Cultural Diversity

Cultural Cultural DiversityDiversity

““Culturally Culturally Diverse Diverse

Classrooms”Classrooms”Can you identify the Can you identify the

various cultures various cultures represented in your represented in your

classroom?classroom?

What is culture?What is culture? Culture is a way of life Culture is a way of life

(oversimplified definition).(oversimplified definition). Culture is a complex system of Culture is a complex system of

meaning and behavior that defines meaning and behavior that defines the way of life for a group of people the way of life for a group of people or a society. or a society. It defines a society’s It defines a society’s identity and is observed with pride.identity and is observed with pride.

It embodies shared beliefs, values, It embodies shared beliefs, values, knowledge, morals, laws, customs, knowledge, morals, laws, customs, habits, language, etc., transferred habits, language, etc., transferred from one generation to the next.from one generation to the next.

Culture…. (continued)Culture…. (continued)

Culture Culture gives people a sense gives people a sense of belongingof belonging, it instructs , it instructs people how to behave, and people how to behave, and tells us how and what to tells us how and what to think in particular think in particular situations. situations. Culture gives Culture gives meaning to our livesmeaning to our lives and our and our society as a whole.society as a whole.

When a student feels he or sheWhen a student feels he or sheDOES NOT BELONG… Part IDOES NOT BELONG… Part IMoving in and adjusting to a Moving in and adjusting to a

new culturenew culture Culture ShockCulture Shock – – The feeling of The feeling of

disorientation and alienation that disorientation and alienation that occurs when someone encounters a occurs when someone encounters a rapid change in cultural situationrapid change in cultural situation. . New students from other countries, or New students from other countries, or even students coming from other regions even students coming from other regions within the United States experience within the United States experience culture shock in varying degrees. culture shock in varying degrees. The The greater the difference between the cultural greater the difference between the cultural settings, the greater the culture shocksettings, the greater the culture shock..

Moving in and adjusting to a Moving in and adjusting to a new culturenew culture Challenges that confront the CLD Challenges that confront the CLD

studentstudent:: Adjustment to a new Adjustment to a new

country/town/city, (day to day living)country/town/city, (day to day living) Political issues such as immigration Political issues such as immigration

policies (residency status), terrorism policies (residency status), terrorism (rise in xenophobia)(rise in xenophobia)

Psychosocial challenges: Psychosocial challenges: Homesickness, anger and Homesickness, anger and depression, prejudices and depression, prejudices and discriminationdiscrimination

Moving in and adjusting to a Moving in and adjusting to a new culturenew culture Challenges that confront the CLD Challenges that confront the CLD

student (continued):student (continued): Adaptation to a new educational Adaptation to a new educational

system and schoolsystem and schoolFear of being discriminated and Fear of being discriminated and disrespected for first or native disrespected for first or native language and native culturelanguage and native culture

Anxiety for not being able to adjust Anxiety for not being able to adjust to the dominant culture and various to the dominant culture and various subcultures in school (not being subcultures in school (not being able to fit in)able to fit in)

Anxiety in a new class environmentAnxiety in a new class environment

Moving in and adjusting to a Moving in and adjusting to a new culturenew culture

Enculturation: Enculturation: The process The process by which an individual by which an individual acquires or learns culture.acquires or learns culture.

Assimilation: Assimilation: The process by The process by which a minority becomes which a minority becomes culturally absorbed within culturally absorbed within the dominant culturethe dominant culture..


AcculturationAcculturation is the process of is the process of adjusting to a new non-native adjusting to a new non-native culture.culture.

As teachers, we should As teachers, we should understandunderstand the painful adjustments these new the painful adjustments these new students must endure and we must students must endure and we must be able to be able to accommodateaccommodate and and assistassist them until they achieve a sense of them until they achieve a sense of adjustment into their second adjustment into their second culture.culture.


The U-Curve Hypothesis on The U-Curve Hypothesis on Acculturation Acculturation K. Cushner, A. K. Cushner, A. McClelland and P Safford (2000)McClelland and P Safford (2000)

HoneymoonHoneymoon HomeHome

HostilityHostility HumorHumor


The U-Curve HypothesisThe U-Curve Hypothesis

Honeymoon StageHoneymoon Stage

The recent move fosters a sense of The recent move fosters a sense of fulfillment and exhilaration.fulfillment and exhilaration.

- Moving to the United States or to - Moving to the United States or to the new state or city is a dream come the new state or city is a dream come true.true.

