Diversity is a complex term, but the simplest definition is differences amongst people. There are so many entities that fall under diversity, such as socioeconomic status, culture, language, age, etc. The main two types of diversity that I am going to discuss are linguistic and cultural diversity. These types of diversity are the focal diversities in an ESL classroom. In order to fully understand cultural and linguistic diversity, and how to approach the subjects of diversity, it is important to look at one’s experiences with it. My identity and experience have influenced my attitudes and beliefs on diversity.
I am a Chinese-American that has grown up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is known for being a diverse city, but in the Pittsburgh suburban school district I grew up in, the population was a predominately white community. Growing up, I knew that I was different. Throughout my schooling career, I have been associated with multiple stereotypes. I have been called derogatory terms and asked stereotypical questions, such as if I am related to Jackie Chan or if I ate dog. People pretended they knew Chinese just by …show more content…
When you teach a language, you have to teach the culture as well. In an English as a Second Language classroom setting, I feel like you should have students learn about each other’s cultures and languages as well. This way students are able to learn about one another and see multiple perspectives of people’s lives. In the article, “Diversity, Social Consciousness, and EFL”, it states, “[…] classroom space for diversity learning [gives students] the playing field on which they could advance learning goals while meeting with each other in a comfortable format” (Clayton, 2010, p. 385). Allowing students to be able to show who they are and be able to teach other people about their lives and community allows students to feel like they are needed/ wanted in the
I am a Chinese-American that has grown up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is known for being a diverse city, but in the Pittsburgh suburban school district I grew up in, the population was a predominately white community. Growing up, I knew that I was different. Throughout my schooling career, I have been associated with multiple stereotypes. I have been called derogatory terms and asked stereotypical questions, such as if I am related to Jackie Chan or if I ate dog. People pretended they knew Chinese just by …show more content…
When you teach a language, you have to teach the culture as well. In an English as a Second Language classroom setting, I feel like you should have students learn about each other’s cultures and languages as well. This way students are able to learn about one another and see multiple perspectives of people’s lives. In the article, “Diversity, Social Consciousness, and EFL”, it states, “[…] classroom space for diversity learning [gives students] the playing field on which they could advance learning goals while meeting with each other in a comfortable format” (Clayton, 2010, p. 385). Allowing students to be able to show who they are and be able to teach other people about their lives and community allows students to feel like they are needed/ wanted in the