Speaker
Description
As expats in a foreign country, how can we adapt to a new environment? How can we make sense of unfamiliar social codes, connect with others, and thrive? As educators, how can we connect better with students from different cultural backgrounds and bridge our cultural differences? EFL teachers in Korea and Japan have all faced these questions. This presentation is designed to offer some answers, as well as avenues of reflection and action to help expatriate educators find their footing, learn, and blossom in a foreign cultural environment. By helping them deepen their own cross-cultural awareness, we can help develop insight that can better support and guide students preparing to travel or study abroad. Through a witty and sensitive exploration of the ways culture shapes thoughts, communication, and actions, the presentation will help teachers navigate cultural differences, explore visible and hidden layers of culture, examine the four stages of cultural adjustment, and reflect on where they and their students may be in the process. The workshop also addresses how to identify and challenge stereotypes, prejudice, and unconscious bias, which are critical skills for educators shaping intercultural attitudes in the classroom.
Dr. Natalie Thibault is an assistant professor at Wonkwang University in Iksan, South Korea. The Qualitative Report, for which she is a Senior Editor.