CULTURALLY

CULTURALLY EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
In Teaching Learning Process

By: Refniza Yanti


Languages reflect the cultures of which they are a part. The more widely different the cultures, the greater the communication differences in both languages and nonverbal signals. The greater the differences between the cultures (and, therefore, the greater the communication differences), the more difficult communication will be. This difficulty is likely to lead, for example, to more communication errors, more false starts, more retracing of our sentences, more misunderstanding, greater bypassing, and more misperceptions.
Language is a tool to communicate. Communication is an essential skill utilized by any teacher or trainer (widyaiswara). It is important to be a culturally competent communicator. It is also important to identify the belief systems of both the student and teacher or between trainer and trainees to spot blocks to communication. There are some points that can create the gaps between trainer and the trainees, they are:
1. ETHNOCENTRISM
Ethnocentrism is an inability to accept anothers culture world view. We have to know that everyone has their own culture and oppinion about something. Don’t ever say and think that “my way is the best”, because maybe the trainee oppinion is better than the trainer has.
2. DISCRIMINATION
Differential treatment of an individual due to minority status, eg: ethnic, religion, etc. Each of us has some characteristics in common with others of our gender, race, place of origin, and sociocultural group, but these are outweighed by the many differences among members of any group. The good trainee always involve all trainee in the same way in all activities in the classroom3.


3. STEREOTYPING
Generalizing about a person while ignoring presence of individual difference; e.g., "she's like that because she's from North Sumatera”.
4. CULTURAL BLINDNESS
Differences are ignored and one proceeds as though differences did not exist; e.g., "there's no need to worry about a person's culture” A good trainer has to know each trainee culture to ease to communicate during the teahcing learning process.

Concepts Related To Bridging Cultural Differences (ETHNIC)
E Everyone has a culture.
T Take time to collect relevant cultural information.
H Hold all judgements; ie. be careful about interpreting the culturally different trainee’s behavior, especially if unfamiliar with the culture.
N Notice and negotiate differences in understanding of teaching and learning.
I Involve cultural resources as appropriate.
C Collaborate to develop objectives and educational strategies.

References:
Anonim.honolulu.hawaii.edu /intranet/committees/FacDevCom/

Devito J. 1992. The Interpersonal Communication Book Sixth Edition. New York:Harper Collins Publishers