10/16/21; Week 5: "Cultural Paradigms"

"Cultural Paradigms and TESOL"

What are paradigms and how do they mold me?

    Paradigms are the basis of how we interpreted our reality. You are exposed to different situations every day and you classify them whether it is something normal or strange, good or bad, acceptable or outrageous, but how do you get to these conclusions? Have you ever thought if it is the same for the rest of the world?

    Your culture is full of paradigms, you have grown to know and accept things in a certain way, and though people with the same paradigms may differ in opinions, it is not compared with the scale difference you have when comparing it with other cultures.

    Becoming aware of how paradigms form a person and how different one can be from another can help you overcome the cultural barrier that forms when interacting with a foreign individual or in a foreign place.

Now, regarding TESOL...

    As you can imagine, besides affecting your personal perspective, cultural paradigms affect the teaching models and school life in general, from what teaching methods are acceptable to what type of relationship the student and teacher have. Now, when we teach a language, which is not only a means to communicate but an extension of a culture, it can become tricky to teach because we have to adapt how and what we teach based on our students' necessities and paradigms. Teachers should always be cautious of how paradigms may affect the classroom dynamic.

    Though it may be difficult to adapt at the start, TESOL gives us an opportunity to acquire cultural diversity, becoming aware of different cultural paradigms becomes a necessity to have a harmonious working environment. Everybody having the same target unifies us and makes us open-minded about getting to know one another and their background. Determination and willingness to coexist with other cultures could become a positive outcome of TESOL.