- Better paying job or a promising - Better paying job or a promising professionprofession

- Reunited with the family- Reunited with the family


The U-Curve HypothesisThe U-Curve Hypothesis Hostility StageHostility Stage

Occurs when differences between the Occurs when differences between the native and new culture begin to surface. native and new culture begin to surface. The cultural mismatch triggers sadness, The cultural mismatch triggers sadness, frustration, anger, hostility, withdrawal frustration, anger, hostility, withdrawal and symptoms of physical illness – all and symptoms of physical illness – all

grounded in resentment. grounded in resentment.

((Culture shockCulture shock))

Signs: Absenteeism, maladaptive behavior Signs: Absenteeism, maladaptive behavior that may result to suspension, dropping that may result to suspension, dropping out of school, etc.out of school, etc.


The U-Curve HypothesisThe U-Curve Hypothesis

Humor StageHumor Stage

This stage remains to be stressful but This stage remains to be stressful but this is when the CLD student begins this is when the CLD student begins

to understand the cross-cultural to understand the cross-cultural differences between his native and differences between his native and

second culture.second culture.

He or she learns to synchronize his or He or she learns to synchronize his or her cultural and linguistic her cultural and linguistic

development.development.


The U-Curve HypothesisThe U-Curve HypothesisHome StageHome Stage

The CLD student learns to respect and The CLD student learns to respect and affirm cross-cultural differences and affirm cross-cultural differences and

learns to celebrate his or her own learns to celebrate his or her own bicultural and bilingual identity.bicultural and bilingual identity.

““Most students who reach this Most students who reach this acculturation threshold have attained acculturation threshold have attained near native literacy development and near native literacy development and second culture under-standing. second culture under-standing. Unfortunately, such individuals tend Unfortunately, such individuals tend to be the exception rather than the to be the exception rather than the norm.” norm.” (Acton & de Felix, 1986(Acton & de Felix, 1986))

Teaching our CLDsTeaching our CLDs

““If they (CLD Students) will If they (CLD Students) will just learn English, everything just learn English, everything else (CLD Students’ school else (CLD Students’ school performance) will fall into performance) will fall into place.”place.”

Research indicates….Research indicates…. Research indicates that not just one Research indicates that not just one

(Linguistic), but four different (Linguistic), but four different dimensions of the CLD student’s dimensions of the CLD student’s biography must be addressed if the biography must be addressed if the student is to be successful.student is to be successful.

All four dimensions of the All four dimensions of the PRISM PRISM MODELMODEL are interrelated and involve are interrelated and involve developmental processes that occur developmental processes that occur simultaneously for the CLD student. simultaneously for the CLD student. Thomas & Collier (1997)Thomas & Collier (1997)

The Prism ModelThe Prism Model(Thomas and Collier, 1997)(Thomas and Collier, 1997)

Language Language DevelopmentDevelopment

Social and CulturalSocial and CulturalProcessesProcesses

CognitiveCognitive AcademicAcademicDevelopmentDevelopment Development Development

The model demonstrates that all 4 dimensions (to include The model demonstrates that all 4 dimensions (to include CULTURE) of a CLD student’s biography must be addressed CULTURE) of a CLD student’s biography must be addressed if the student is to be successful.if the student is to be successful.

How culture can influence How culture can influence learning and performance learning and performance

in schoolin school ““No matter how well planned and No matter how well planned and

well delivered a lesson is, it is well delivered a lesson is, it is meaningless to the student if the meaningless to the student if the lesson itself or the surrounding lesson itself or the surrounding circumstance of instruction raises circumstance of instruction raises the student’s affective filter”the student’s affective filter”.. (Krashen, 1982)(Krashen, 1982)

Alienation and frustration raises a CLD Alienation and frustration raises a CLD student’s student’s affective filteraffective filter. .


in schoolin school ““Cultural knowledge and cultural Cultural knowledge and cultural

values are the bases of reasoning, values are the bases of reasoning, inferencing, and interpreting inferencing, and interpreting meanings”.meanings”. ( (Trueba, 1991)Trueba, 1991)

** Learning is temporary, meaningless Learning is temporary, meaningless and will not be retained if it is in and will not be retained if it is in conflict with what is perceived to be conflict with what is perceived to be right by the CLD’s cultureright by the CLD’s culture..


in schoolin school Culture and cultural knowledge guide Culture and cultural knowledge guide

behavior.behavior. All cultures have strengths. These All cultures have strengths. These

translate into “Banks of Knowledge”. translate into “Banks of Knowledge”. People participate in one or more People participate in one or more

cultural communities.cultural communities. Culture is dynamic. They evolve Culture is dynamic. They evolve

overtime and through interaction.overtime and through interaction. U.S. schooling practices usually are U.S. schooling practices usually are

associated with the dominant culture.associated with the dominant culture.

