Cultural Competence
May 2021
"Culturally competent agencies and individuals accept and respect cultural differences, continue self-assessment of cultural awareness, pay careful attention to the dynamics of cultural differences, continually expand their cultural knowledge and resources, and adopt culturally relevant service models in order to better meet the needs of minority populations." (Hanley 1999) In ESL, being a culturally competent individual is absolutely essential in order to better help the people you are working with. However, cultural competence does not happen overnight, but instead requires time and effort. These sections on cultural competence will hopefully provide a starting point for your development towards becoming a more culturally competent individual.
"Culturally competent agencies and individuals accept and respect cultural differences, continue self-assessment of cultural awareness, pay careful attention to the dynamics of cultural differences, continually expand their cultural knowledge and resources, and adopt culturally relevant service models in order to better meet the needs of minority populations." (Hanley 1999) In ESL, being a culturally competent individual is absolutely essential in order to better help the people you are working with. However, cultural competence does not happen overnight, but instead requires time and effort. These sections on cultural competence will hopefully provide a starting point for your development towards becoming a more culturally competent individual.
To begin, we need to be clear by what we mean by 'culture'. This definition by Teaching Tolerance provides a useful starting point. "It (culture) is a shared system of meanings, beliefs, values and behaviors through which we interpret our experiences. Culture is learned, collective and changes over time. Culture is generally understood to be "what we know that everyone like us knows."
When we think of culture, we often think of 'surface culture' such as books, music, and art. However, culture is much more than that. It includes our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, and influences our behavior and student behavior as well. The iceberg image below illustrates this and provides a more comprehensive view of culture. As you take a look at 'Folk Culture' and 'Deep Culture', please consider the following questions.
- How do these ideas influence who you are?
- How do they influence how you perceive and judge others?
Hanley, J. 1999. “Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg: Five Stages Toward Cultural Competence.” Reaching Today’s Youth 3, no 2: 9–12.
Cultural competence can be defined as "the ability to work effectively across cultures in a way that acknowledges and respects the culture of the person or organization being served." (Hanley 1999). According to Hanley, the development of cultural competence requires three things:
As mentioned in these three steps, it is not simply building cultural awareness, but requires active, positive steps in the classroom and real-life settings.
- self-knowledge
- experience
- positive change
As mentioned in these three steps, it is not simply building cultural awareness, but requires active, positive steps in the classroom and real-life settings.
Watch the video and reflect on the following questions and how it relates to cultural competence and the classroom:
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