viii Cultural
Differences in Communication and Learning Styles
Adapted from http://professional.asha.org/resources/multicultural/reading_2.cfm
There are a
number of cultural verbal and non-verbal communication differences that can
impact on the case history interview, counselling, testing and intervention
process with individuals from culturally and linguistically different
backgrounds. If misunderstood and/or misinterpreted, many of these communication
differences can seriously jeopardise the establishment of rapport between
teacher/supervisor/administrator and the student. If
teachers/supervisors/administrators are not familiar with some of these
differences, they also may inadvertently mistake certain communication
behaviours as signs of disorder, poor motivation, apathy etc.
Differences in
learning style preference can also impact on the testing process. For this
reason, it is important for clinicians to have some awareness of the
communicative behaviours and learning styles that vary cross-culturally as well
as the potential impact of these differences on the service delivery process.
The specific
topics that are addressed by the readings referenced in this fact sheet
include:
·
Cultural differences
in verbal and non-verbal communication;
·
Cultural
differences in communicative(discourse) and narrative style;
·
Cultural
norms for greeting and addressing individuals;
·
Culturally
based learning style preferences;
·
Cultural
differences in rules for adult-child discourse;
·
Cultural
differences in the conversational roles of children;
·
The impact
of cultural communication and learning style differences on the educational
and/or clinical process.
Anderson, N. & Battle, D. (1993). Cultural diversity in the development of
language. In D. Battle (Ed.), Communication disorders in multicultural
populations. Boston: Andover Medical Publishers.
Bauman, R.
(1971). An ethnographic framework for the investigation of communicative
behaviors. Asha, 13(6), 334-340.
Damico, J.,
& Damico, S. (1993). Language and social skills from a diversity
perspective: Considerations for the speech language pathologist. Language,
Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 24 (4), 236-243.
Gutierrez-Clellen,
V. & Quinn, R. (1993). Assessing narratives of children from diverse
cultural/linguistic groups. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in
Schools, 24(1), 2-9.
Heath, S. B.
(1991). Ways with words: Language, life and work in communities and
classrooms. NY: Cambridge University.
Heath, S. B.
(1986). Sociocultural contexts of language development. In Beyond language:
Social and cultural factors in schooling language minority students. Los
Angeles, CA: Evaluation, Dissemination, & Assessment Center, California
State University.
Lynch, E. &
Hanson, M. (1992). Developing cross-cultural competence: A guide for
working with young children and their families. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes
Publishing Co.
Taylor, O. &
Matsuda, M. (1988). Storytelling and classroom discrimination. In G.
Smitherman-Donaldson & T. A. van Dijk (Eds.), Discourse and
discrimination. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University.
Compiled by the Multicultural Issues Board May 1996
·
Other Culture Resources:
http://professional.asha.org/resources/multicultural/reading_8.cfm
Boone, R.S., Wolfe, P.S., & Schaufler, J.H. (1999,
May). Written communication in special education: Meeting the needs of
culturally and linguistically diverse families. Multiple Voices for Ethnically Diverse Exceptional Learners, 3(1),
25- 36.
Campbell, L.R.,
Brennan, D.G., & Steckol, K.F. (1992, December). Preservice training to
meet the needs of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Asha, 29-32.
Griggs, S.A.,
& Dunn, R. (1989, October). The learning styles of multicultural groups and
counseling implications. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development,
17, 146-155.
Martinez, A.,
Bedore, L., & Ludwig, J. (1994). On cultural sensitivity in assessing
cross-cultural attitudes: Comments on Bebout and Arthur (1992). Journal of
Speech and Hearing Research, 37, 341-342.
Salend, S.J.,
& Taylor, L. (1993) Working with families: A cross-cultural perspective. Remedial and Special Education, 14, 25-
39.
Taylor, O.,
& Leonard, L.B. (1999). Language
acquisition across North America: Cross-cultural and cross-linguistic
perspectives (pp. 61- 106). San Diego, CA: Singular.
Westby, C.E.
(1990a). Ethnographic interviewing: Asking the right questions to the right
people in the right ways. Journal of
Childhood Communication Disorders, 13, 101-111.
Westby, C.E.
(1990b, Spring/Summer). There's no such thing as culture-free testing. Texas Journal of Audiology and Speech
Pathology, 4-5.
http://www.everythingesl.net/downloads/cultural_quiz.pdf
http://www.iteachilearn.com/uh/guadarrama/sociopsycho/paper.htm
http://www.ballard-tighe.com/glossary.htm