L05: Cultural Paradigms

“Culture creates false needs and false problems”

-John Ivers

Nothing illustrates better this truth than the following story.

In a certain Mexican family its a tradition to bake a pork tenderloin for Christmas. The recipe says a piece must be cut out from both sides. The recipe was like this for generations, until someone in the family asked why this should be like this. A large amount of meat was being thrown away. Until this person questioned this tradition, the result was that the recipe came from a great-great- grandmother who happened to have a very small oven, so she cut the meat pieces, so the tenderloin could fit in. So, yes culture creates false needs and false problems. Sometimes we are so convinced in our own cultural paradigms that we do not allow ourselves to question other ways of thinking.

Paradigms can also create false needs and problems in a classroom. There are cultures where the students can speak freely, and others where the teacher has the last saying. With the increasing need to learn foreign languages, TESOL teachers face the challenge of multicultural classrooms. To become the best teacher version of ourselves we need to develop cultural literacy. Cultural literacy is the awareness, acceptance and respect for self and others. Perhaps by doing so we can eliminate some false problems and paradigms. An understanding of our own culture along with an open mind about others can encourage acceptance and improve our students self-concept which has been proved to be related with academic achievement.

What do you see? Some may see a young women, others an old lady. We all think and feel different!