Review – What I Learned
To begin the mini-conference we were offered a glimpse of different cultures as presented by the Gwinnett County Public School System’s interpreters. These women spoke about their own experiences of being newcomers to America, and gave us information about their cultures’ traditions, languages and etiquette. The presentation was enlightening for me, as I knew very little about some of the cultures.
First, Vesna Vujinovic, the Bosnian interpreter presented about her culture. She explained that Bosnians use loud voices, and talk with their hands, much like Italians. They are often gypsies, and do not place value on education. Ms. Vujinovic recommended that schools stress the importance of education in America, and pointed out that Bosnian parents expect teachers to call them with positive reports about students, not just when there are problems. Finally, she noted that parents from Bosnia are often uncomfortable volunteering at school because in their home country there is no parent involvement in school.
Next, Beatriz Uribe, the Spanish translator from Mexico presented. She cautioned us about different dialects of Spanish. There are words that may be inappropriate in one Spanish-speaking country, but in another they are not inappropriate, and in fact, they may mean something completely different. One of the most important ideas that she mentioned was the importance of “knowing the family background.”(Uribe, 2012) It is possible that a parent may only have a second or third grade education, which is common in some parts of Mexico. On the other hand, “a parent may be highly educated in their country, but working below their education level because they do not speak English. “ (Uribe, 2012)
Then, Eun Sook Lee, the Korean interpreter spoke. I learned that Koreans in America are almost 100% South Korean. I’ve often wondered if I would meet a student from North Korea. Now I know that probably will not happen. One of the most important concepts she spoke about was how confusing the school events are for Korean parents. The ideas of choicecards, fun runs, and spiritwear, for instance, are completely foreign to them, and cause much stress. I also learned that many Korean students belong to “goose families”. These are families that include one parent (usually the mother) who travels with the children to America, so that the children may receive an American education, and the other parent who stays in Korea, and works to support the family. I have had several students who were members of goose families.
Finally, Yisu Brasel, the Chinese interpreter and Lan Schlecht, the Vietnamese interpreter spoke about their cultures. Ms. Brasel taught us mainly about some important language differences between English and Chinese. For example, in Chinese verbs do not have tenses. That explains why students have such a tough time with tenses in their writing. Ms. Sclecht’s most important point was that people are often offended by being referred to as “Asian”. She pointed out that “Asian” refers to a continent. It would be more favorable to call them appropriately by their nationality.
Reflect – What It Meant to Me
The incredible speakers gave me so much to think about in regards to my students and their parents. I now know a little bit more about their different cultures and languages. So, now I have to use this knowledge to assist my school and fellow teachers in communicating with parents. I never realized how confusing so many of our American traditions are to them, even though I feel as though I should have. Certainly, if I moved to one of their countries I would be completely lost.
In addition to the speakers, the breakout session on quality teaching strategies was eye-opening. I felt so confused by my inability to understand the German vocabulary. However, the strategies used by Mrs. Homann were very effective. I may not have been able to read the entire German passage given to us about the whale, but even now I am sure I can identify and say some of those vocabulary words. With more time, I am sure I could learn much more German.
Refine – How I Will Use the Information in My Classroom
The knowledge of these cultures will help me in my day to day interactions with students and in communications with parents. It will also help me understand some of their writing and speaking weaknesses. I also plan to share everything I learned from the speakers with the rest of our school staff to aid them in communicating with parents and students.
In regards to the German lesson, I can’t wait to start previewing content vocabulary with pictures, and all of the other strategies Ms. Homann used in her lesson. I have many questions, but am anxious to learn more about using the strategies to give my students the scaffolding they need to be successful.
References
Uribe, B. (2012). Cultural Glimpses of ELs in GCPS. ESOL Endorsement Mini Conference. Suwanee, GA.
Homann, L. (2012). Culturally Sensitive Quality Teaching. ESOL Endorsement Mini Conference. Suwanee, GA.
No comments:
Post a Comment