IN-SITES

Our classrooms are changing: The importance of cultural awareness.

by Heike Pintor Pirzkall, Universidad Europea de Madrid

Due to the influx of newly arrived immigrants, Spain has become also a melting pot of cultures. This situation has its reflection in classrooms all over the country. With this new situation, teachers will have to understand different values and beliefs to be able to communicate effectively with students from other countries. We have to understand that, maybe these students might perceive reality in a different way and therefore need a different teaching approach.

Here are some useful web-sites to find information on cultural awareness programs and tips for working with cultural differences.

http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/subject.html: Digests are short reports that highlight topics of current interest in foreign language education, ESL, bilingual education, and linguistics of CAL (Centre of Applied Linguistics: Improving communication through better understanding of language and culture).Washington D.C, (USA).

http://education.indiana.edu/cas/tt/v2i2/cultural.html: Website from Indiana University Centre for Adolescent Studies, Gary M. Ingersoll, Ph.D. This web-site gives some useful tips on instructional approaches for working with diverse student populations and related issues of diversity. This web site reflects the current situation in American (US) classrooms.

http://comunidad-escolar.pntic.mec.es/664/tribuna.html: ”El multiculturalismo en las aulas españolas”. Francisco Ramos Calvo, Coordinador bilingüe en el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Los Angeles, California, EE.UU. Interesting article on the new situation in Spanish classrooms and the current situation in American ones.

http://sauce.pntic.mec.es/~smarti4/multicult.htm & http://www.tribunadelmediterraneo.com/doc/educacioneinmigacioninternet.doc: Lists (links) of articles in Spanish, French and English related to multiculturalism, interculturality, immigration and education.

http://www.aahebulletin.com/member/articles/sociology.asp: A publication of the American Association of Higher Education, Click on “Diversity” for articles on this subject.

http://ldn.tamu.edu/: Texas A&M University Language Diversity Network. You will find a variety of information for professional and pre-service educators seeking resources, scholarships, research and classroom project information.

http://wwwlibrary.csustan.edu/lboyer/multicultural/main.htm: Multicultural Education and Ethnic Groups: Selected Internet Sources. Here is an introduction to the resources on the Web concerning multicultural education and diversity.

www.coe.int/.../education/Languages/Language_Policy/policy_development_activities/Studies/WillemsENG.pdf:  A guide for the development o f Language Education Policies in Europe-from Linguistic Diversity Plurilingual Education.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/calls/languages/index_en.html: site on programms and actions from the education and training 2010 page of the European Union.

http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/MoraModules/ELDInstruction.htm#Multicultural  & http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/DiversityMMdl/: Cultural Diversity in the B/CLAD Classroom by Jill Kerper Mora, Ed.D., San Diego State University.

http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12871&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html:  Unesco's site on Education. Click on cultural Diversity Menu for details.