Communicating with others from a difference culture

I work at a center where diversity is welcome and supported each and every day. It is wonderful to work with children, family and colleagues who is different in many ways such as: culture, history, language and the way we live. Learning about various cultural history is a wonderful way to become open-mined of people difference, values and religious background. I love the fact in my classroom we expose children to both the English and Spanish language. There is a Spanish teacher who has just started and we are learning from each other. I find myself asking her a lot how to say certain words and its meaning and she in terms ask me how she say certain words too. Because of her accent I find myself asking her to repeat what she said because I don’t understand what she said. There were time I did not hear or understand a person who spoke with an accent, but stead of saying something I would smile and nod my head like I agree with what was said. O’Hair and Wiemann (2012) notes “Pseudo listening” is pretending to listen by nodding or saying “uh-huh” when you’re really not paying attention.  

The three thing that I use as strategies to help communicate more effectively are:

1.      Listening carefully (being attentive with focus).

2.      Speak slowly and ask question when I do not understand 

3.      Valuing what people  have to say, give good eye contact and respect others opinion

 

References:

 

O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: Am introduction. New York:

            Bed ford/St. Martin’s