Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) learners
I imagine a classroom for myself where I have students from 7 Indian states, all with extremely different dialect and 4 different countries, non-native English speaking. I wonder how I will design my lessons! Considering maths is a universal language, so much of learning maths happens through English language in my country for all private schools, that I wonder how I will map the English speaking with the non-English speaking students. These are culturally and linguistically diverse [CLD] students, henceforth addressed in this paper as CLD. While cultural diversity can be managed with immersive experiences including various cultures, language diversity is a challenge considering I speak English alone as an international language!
“Today’s teachers are faced with the complex
responsibility of educating the growing student population who speaks a wide
variety of languages/ dialects (more than 177), come with varying levels of
formal schooling, and represent a varying number of cultural traditions.
Creating instructional environments as well as implementing instructional
strategies to support learning outcomes aligned to state standards and core
curriculum for this student population have become essential for classroom
teachers”, (Gonzalez et al., 2011, pp.6).
Nevertheless, “This preparation for diversity must
begin with the teacher”, (Brisk, et al, 2002, pp.7). And it starts with
reflecting over my own cultural filters. What goes in my mind when I see
students from different cultures? What are my set of belief systems? Reflect,
investigate and negate them in order to learn afresh about the students. my
central value for the pedagogy is humaneness. To learn to connect with the
students at human level. To make myself vulnerable in the ‘I do not know’
space. This is because finally “…what you realize is that connection is why
we're here. It's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives”, (Brown,
2010, 3.01).
Curiosity is hugely useful in a situation where
connection is to be established. Curiosity about the culture from where the
students have come, the pros and cons of where they are and extending help for
positive integration. However, this connection also requires some professional
tools and techniques in order to make the classroom experience fruitful for the
CLD students. Both feed into each other. These are in several areas.
1. Language: “Teachers need experiences in
their preparation that allow them to understand the realities of negotiating
academic instruction in another language”, (Brisk et al, 2002, pp.7). I think
if we just understand the challenge of following instruction in another
language, it may make us empathic to the CLD students. while it may be a lot to
expect for me to learn multiple languages, there are a number of things I can
do as a teacher in the class such as (a) avoid local expressions, especially
those involving stereotypes such as girls don’t cry, (b) support words with
visuals and gestures, (c) write clearly on the board, (d) have a clear routine
for the class to avoid multiple instructions, (e) give information byte size
and (f) emphasize key vocabulary.
2. Cultural Integration: Every culture has
given something beautiful to the planet. I would love to know the background of
CLD students and “…incorporate their cultures and backgrounds into the
curriculum through examples…”. The best examples for maths are games. Local
games can be integrated with maths. This not only makes the culture alive
through story telling by the student (s) about the games, but also often brings
commonality as one discovers similarity in games of different cultures.
3. Reflection: To enable the CLD learners to
reflect authentically on the content learnt, “Learning logs can be used to help
learners practice writing as they collect and organize information…”,
(Gonzalez, 2011, pp. 17). Here students can communicate in the way they find
best what they understood and not in the content taught. The expression in the
logs can be differentiated so they can choose their way.
4. Teaching Strategies: Considering I teach
maths, which is an international language, a lot of issues are not expected to
arise, as the symbols used are mostly similar. What I will bring is
differentiation of teaching strategies in the class. Differentiation is in a
way “…just shaking up the classroom so it’s a better fit for more kids,
(UNESCO, 2004, pp.8)” This is an all-round differentiation in rigor, content,
process, product and assessment.
There would be choice in (a) using method
of solving appropriate to the students’ culture, (b) amount of content the
student is able to do without the stress of it, (c) product design for a
project and (d) expression of content as a visual, descriptive or verbal.
I would organize group study ensuring CLD
students have empathic buddies in the groups to help them to be a fruitful
member of the group. Buddy system would be a part of the class, ensuring each
CLD student has someone to reach out to in any situation.
5. Null curriculum: I am an Indian, India and
Pakistan are at war at political level since 1947 and we had a Pakistani
student amidst us in the class. All events between India and Pakistan, cricket
match or war on the border or international mediation turns into hate filled
messages on social media. This was an innocent kid with special needs who had
come to the school for it gave space for special needs students to learn well. “Due to structures and systems designed to maintain
business as usual, many educators will not work to explicitly help students
heal and work toward building strategies to pursue justice themselves”, (Milner, 2017, para. 6). In this situation, it
would be prudent to have a discussion with the student to explore his feelings.
Then, if required, have a frank talk in the class to bring students to a level
of empathy needed to accept each other in a situation that can lead to a
confrontation.
Conclusion
Although the
solutions to individual situations would be very contextual, dependent on the
cluster of the CLD students one has. However, with some preparation and a tool
box of practices, one ought to be able to face most of the challenges
presented. It would lead to an intense learning in the teacher.
References
Brisk,
M. E., Barnhardt, R., Herrera, S., & Rochon, R. (2002). Educators'
preparation for cultural and linguistic diversity: A call to action.
Washington, DC: American Association of
Colleges for Teacher Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
ED477737). Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED477737.pdf
Brown,
B. (2010). The power of vulnerability. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability#t-5885
Gonzalez, R., Pagan, M., Wendell, L., & Love, C.
(2011). Supporting ELL/Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse Students for Academic Achievement. Brown.edu.
Retrieved 10 May 2020, from https://www.brown.edu/academics/education-alliance/teaching-diverse-learners/sites/brown.edu.academics.education-alliance.teaching-diverse-learners/files/uploads/ELL%20Strategies%20Kit_Intl%20Ctr%20for%20Leadership%20in%20Educ%202011.pdf.
Milner,
R. (2017). Confronting Inequity / Reimagining the Null Curriculum.
Reimagining the Null Curriculum - Educational Leadership.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov17/vol75/num03/Reimagining-the-Null-Curriculum.aspx.
UNESCO (2004). Changing teaching practices: Using
curriculum differentiation to respond to students’ diversity. Retrieved from
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001365/136583e.pdf
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