When it comes to communicating with different groups and
cultures I communicate with them like I do with everyone. I would like to
believe that I am a sociable person. When diversity is present I believe you
should treat and talk to everyone in the same way. Though when it comes to
children I feel you need to get down to their level and talk in a language that
is appropriate for their age whatever it may be. One thing is that I believe
that we all can still learn more when it comes to ways of communicating with others.
I want to talk and treat people the way I would want someone to treat me or my
family. When talking to others I want to make sure that any non- verbal
gestures are shown in a positive message and most important is to listen than
answer.
Some strategies that I learned this week and would use are make
sure to keep eye contact and make sure it is positive and friendly. Make sure
that I talk slowly and clearly so that they can understand what I am saying and
keep it simple. I would want to make sure that I show respect and empathy for those who do not speak English.
Hello Mary,
ReplyDeleteI think you are spot-on about your strategies for effective communication with those having different cultural reality. Though it is sometimes hard to honor concepts and behaviors that are totally alien to us, behaviors that may offend, confuse or upset us, it is in the trying to meet halfway, in my opinion, that enables us to get past off-putting behaviors and get down to the nitty-gritty of Gonzalez-Mena’s, (2010) assertion that, “acknowledging that each person has a different reality [allows one to] take the first steps toward beginning to understand it (p.36).
I also agree that speaking slowly is a good strategy, regardless of audience. I myself am a slow processor and when I’m assaulted by a barrage of verbiage delivered at rapid-fire rate, I become overwhelmed and my first response is to ask the speaker to repeat everything he or she just said. That acronym, KISS, takes on a new meaning for me: Keep It Slow, Silly
Nice post,
Sandi
Understanding and Appreciating Cultural Differences. In 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families (pp. 36-38). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Hello Mary,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog and also I agree with you in regarding I would want to make sure that I show respect and empathy for those who do not speak English. I believe this statement is very important and as educators its important to be careful what we say to people because what may not be offensive to to us might be offensive to them.