Cultural and Linguistic Differences: What Teachers Should Know
Assessment
Take some time now to answer the following questions. Please note that the IRIS Center does not collect your Assessment responses. If this is a course assignment, you should turn them in to your professor using whatever method he or she requires. If you have trouble answering any of the questions, go back and review the Perspectives & Resources pages in this module.
Why is it important for teachers to reflect on cultural and linguistic diversity?- Explain the difference between BICS and CALP. Why is it necessary for teachers to understand the distinction between these two types of language proficiency?
- In the Challenge, Mr. Bennett wrote notes home to Maria’s family. Why might this have proved problematic? What other options might you recommend to Mr. Bennett for communicating with Maria’s parents?
- Mr. Stone, a teacher from a rural community where all the students share similar cultural backgrounds, relocates to a large city where the students come from a wide variety of cultural groups. He notices that many of his students are not performing well in class. Upon self-reflection, he realizes that because of cultural differences these students may not relate to his style of teaching or to the stories and examples he uses in class. What can Mr. Stone do to become more culturally responsive and meet the diverse needs of these students?
