Classrom observation Report for cultural issues in ESL class Case Study

Classrom observation Report for cultural issues in ESL class - Case Study Example Teaching an ESL class should comprise of an understanding the different cultures represented in the class, the objective of the course and that of the students in finding out the kind literacy and knowledge valued and continuously finding new ways of making the classroom more interesting to improve the learning capability of the students especially when both the teacher and the students come from different cultures â€Å" Even more of a gap in expectations ,beliefs and classrooms practices may arise where students come from a culture that is relatively distinct or distant from that of the teacher† (Byram & Michael, 1998 p.101) I. Description of the classroom context The classroom observed was at The International Language Institute in Washington, DC. It has provided language training to thousands of students from around the world, the fact that students come from different parts of the world implies that the classroom is endowed with a variety of cultures that should all be pu t into consideration when planning for ESL classes. The influence of culture is more that the background effect â€Å"It has a deep effect on classroom processes because it is significant factor in how teachers and students perceive language learning and how they evaluate each other role and classroom performance† (Jin & Cortazzi, p.98)". ... years of experience in the field of ESL, both in the United States and in Europe, he has worked in every facet of the industry and this has widened his experience in handling student from diverse backgrounds. He has also devised ESL programs for some of the world's leading corporations, including Alstom, Business Objects, McKinsey, Raytheon and authored over a dozen manuals for learners of English for Specific Purposes. The Institute offers a comprehensive, eight week certificate course. The course provided focus on practice in teaching the four fundamental language skills of reading, speaking, listening and writing, and the sub skills of pronunciation vocabulary and grammar. Components of the course include planning of lessons, teaching practice in individual and group settings, observing peers and practicing teachers, keeping teaching records, critical self-observation and compiling of a portfolio of materials for teaching, and career planning and management (International Language Institute, 2010). The main goal of the course is to teach and perfect the students reading, speaking, writing and listening skills in the language being undertaken. Most of the students have the goal of becoming efficient users of the foreign language so that they can apply it in their professional capacity and at individual levels. II. Description and analysis of the cultural elements observed There were a number of cultural aspects, both explicit and implicit which were observed in the class, as discussed below; Cross Cultural Understanding was the most outstanding explicit cultural element that was observed. The fundamentals of cross cultural understanding are that people have the basic ability to recognize, interpret and correctly react to people within business. Another explicit