became more vocal in class and more willing to ask across cultures that allow us to see that we are not so
questions and seek help after class, and I saw a reduc- different after all.
tion in the self-deprecating comments.

To my surprise, the students were not the only ones Kathy S. Leonard, Instructor, General Studies and
to benefit from this exercise. Through my eavesdrop- Spanish
ping on the groups, I learned a great deal of personal
info about my students. This insight into their back- For further information, contact the author at Yuba
ground and familial situations helped me to under- College, Woodland Campus, 41605 Gibson Road,
stand and empathize with problems some of them Woodland, CA 95695.

were having in class. One student’s frequent absences
were not due to lack of interest, as I had suspected, but
rather to pressure by his family to work more hours in
their Mexican restaurant. Another student's apparent
apathy in class had nothing to do with disliking school,
but rather with her despondence over the breakup with
a boyfriend. Students may not be willing to divulge
such personal information to a teacher, but they had no
problem discussing it with other students and did not
seem to mind that I might “overhear” it.

SEC ES

This cultural and linguistic exchange can easily be
used in any language class, providing that native
speakers are available and willing to participate. Even
if the class teaches a language not as common as
Spanish, students will often know someone who
speaks the language being studied, or have a relative
fluent in the language who may be willing to come to
the class as guest speaker. If only one speaker is
available at a time, a variation on the small group
technique can be used. The lone speaker can present a
short talk to the whole class in his/her native language,
and the students can be prepared to ask questions. But
in order to maximize contact among students and the
speaker, and in order for “real” communication to take
place, students should break into small groups after the
presentation. In their groups they can review among
themselves the material covered in the presentation, as
well as clarify any misunderstanding, or lack of
understanding, they may have. There will always be a
student in the group who understands more than the
others and is willing to share this knowledge. While
the groups are in progress, the guest speaker and the
teacher can circulate among them to answer questions.

Other than the obvious benefits of increased com-
munication across cultures, many stereotypes can be
dispelled by having face-to-face encounters with
speakers of other languages. Students come to realize,
as they communicate in a common language, that
although we bring different cultural experiences with
us into adulthood, there are obvious commonalities

 

Suanne D. Roueche, Editor

April 26, 1991, Vol. XII, No. 14 INNOVATION ABSTRACTS is a publication of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD),
©The University of Texas at Austin, 1991 Department of Educational Administration, College of Education, EDB 348, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Further duplication is permitted by MEMBER 78712, (512) 471-7545. Funding in part by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Sid W. Richardson Foundation. Issued weekly

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