meet the needs and goals of the students. "Teachers of Mexico use language that is rich and complex with diversity of themes, forms, creative idioms and style" (Culture and history of Mexico, n.d.). However, I believe a teacher should use natural language with her students. It would prove for a successful working theory, a low anxiety-learning environment is necessary. The Spanish language has taken many words from the English language and the differentiation is only slight. The language is very beautiful and sounds musical to the ear. Mrs. Santana further adds to its beauty of the Spanish language by reading romantic literature. Reviews of the culture and history of Mexico states that "Spanish is a romantic language and a language of culture." There is a lot to learn about the Latin-American culture and literature. One class only is able to touch only the tip of the iceberg. Marzano, Pickering and Pollock (classroom instruction that works, 2001) claimed, "Although the teacher must meet the students' needs, the students are urged to be responsible for the choices they make." Mrs. Santana made sure the students made choices to be ready to learn. Like getting out their books, pens and correcting pens before the class started, no talking in class, raising their hand to ask a question. Most of the questions asked were strictly to the subject. The students were expected to arrive on time and participate actively during the class sessions. They weren't allowed to wear hats or chew gum in class. Chronic tardiness or absences were not tolerated. Mrs. Santana is a mature woman, who has a sense of humor with a sense of status. She knows when to be firm and when to be sympathetic but not over personal. Like all Spanish teachers, Mrs. Santana was the authority figure, who demonstrates the value of discipline. Spanish women are an important element of their society. "In history they are known to manage their household, which included many Spanish guests and employees" (Culture and history of Mexico, n.d.). The group of students was an ideal mixture of cultures. There were Caucasians, Hispanics, and a few Asians. Students of different backgrounds got together and helped each other. Mrs. Santana was culturally aware of this diversity and was very sensitive. She explained to each student at different levels and also had different expectations from the different groups of students (depending on their understanding level). She also considered their previous educational background. Mrs. Santana understood the need of correction in a subtle way. She would correct errors by rephrasing the entire sentence for the student. Her techniques included reading aloud, answering questions, watching videos so she could cover the students' different learning styles and acquisition of language skills. She further wrote notes in their books to each of the students individually considering each one's personality. Her style of teaching also involved the buddy system. On many occasions, students worked with their classmates, and exchanged numbers with each other to keep in touch with any missed out material. They also received peer tutoring as they handed their homework for correction to each other. The hands-on activities further helped the students in improving their speaking ability and also made them work together as a group. Students in groups were responsible for preparing all the conversations. Marzano, Pickering and Pollock (classroom instruction that works, 2001) research on role-playing state that, "Not only do the students discuss what they are learning, but they also experience it through role-playing." Their performance helped them pay attention to the language and view the culture. Students are encouraged to learn by interacting with each other. Considerable emphasis is placed on language studies. The use of Spanish at all times helped the students considerably to learn the language. Mrs. Santana's main objective was vocabulary development. While cultural knowledge continues to be an important component. Marzano, Pickering and Pollock found that "Research has shown music to have an undeniable effect on a person especially in such areas as speech and listening patterns" (classroom instruction that works, 2001). The teacher used music, art, dance, and theatre as part of educating the students in the Spanish culture. They had fun and learnt as the same time. Their journal was made up of white construction paper, stapled together and a design artwork for the cover that reflected each student's personality. In addition were the pictures and prints were speaking of the Hispanic characters, customs, and the way in which Spanish and Latin American view themselves and others in the world. Some of the pictures included were of the Roman Catholic religion and witchcraft. The building itself was an architect of modernism with a history attached. Her classroom setting was formal, which involved a lot of old school styles. She techniques were learning, memorizing, and practicing. The pace of the work was rigorous, and the students were prepared and done the readings before they came to class. They also did the corresponding exercises after class, since they knew their workbook exercises were collected on the day it was due and those exercises were graded. Everyday they were graded on how well prepared and how interactive they were with each other. She would monitor the students' understanding and proficiency in the language by correcting their work. Their work sample gave her an understanding about their learning. Yet I felt she was slow to integrating information using newer technology. Fresno State is one of the known universities to invest in equipping classrooms with new technologies. The equipment seemed unused in her teachings. Most of the teachers don't know how to use such digital equipment. The teachers are left to develop their own curricula and they continue their old styles and are fearful of change. People are continuously learning in today's changing world and education doesn't end when a person is out of school. Summaries of my Working Theory The students learning environment should consist of group work and discussions. Learning a foreign language would be easier through group work and activities as a class. Technology is a useful tool to support learning in the curriculum. There should be a relaxed and very democratic environment for the students where their assessment would be based on engaging in real world activities. The students should receive continuous feedback, which should be relaxed and informal to encourage learning. The teacher should be a role model, one whose character is caring. And in conclusion, the students should also be responsible for their actions-be on time, prepared, productive and respectful. References Marzano, R., Pickering, D.J., Pollock, J. (2001). Classroom Instruction that Works: Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Boston: Association for Supervision &Curriculum Deve. Culture and history of Mexico. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2005, from References Read More