STRIVING TO FIND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR DISCRIMINATION: STRATEGIES EMPLOYED BY LANGUAGE TEACHERS TO ENSURE CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC RELEVANCE

Abstract

http://dx.doi.org/10.7220/2335-2027.9.6

This study is based on a larger phenomenological research designed to better understand the phenomenon of teachers’ intercultural knowledge and belief formation through their personal/professional cross-cultural experiences. This article specifically focuses on the integration of interculturally appropriate pedagogy, creating sustainable solutions for discrimination at micro-macro scale, and suggesting ways to improve the current instructional practices. The qualitative data were collected by using Seidman’s phenomenological interview protocol and interpretatively analyzed. Participants include eight female teachers of Chinese, French, German, and Spanish teaching in the Midwest USA. The degree to which they try to embrace student cultural diversity depends essentially on how they relate it to their perceived core identity and life mission. Differentiating between students’ cultural or personal problems and appropriately interpreting their behaviors, and addressing diversity in class from its various perspectives are some starting points. Some simple yet effective strategies are genuinely listening to students, paying attention, noticing and remembering their individual traits. Other more specific strategies involve individualizing instruction, drawing on students’ cultural funds, constantly using inclusive language, being sincere with students, using classroom cheers, using authentic materials, and using music. Strategies peculiar to language teaching mostly use the target language as a springboard to bring up multicultural issues, drawing attention to the diverse cultural practices within the target language culture. Distilled from participants’ teaching experiences based on specific interpretations of learner intercultural needs, the strategies proposed here are expected to be helpful not only to language teachers but also to language curriculum designers.