Multicultural Issues in the Classroom
Language Barrier
Today’s reality is one of multiculturalism, which is a fundamental aspect of society. In education, instructors frequently deal with challenges connected to students’ cultural backgrounds. For example, the first issue is the language barrier (Kurni et al., 2022). This is important since if students struggle to engage in class because they do not speak the language, it may affect their performance and engagement. Additionally, these individuals may find it difficult to interact with their peers, resulting in social isolation (Kurni et al., 2022).
Stereotypes
The second issue is connected to stereotyping (Kurni et al., 2022). If an educator does not control the classroom environment, students will be exposed to not only discrimination but also poor performance (Kurni et al., 2022).
Cultural Differences
Finally, it is important to stress that contrasting cultural values might be problematic (Kurni et al., 2022). In this situation, different customs or a set of beliefs might cause miscommunication or even conflict in the classroom.
Impact of Challenges and Educators’ Response
With such issues, it is the instructor’s responsibility to ensure that their classroom environment fosters inclusivity and support for other cultures. Therefore, the educator must first acknowledge the differences that are present. Then, the teacher needs to learn more about different cultures to understand sensitive topics (Kurni et al., 2022). This will help teachers educate the students on each other’s backgrounds and nurture a supportive atmosphere.
Personal Experience with a Multicultural Issue
In my experience, there was a moment when I had a multicultural issue. As a student in college, I had to work on a project with another student from China. The problem I faced with my project partner was miscommunication. As an American, I am used to having straightforward communication, while my partner believes in indirect communication.
As a result, when sharing my thoughts on our progress, the Chinese student saw me as aggressive and confrontational. In contrast, I perceived his style as vague and unclear, thinking he did not want to contribute to the assignment. Consequently, it was quite difficult for us to work together, but we finished the project.
Reference
Kurni, M., Saritha, K., & Srinivasa, K. G. (2022). Learning, teaching, and assessment methods for contemporary learners: Pedagogy for the digital generation. Springer Nature Singapore.