Communicating
more effectively in a culturally diverse group
Casual communication seems to me to be self-centered;
meaning, we usually see things from our own perspective. By utilizing the “platinum
rule” when communicating with people from different groups and cultures I think
that we show we value their way of communicating.
I do find that I communicate differently with people
from different groups and cultures on some levels. When communicating with
children I use the same vocabulary terms that I would with adults but I offer a
definition so they understand what I say. I think this would be offensive to
some adults. When communicating with families from different educational and
income backgrounds I find that I change the terms that I use based on their
knowledge base.
When I communicate with colleagues I spend a lot of
time observing them and watching their interactions. This helps me to “see”
their communication style so I can adapt my communication style to meet their
needs. I find this helps when building relationships and helping people feel
valued. I use this approach with families and students regardless of their
cultural difference, because this strategy helps me learn to appreciate their
difference and embrace the way they would like to communicate.
Language is always a barrier when it comes to
effective communication so if a translator is available I use them, but I still
maintain eye contact, I am conscious of my body language, and I attempt to
learn key terms in a person’s home language. This all comes down to valuing the
relationship and wanting the person you are communicating with to feel valued
and their culture honored.
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post this week! You shared some useful ideas on how you adapt your communication styles to meet the needs of all children and families. I especially liked the way you discussed how your choice of vocabulary is an important element to communication. We have to be careful to differentiate how we communicate with children and how we communicate with adults. This can be difficult for us at time because we are so in tune with communicating with children all day. We have to be able to shift and adapt our communication styles accordingly. Thanks for sharing such great ideas!
-Lia
Susan, It is good to be able to adjust your communication to fit the communication skills of the person your are communicating with. I think most people communicate differently with different people, but it is not always the the best methods to use.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathie, I enjoyed reading your discussion. I agree with you that the language barrier of some cultures does prevent positive communication and relationships between Teacher/student and Teacher/parents.So I believe that it is a normal reaction for people to communicate differently in different circumstances with different cultures. Interesting points, thanks for sharing!
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