Understanding and Managing

Multi-cultural Classrooms

Some personal reflections

over the years at MCUW. Emily CHOW (PhD. Cantab; EdM Harvard)

2009

Copy right reserved

Outline

The Phenomena & Facts

Cultural Implications & Analysis

Suggestions

THE PHENOMENA & FACTS

CASE 1

Video Omitted

Some individuals express too much; others too

quiet and never express themselves

Hard to manage the lecture as planned

Do not know whether the quiet ones comprehend

the lecture

Co-existence of Active and Passive

Learning Styles in One Classroom

CASE 2

Some individuals are over-assertive

and even confronting

Hard to manage the classroom

Undermines Your Feeling of Authority

CASE 3

Local Students Always Sit Together

No Interaction between Local &

International Students in Class

Divided Class

Seating Choices

IC Class X (Apr. 2009 )

podium

podium

IC Calss Y (Apr. 2009)

IC-Class Z

(Apr. 2009)

IC Class Elective

(Jan. 2009)

Asian (same nationality)

Asian (same nationality)

DOESN’T SOUND TOO POSITIVE?

FACTS

FACT 1

Learning outcome

Average Written Exam Scores:Sample from My Class X (IC)

Note: Subject matters– math (IB/ IM) vs. social science/language/humanity (IT/ MC)

45%

55%

Total: 69 students

Local students

International

students

數列1

62.00

64.00

66.00

68.00

64.27 65.2266.46

Total

Local International Average

Top 5 Students

Rank Mid term Final Average Nationality

1 91 87 89 I

2 86 88 87 I

3 84 86 85 I

4 84 84 84 Taiwan

5 88 77 82.5 I

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS SEEM

TO PERFORM SLIGHTLY BETTER

THAN LOCAL STUDENTS?

Top 1/3

1211 Local

students

International

students

Lower 1/3

1112

Local

students

International

students

If we enlarge the picture, you will find

similar performance between local and

international students

differences narrowed

64.3 64.23

65.88

67.03

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

Score Change: Mid-term to Final

Local students↓0.07

International students↑1.15

Drop-outs after the mid-term

ID Name Nationality

97470184 Michael X International

97450144 黃藝穎 Local

97470150 吳俊宏 International

97160063 王威傑 Local

97480054 Charles Kie International

97480063 張智勇 International

97480161 馬如龍 International

OMITTED

If take attendance into consideration, local

students averagely have better attendance

records

Local students seem to be the more stable

ones while international students bear more

in-group variety (and with M shape

performance)

IN GENERAL, THERE WAS NO

OBVIOUS DIFFERENCE IN

LEARNING OUTCOME BETWEEN

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL

STUDENTS IN MY CLASS

FACT 2

Outside the Classrooms

• 217Total

• 87Locals

• 3Local with 0 Foreign Friends

• EnglishLocals with Foreign Friends

Choice of Language

• AveragePerformance in Class

DIVIDE BETWEEN LOCAL AND

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

DIMINISHES OUTSIDE THE

CLASSROOMS

FEEL BETTER?

CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS &

ANALYSIS

學生行為與文化意涵

33

527 international students/ 378 in IC(2.8% of the total MCU student population)

Source: IEE

Asia (East & Southeast)

AfricaEuropeCentral & South

America

North America

The Pacific

West Asia

Students with Eastern Ed Background

•High Power Distance/ Passive learning style

•Collective

•High Context/ Indirect communication style/ focus on NVC

•Anti-language

•Avoiding/ compromising

•Other face/ mutual face concern

Students with Western Ed Background

•Low Power Distance/ Active learning style

• Individualistic

•Low Context/ Direct communication style/ focus on verbal communication

•Articulate

•Confronting

•Self face concern

Behavior Cultural Value

Seating blocks Collective

Passive learning

(Silence/ smile/ indirect

& ambiguous answers

etc.)

High power distance/

High context/ anti-

language

Over-active/ assertive Individualistic

Confronting Self face / low power

distance

PDI (Power Distance Index)

High PDI Low PDI

Learn to decode NV behavior Focus on words/ documents

Paternalism/ top-down

(Appease superiors:

smile/tension)

Individual responsibility/

bilateral info flow

Calm voice Exaggerated voice

High vs. Low Context Cultures

High Context Low Context

How is said (+non-verbal) What is said (verbal)

Indirect Direct

Feelings (relationships/

gift-giving/ trust)

Messages (tasks/ facts)

Speech Act

East

• Less assertive

• Japan: “culture of consideration” (honorific system)

• Suppress emotion & increase ambiguity

• (還好, 不錯)

West (except UK)

• More direct

Prof. John Hwang:

Value on Speech

East

• Distrust

language

Confucianism/ Taoism/ Buddhism

West

• Emphasis on language/

• dialectic

• Socrates, Plato, Aristotle/God is word

Face Management and Culture

• Preserving one’s own face is more important than maintaining the face of others.

