TESOL 103

  Many aspects of how we behave and think have to do not with our personal life experiences or our genetics, but with the culture in which we are immersed in. Although Western culture predominates today, in many places the cultural border means that tribes living in the same region do not understand each other by language or by customs and mentality. Psychology with culture tries to deal with the human mind based on diversity and with the cultural heritage that we receive. Culture encompasses the clothes we wear, the language we speak, the food we eat, even the way we greet each other, how we think, feel even the way we relate to each other that is why there is a very strong connection between culture and psychology, culture on all aspects of our behavior, cognition, and emotion. In Africa, especially in Madagascar, it is considered that women who give birth to twins are cursed and must kill one of them, or give them up for adoption, even leave home, It is very sad what that mo...

 It amazes me to think that although as human beings we have most of the similar routines, how our customs can vary from one country to another. Professor Ivers from BYU teaches in the video that aware of the cultural differences in manners around the world, for example in Argentina one of our customs when we eat is to put our hands on the table without resting our elbows, it is rude to have a hand under the table, or even eat with your hands without using a fork and knife when in other cultures that are allowed and are normal. The same is what can happen in our TESOL classrooms since there can be general situations such as at lunchtime where there can be different ways at the moment of eating. We have to be attentive as teachers as this can cause embarrassment, or anger among classmates due to their customs. All these situations make us see that it is not only to go and give a class, but to teach values, respect, and love for others and for being different from us. How important i...

    A monkey was at a high and safe tree branch watching the beautiful and agitated river flowing below him. The monkey spotted a fish swimming against the current and seemed obvious to the  monkey that the fish was struggling and in need of assistance, so the monkey decided to act. The kind and brave monkey risks himself to finally reach out and snatch the fish from the threatening waters, placing the fish in a safe and dry place. The monkey immediately got back to his tree branch and full of joy observed the fish jumping up and down with excitement, but soon settled into a peaceful rest. The monkey couldn’t be happier, he had helped another creature! It was written by Leonardo R. Please  This illustration seemed very interesting to me because it shows us that communication occurs in interaction with the other, and in the classrooms of the school where we find all kinds of settings that specifically influence intercultural interaction.  In classrooms where...