Cross-Cultural Communication in the ESL Classroom: Lessons from volunteering with ENGin
- Wissal Ben Rhouma
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
If there were one thing I would tell my younger self when starting my career as a CELTA-certified English teacher, I would emphasize the importance of cross-cultural awareness. And volunteering with ENGin has reminded me that teaching English is not only about grammar and vocabulary, but also about understanding the people behind the language.
Our learning habits and styles are highly affected by our culture. For example, American learners are more outgoing and more likely to participate, while Japanese students are less active, especially in a one-to-one setting, due to the social hierarchy, as the teacher holds a higher status compared to the student; therefore, Japanese learners may initially be more reserved. Similarly, Ukrainian students bring their own educational traditions and cultural expectations into the ESL classroom.
Volunteering with ENGin has made me aware that the Ukrainian classroom is still following a traditional setting, where the followed approach might be a teacher-centered approach in many cases. As a result, when applying a student-centered and communicative approach following the CELTA methodology in the Ukrainian classroom, the Teacher Talking Time (TTT) might be affected. Understanding these cultural differences is the first step to fostering an inclusive environment and creating engaging lessons.
Observing Cultural Differences: Understanding Learners’ Backgrounds
In practice, observing my Ukrainian learners helped me understand that prior schooling knowledge shapes the current learning habits. I have noticed that respecting the teacher comes in many forms and shapes, according to the culture and the country.
In some cultures, respecting the teacher simply means not talking back or disturbing the class. In Ukraine, however, respect assumes waiting for instructions before answering.
Comparing Ukrainian students on ENGin to my other learners from different cultures, I found out that the participation tends to be very slow at the beginning. Nevertheless, it increases gradually once the learners have grown closer and become more comfortable with you.
Students may hesitate to respond unless called on. The hesitation might be due to anxiety and fear of making mistakes. That is the result of an accuracy-focused approach that they have been exposed to ever since they set foot in elementary school. This often makes them more comfortable writing answers on paper or in chat before speaking aloud. In these cases, the teacher has to notice the moments of hesitation and give the learners time to think about the questions before answering. Interrupting them or filling the silence will not help the student to improve, and it will affect the Teacher Talking Time (TTT).
It is expected that the student starts their answers by using words or short sentences. It is important to praise them when they are on the right track. That will result in a confidence boost, which will eventually get them to feel more comfortable and less intimidated to participate.
It is important to mention that modeling answers will decrease the student’s stress level. However, in such cases, balancing the Teacher Talking Time (TTT) and Student Talking Time (STT) is crucial.
Practical Teaching Strategies
When planning a speaking lesson, tutors need to design the activities thoughtfully in order to have a successful lesson. Following the CELTA methodology in creating highly communicative speaking lessons, starting with a lead-in is a necessity to activate the learner’s knowledge and interest.
You can do that by showing them a picture or simply by asking them questions. By listening to them talking at this stage, the teacher will have a clear idea of the language they need to learn before starting the class. Therefore, providing functional language and vocabulary related to the topic is important for communicative purposes.
The next stage should be a controlled practice. The purpose of the stage is to reduce stress about making mistakes. The activity can be a matching or a gap-completion activity (a dialogue or a short paragraph).
Being gentle about providing immediate feedback is the backbone of building their confidence. I would suggest the “sandwich method” when providing feedback. To follow this method, you have to start by praising their correct usage of the language, then correct the error gently.
Lastly, mention one more thing you liked about their answers. By doing that, you will direct their minds to think about the bright side more than focusing on their mistakes.
When done with all that, we assume that we have supplied them with what they need the most to be able to participate in the “freer practice”. In this stage, avoid providing a topic where there is a correct answer, nor asking yes/no questions, as these types of activities kill the communicative purposes.
Lastly, providing delayed feedback at the end of the lesson would give them an overall idea of their performance. The teacher has to give them some examples of good usage of the language and areas of improvement to work on. Following these stages will ensure a supportive environment and foster an atmosphere for the learners to grow confident naturally.
Based on my experience, here are some tips for volunteers that I found helpful:
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These tips can make a huge difference in the atmosphere in the class and the students' mental state.
Challenges & Adaptations in 1-to-1 online ESL
In online classes, it is harder to read body language. Thus, teachers have to pay extra attention to facial expression and tone to figure out whether the learner is following.
Another challenge you may face when volunteering with ENGin is the silence and hesitation from the students’ side. As explained before, influenced by past schooling experience, Ukrainian students may fear making mistakes or embarrassment. Silence sometimes indicates the thought process. Interrupting might cut off their thoughts. Hence, giving the time to think is a necessity. By doing that, you will also be managing Teacher Talking Time (TTT) and Student Talking Time (STT).
It is important to emphasize the importance of a higher Student Talking Time (STT) to ensure that learners practice the language more than the teacher speaks. In addition to that, some activities might be too challenging or intimidating for them. Some adaptations might be needed, such as simpler instructions, modeling answers, or giving hints to make it easier.
What Cross-Cultural Teaching Taught Me as a Teacher
Through cross-cultural teaching experiences, I have learned valuable lessons that continue to shape my teaching approach. Teachers cannot and should not assume that all learners participate or deal with activities in the same way.
Also, some students need more time to prepare and respond than others.
Moreover, silence does not always indicate a lack of interest. It can be an indication of a different culture that you should be aware of.
By showing interest in the learner’s country and background, you will learn a lot about how to deal with them. Building trust and showing empathy will eventually make them feel comfortable.
Ultimately, cross-cultural communication reminds us that our students are not just English Language learners. They are far more than that. Every one of them comes into the classroom with different emotions, problems, hopes, failures, and cultures. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to creating successful classes.
If there is one piece of advice you should get from this article, it is that teaching English goes beyond language methodology. And being a good teacher is not only about explaining correctly. It is about building a good rapport with your students and making them enjoy the lesson.
Why volunteering with ENGin
Volunteering with ENGin has been a wonderful and unique experience. On ENGin, it is hard to refer to my learners as learners. We are friends. And statistics speak for themselves, as 89% of participants become friends at the end. The one-to-one format not only supports students by allowing them to make mistakes and ask questions without feeling embarrassed, but it also paves the way for a closer connection between the tutor and the learner.
Our questions eventually will move from general to more specific and a bit personal when we feel comfortable with each others. Eventually, the relationship will move from a professional to friendship.
As a volunteer, you will get the joy of meeting new people and making new friends.
I personally ended up picking up so many Ukrainian words that my buddies have taught me. Now, I am genuinely considering learning Ukrainian.
Moreover, as a volunteer, you will be spending some of your free time contributing to a good cause. Helping people who are affected by the war is a great pleasure and keeps us attached to our human side. It reminds us that we can give to the world and help those who are in need, even from the comfort of our homes.
If you feel that you want to meet people, spend your time away from your phone, help others, experience a sense of purpose, or feel valued, do not hesitate to seek this opportunity.
