TEACHING DEEP CULTURE.

The cultural paradigms influence the way of interpreting the things of an event. The differences that exist in cultures can be perceived at first glance, but that is only superficial.

If we talk about deep culture, we do not mean meals, sports, dances, but how the human being perceives situations in different cultures. In the deep culture we can realize that they are actions that a person perceives, whether positive or negative.

One of the many actions that a person perceives are gestures. There are varieties of gestures around the world that can mean many things, this can influence the manners or interpretations good or bad.

Manners are also factors that characterize a culture. And it has to see what is right or wrong within a culture, and this can affect the reputation of a person within a society.

Expressivity also has to do with how you relate in that culture. There are some cultures that are very expressive and others that do not easily demonstrate it. In each culture they have a level of expressivity.

All these actions or factors that we notice to deepen a culture can be seen in some books, however personal experiences within a different culture teach you to see situations from a different side. These experiences can even be experienced when you visit a different city.

Teaching the students deep culture may be a challenge but it is an important task that should be instructed within a TESOL class.

Culture and Psychology

Culture and psychology are closely linked. We can see different varieties of cultures around the world, we can see their different ways of dressing, traditions, but something that we can not see but appreciate is their way of thinking, that is, their psychology.

I live in a place where their beliefs are varied, it depends on the place, there are ways to see a real man or a real woman. There are very peculiar things like they can not sell salt at night because it is bad luck. In short, everything depends on where you are.

I remember that from a young age my parents taught me to respect the earth, they always told me  "pachamama" that means mother earth would take care of me if I am respectful and do not hurt her. In fact our gods were the hills (Apus) and mother earth (pachamama) and we had little knowledge of our heavenly father. Well, that was my cultural psychology.

Today, I still have in my mind the psychology with which I have grown, maybe it was difficult for me to adapt to a new way of thinking, but I feel that I have developed my mind and my spirit in a good way.

We can not judge the psychology of different cultures, as well as the story told by brother Ivers of the iguanas. It is very special to have cultural experiences. And in a classroom TESOL should be motivated to discover different cultures and psychologies.

Differences in manners

Knowing the cultural contexts will help us avoid many conflicts or misunderstandings. Manners are different around the world and something that is good in your country can be offensive in another.

When I went to the mission, I had many misunderstandings even when speaking, in Latin American countries you have to be very careful when speaking in different countries, especially the jargon. Peruvian slang has different meanings in other countries such as Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, etc.

Our language as well as our actions have a great influence on manners. Where I live for example, it is mandatory to call your neighbor as uncle, and say  good morning, afternoon or evening, because if you do not do that, it's bad manners.

I know there are a great number of manners around the world and it is good to know them and try to avoid bad manners depending on the context where we are.

Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom

Having students from different cultures is a huge responsibility and at the same time curious, because you discover as a teacher different behaviors according to their cultures. Each student has a different habit when behaving in the classroom and this must be controlled by the teacher.

In a TESOL classroom there will be many students from different cultures and they will have very different perspectives, many of them may be very expressive and it will be a nuisance for the students who are not, or maybe it will be the other way around.

It is important to know that a TESOL classroom must have an atmosphere of participation and coexistence so that students can learn the language in a more active way and avoid stress or frustration.

We must also analyze how the student's learning is going. If the student comes from a culture that does not demonstrate their emotions and practically does not participate much in the classroom, but their learning has been excellent and it shows in their tests, then it is part of their culture not to express their emotions and does not affect their learning . We should not judge them according to our cultural perspective.

I think it is important to know the different cultures and put ourselves in context. I am from Lationoamerica and many have the perspective that in Latin America you easily demonstrate your emotions, but not all of them. I am from a place where people are very affectionate and family is important, but they do not show their emotions. Then, when I was on the mission many American missionaries thought that I was like the typical Latin Americans, but I had a more serious stance and did not express my emotions easily.

I am sure that not only happens to me but to many other people. As Brother Ivers said, first we must know well the space where the person lives and then judge.

ATTRIBUTIONS

The attributions is a psychological discipline that a person must develop correctly. Many times we have that bad habit of attributing our failures to other people, even a thing, for example if we are late, maybe we blame the clock or the bus that was delayed. We do not deny that we ever did it. But that serves as an example to ask ourselves if it was the right thing to do, and we all know the answer, and it is not.

I think our common sense makes us realize how our attributions should be. Reaching a balance of internal and external attributions is essential to have peace within us.

We may think that, as Brother Ivers mentioned about Japanese culture and how they attribute their successes to their parents, teachers and their failures to themselves, we may think that this is what should be done, but to the point of committing suicide. To give an excessive internal contribution affects us a lot.

We could see the negative things of how we attribute to our actions. Not only is suicide an example of an internal attribution but also deprecion, low self-esteem. But with this I do not want to say that it is wrong to make us feel guilty. But there should be a limit.

In external attribution we can also see negative things such as lack of commitment or self-responsibility. As I mentioned before, it is all part of our common sense to reach a balance.

Sometimes our culture accustoms us to having the habit of giving internal or external attributions in different situations, but we must always think for a few seconds and see if it is correct.

I think that the attribution tendencies should be well explained in a TESOL classroom because in this way we will help the students to have an emotional self-sufficiency without affecting their cultures.

PERSONAL SPACE

We can see the perception of personal space in many ways, according to our culture, but adapting to a new culture also requires patience and understanding.

Personally I prefer my own personal space. But my family has always been different, even now I find it difficult to understand why those around me do not mind sharing their things, sometimes I have thought that I am selfish, or I just like to respect my personal space.

Watching the video of the Japanese in the subway station, when I saw it, I just laughed, and I said to myself, really? They do not mind traveling like this. because I would not support it. But again, it is according to your cultural perspective.

Not understanding the perspective of the personal space can bring negative consequences such as discomfort, contempt, anger, etc. I am from the culture where everyone shares their things, my parents have grown up with that thought, but when we moved to a bigger city, all that changed, that is why when my cousins ​​or uncles visit us, we feel that invasion of space because they do not ask for permission. Sometimes it is a little uncomfortable but at the same time funny.

I think that understanding how to see personal space is important, because we are not all equal, and that is what the TESOL learners must understand so that there is a higher tolerance.