Often, I do find myself communicating differently when speaking with others from various cultures. The first one that comes to mind is how I communicate and interact with my family. I am one of six children who grew up in a small farm town in Florida. My mother has a 9th grade education and many of my aunts and uncles are local fisherman without formal educations. I find that when I am around them I begin to use words such as "ain't", my grammar begins to slip and I start to sound just like I fit in. This is what I was often around as a child so it is within my comfort level to speak in such an informal fashion. It often amazes me as to how quickly I can sink back into this level of communication without even thinking about it.
When speaking with my professional colleagues I always make sure that I make eye contact, am honest and well spoken. I choose my words very carefully and make sure that I communicate clearly and effectively for all of those involved. I also make an effort to truly listen to others when they speak and wait my turn to speak. This is a deeper form of listening than when I am communicating with my family members. Often, I will find myself talking with my hands.
As a teacher I speak completely different when talking with young children. I use kid friendly language and speak to them in a manner in which they can understand. I also give wait time for those who may have processing difficulties allowing them additional time to process information before replying. My nonverbal communication is also different as I will typically place my hands behind my back and lean forward when speaking to a child. This gives me an appearance of being nonthreatening to the child. However, when speaking with adults I typically use my hands to emphasize what I am talking about.
Also, when speaking to members of other cultures I find myself being careful as to not be disrespectful or do something that is offensive to them. As I converse with them I watch their facial expressions and body language and allow these to guide the conversation. If a person seems to be upset or taken back I quickly change what I am talking about and do my best to reassure them.
I don't truly think that this happens with any type of conscious decision it just seems to occur depending on who we are communicating with and what their level of expectation is. Being aware of our ability to communicate will better assist us as educators to make adjustments in communication as needed while respecting all cultures and individuals. Becoming more effective communicators will assist us in growing professionally in the years to come!
Hello Kirsten
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post. You are absolutely correct we do tend to speak different when communicating with people from various groups or cultures. This is very important thought, especially in the professional arena. It really makes a different because whether we realize it or not just as we listen to people, they listen to us as well, therefore we must always communicate in ways that are understandable and clear so that we will not be misunderstood. Good reading.