Looking Glass to the Looking Glass to the FutureFuture

Traditionally, the fastest growing Traditionally, the fastest growing CLD student populations were CLD student populations were within the coastal states. within the coastal states.

Over the past two decades, Over the past two decades, Midwestern states experienced a Midwestern states experienced a dramatic increase in CLD student dramatic increase in CLD student numbers and this increase has numbers and this increase has exceeded 200 percent annually in exceeded 200 percent annually in many midwestern states.many midwestern states.

Looking Glass to the Looking Glass to the FutureFuture

By 2020, it is projected that there By 2020, it is projected that there will be over 6 million identified will be over 6 million identified ELL/CLD students nationwide.ELL/CLD students nationwide.

By 2025, over half of our children By 2025, over half of our children K-12 will be CLD.K-12 will be CLD.

By the year 2050, that number By the year 2050, that number will have increased by an will have increased by an additional 30%.additional 30%.

U.S. Census Bureau (2000)U.S. Census Bureau (2000)

Multicultural Education Multicultural Education SpectrumSpectrum

Affirmation Affirmation - Differences are respected and - Differences are respected and embraced. Students are encouraged to think embraced. Students are encouraged to think critically and find different ways of looking at a critically and find different ways of looking at a complex reality.complex reality.

RespectRespect - Students’ native cultures and - Students’ native cultures and languages are supported and they are taught languages are supported and they are taught multiple perspectivesmultiple perspectives

AcceptanceAcceptance - Differences are acknowledged - Differences are acknowledged through celebration of holidays, heroes and multi-through celebration of holidays, heroes and multi-cultural fairscultural fairs

Tolerance Tolerance - Differences are put up with- Differences are put up with Mono-cultural EducationMono-cultural Education - (Dominant culture - (Dominant culture

and English only environment)and English only environment)

Where are you/we at in the spectrum?Where are you/we at in the spectrum?

Part I - ClosingPart I - Closing

Effective teachers know that Effective teachers know that students are best motivated in students are best motivated in ways that support (rather than ways that support (rather than demean) their ethnic or cultural demean) their ethnic or cultural heritage. For such teachers, the heritage. For such teachers, the affirmation of the student’s affirmation of the student’s home culture is a daily goal, not home culture is a daily goal, not a once a year celebrationa once a year celebration..

Mastering ESL and Bilingual Methods, S. Mastering ESL and Bilingual Methods, S. Herrera and G. Murray, 2005Herrera and G. Murray, 2005

When a student feels he or sheWhen a student feels he or sheDOES NOT BELONG… Part IIDOES NOT BELONG… Part II

Caught amidst cultures in Caught amidst cultures in schoolschool

Dominant CultureDominant Culture: The culture of the most : The culture of the most powerful group in a society.powerful group in a society.

SubcultureSubculture: Culture of groups whose values : Culture of groups whose values and norms of behavior are somewhat different and norms of behavior are somewhat different from those of the dominant culture.from those of the dominant culture.

Cultural struggle confronts not only CLDs Cultural struggle confronts not only CLDs but some of our very own at homebut some of our very own at home..

Subcultures in schoolSubcultures in school

The Smart Group vs. The DummiesThe Smart Group vs. The Dummies The Pretty Group vs. The Not So The Pretty Group vs. The Not So

PrettyPretty The In-Crowd vs. Those Who The In-Crowd vs. Those Who

Keep toKeep to

ThemselvesThemselves The Bullies/GangsThe Bullies/Gangs The Alternatives (LGBT)The Alternatives (LGBT)

Our Native American Our Native American studentsstudents

Part II - ClosingPart II - Closing

Our challenge then is how to Our challenge then is how to create a supportive, equitable create a supportive, equitable

and safe learning and safe learning environment that embraces environment that embraces and respects the differences and respects the differences among all of our students so among all of our students so everyone becomes a valued everyone becomes a valued asset and contributor in the asset and contributor in the

classroom.classroom.

Let me know you…Let me know you…

Draw pictures and tell me things about Draw pictures and tell me things about yourself. I am excited to get to know you.yourself. I am excited to get to know you.

• Describe the holiday your family celebrates Describe the holiday your family celebrates the the

most and how you celebrate it; or most and how you celebrate it; or describe a typical describe a typical

Saturday at home.Saturday at home.• A day in school (your classroom).A day in school (your classroom).• The happiest day/moment in your life.The happiest day/moment in your life.• The saddest day/moment in your life.The saddest day/moment in your life.

Cultural Diversity

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