Cultural Awareness

Reaching Out and Welcoming Second

Language Learners and Their Families

Arkansas Department of Education Special Education Unit

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Explore different cultural perspectives to everyday early childhood situations, and gain information about establishing rapport with families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

OVERVIEW

Paraprofessional Competencies

Examine their own unique cultural life ways.

Recognize how their cultural life ways impact their perspective to everyday situations.

Recognize differences between their cultural life ways and those of families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Identify everyday situations in early childhood settings that can result in contrasting perspectives between professionals and families.

Establish and maintain rapport with culturally and linguistically diverse families.

Paraprofessional Competencies (Continued)

Paraprofessional Competencies (Continued)

Effectively use interpreters to communicate with non-English speaking families

Identify strategies for preventing and resolving conflicts with families.

KEY CONCEPTS

Life Ways

Culture

Cultural Continuum

Ethnocentrism

Family

Rapport

Interpreter

Translator

Working with Interpreters

Differences in Child Rearing

Dialogue vs. Argument

“It Starts With Me”

Section 1

Family Name Exercise

Activity 1

CULTURE

Culture is the pool of rules, beliefs, and values by which a group’s members conceptually order the objects and events in their lives in order to operate in a manner acceptable to its members.

CULTURE SHAPES: The way we think

(Cognition) The way we interact

(Behavior) The way we communicate

(Language) The way we transmit knowledge to the next

generation (Education)

Collier, 1988

LIFE WAYS

• Courtesies• Beliefs• Cultural customs• Values• Practices

• Manners of Interacting • Roles• Relationships• Language• Expected Behaviors

Life ways consist of family’s:

Activity 2

My Family of Origin Cultural Life Way Map

Handout 1

My Cultural Life Ways

Part I and II

Handout 2

Page 1 and 2

Activity 3

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

How many of the rituals followed in your family of

origin do you continue to follow in your own family?

How many have been blended or eliminated?

What insights did you gain by doing this exercise?

What surprised you?

“NEIGHBORS”

What kind of neighborhood is depicted on the video?

What values are reflected in the neighborhood?

How was the “Mime” family portrayed? In what ways could the “Mime” family

overcome the resistance exhibited by their neighbors?

Video

“NEIGHBORS”

What kind of neighborhood is depicted on the video?

What values are reflected in the neighborhood?

How was the “Mime” family portrayed? In what ways could the “Mime” family

overcome the resistance exhibited by their neighbors?

Contrasting Perspectives

Section II

CONTRASTING PERSPECTIVES

Purpose:

In this activity, participants explore different perspectives to everyday early childhood situations and discuss the values and beliefs that impact these perspectives.

CONTRASTING PERSPECTIVES

Outcomes: Recognize differences between their

cultural life ways and those of families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Identify everyday situations in early childhood settings that can result in contrasting perspectives between professionals and families.

“Without a culture we cannot see,

but with a culture we are forever

blind.”Irving, 1986

What do you think he is trying to say?

Others’ Cultural Life Ways Maps

Use Handout 2

Activity 4

Contrasting Perspectives

Differences and Similarities

Handout 3

Activity 5

Video

Diversity-Contrasting Perspectives

Handout 4

Anais Nin Stated:

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them

as WE are.”

“If someone listens, reaches out a hand, says a kind word, or attempts to understand, extraordinary things begin to happen.”

Loretta Girzartis

Family Connections

Section III

FAMILY CONNECTIONS Purpose:

In this activity, participants will gain information about how to communicate effectively and respectfully with a family given the family’s unique style and linguistic needs.

FAMILY CONNECTIONS Outcomes:

Identify the basic elements of successful communications and demonstrate conversation techniques that convey respect of and build understanding with culturally and linguistically diverse families.

Effectively use interpreters to communicate with non-English speaking families.

A mutual feeling of trust and understanding. Because it is culturally defined, it is nearly impossible to describe. Rapport is an ongoing process that varies from day to day.

Project Ta-Kos, 1994

Rapport

Elements of Successful Communication

Activity 6

Handout 5

Page 1 & 2

Activity 7

Create a Script

Handout 6

Page 1-3

Communication Helpers and Blockers

Handout 7

Ten Ways to Make Families Feel Included

Handout 8

1. Create a welcoming environment.

2. Make any meeting a 2-way exchange.

3. Reflect families home language and culture in your program.

4. Consider the family’s needs not just the child’s.

5. Identify the decision-maker in the family.

6. Create parent education and support programs.

7. Find staff and administrators from families’ cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds.

8. Communicate regularly with parents.

9. If you need an interpreter, get one.

10. Make it your goal to provide culturally responsive care.

Helping Parents Talk About Differences

Be available

Be informative

Be receptive

Develop listening skills

Figure out problems together

Sort out the root of the problem

Don’t assume quiet parents don’t have issues

Handout 9

Ten Questions to Ask When you Disagree with a

Family’s Practice

Handout 10

The Role of Interpreters

Section IV

Activity 8

CONVERSATIONS FOR THREE

1. Role of Interpreters

2. Simulation of Interpreting Process

3. Challenges to the Interpreting Process

Video

Conversations for Three

Handout 11

WORKING EFFECTIVELY WITH INTERPRETERS

1. Planning

2. Interacting

3. Reflecting

GUIDELINES FOR WORKING

WITH THE INTERPRETER

Preparation

Interaction

Reflection

Handout 12 & 13

AT&T LANGUAGE LINE SERVICES

1-800-752-0093

IDEAS TO

EXTEND PRACTICE

Brainstorm Time

Handout 14

• Share handouts with co-worker.

• Set up an interpreter training in my program.

• Consciously practice complementing the

communication dance of families.

• Add things to my program that help Hispanic/Spanish

speaking families feel more welcome.

• Identify interpreters available in my community.

• Continue to explore and reflect on my own cultural

beliefs and values

• Practice respecting the cultural values and beliefs of

others, even if I don’t agree with them.

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Trainers

Susie Branon AR Dept. of Education Schaun Brown AR River Ed Co-op Sandi Campbell NLR School District Linda Quinn Crowley Ridge Ed Co-op Charlotte Pittman LR School District Caroline Lee Southside/Bee Branch Virginia Halcrombe Parent Pam Satterfield Pathfinders