• Face controlling negotiations are commonly direct, dominating and confronting

Individualistic cultures

• Mutual preservation of face is extremely important.

• Face negotiation strategies are often indirect, obliging, and smoothing.

Collectivist cultures

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

PDI IDV LTO

Asian Countries

European Countries

USA

Source: 周宛青, 趙福容, 陳芯儀 (March 14, 2009) <全球化下的亞洲文化價值變遷與新義--台灣案例> , 國際治理、國際泛領域暨議題及全球化之下的台北、北京與海外華人國際學術研討會論文集，台北。

Low Context Other Face Oriented

Avo

idin

g/ C

om

pro

mis

ing

Co

nfro

ntin

g

ANOTHER CAUSE

Emotional

State

High

Low

Adjustment

Time

Crisis

The Culture Shock Problem

HoneymoonRecovery

Note: W curve/ Spiral model Note: W curve/ Spiral model Getting the Most from an International Experience , Dr. Susan M. Bacon, Institute for Global Studies and Affairs, University Getting the Most from an International Experience , Dr. Susan M. Bacon, Institute for Global Studies and Affairs, University of of Cincinnati, October 6, 2004Cincinnati, October 6, 2004

2nd Semester of the First Year

For both international & domestic students at IC

SUGGESTIONS

Cultural Value Suggested Management

Strategy

HC/ anti-language Use visual aides/ pictures/

diagrams/ body language

LC Give specific answers/ seek

help

High PDI/ Passive learning

Collective/ Other & mutual face

Encourage teamwork/ group

activities/

Individual care outside

classrooms

Low PDI/ Active learning

IDV/ self face

Take and give challenges/ set

clear rules in advance and stick

with your principles/ give

assurance

No contradiction between strategies !

We can use them all based on

different situations

HEAR THEIR VOICES

Interviews with 10 local and 10 international students

(random choice)

Most Effective Teaching Methods

Local Students

•Involvement in class discussions

•Lively teaching style

•Interactions between the teacher and students

•Assign presentations with international students

•Team work

International Students

•Involvement in class discussions

•Taking notes (vs. assign textbooks)

•Having at least two Quizzes each semester

•Assign oral presentations

•Organizing lecture tips for students

Most Ineffective Teaching Methods

Local Students

•Lecture only

•No interactions between the teacher and students

•Use only one language (English only or Chinese only)

•Ignorant of students’ needs (Use English only or Chinese only)

International Students

•Lecture only

•No interactions between the teacher and students

•Too much homework

•Teaching word by word (reading PPT files etc.)

Suggestions for IC?

Establish a “language consulting unit (with

lab equipments/ language-learning

resources/ English and Chinese language

teachers to assist students <paid staffs>)”?

Establish a “writing center” for both

professors and students?

Thank you

Special thanks go to Christina Wang (王若凡), my graduate student, for her great help with

the video, interviews, facebook and GPA data analysis

Thank the IEE for the information on MCU international students and organization chart

Works Consulted

Gudykunst, William B ed. Cross-cultural and Intercultural Communication,

London: Sage Publications, 2003

Hall, Edward T. The Silent Language, Anchor/Doubleday, 1981

Hofstede, Geert, Cultures and Organizations, McGraw-Hill International, 1994

Reynolds, Sana & Valentine, Deborah. Guide to Cross-Cultural Communication.

Prentice Hall Series in Advanced Business Communication. New Jersey:

Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004

周宛青, 趙福容, 陳芯儀 (March 14, 2009) <全球化下的亞洲文化價值變遷與新義-- 台灣案例> , 國際治理、國際泛領域暨議題及全球化之下的台北、北京與海外華人國際學術研討會論文集，台北。

http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_dimensions.php

https://digitalcommons.georgetown.edu/blogs/isdyahoofellow/edward-halls-

context-prism/

http://changingminds.org/explanations/culture/hall_culture.htm