Helping Adults Gain Complementary Skills

So how can one become more culturally aware?  First, treat each person as an individual and show respect for the individual.  Everyone has some characteristics in common with others of different gender, race, place of origin, culture or socio-economic group.  Think about your own patterns of speech.  Are there words in your vocabulary that are indicative of where you grew up? Do you use terms of equal weight when referring to parallel groups, i.e. men and women, rather than men and ladies?  Do you use both he and she in your speaking and writing?  Do you refrain from remarks that make assumptions?

In order to be effective in a culturally diverse world, it is important that you and your students are culturally competent communicators.  Difficulty in effective communications can often be caused by differences in the belief systems of both you and your students.

A simple system to assess one's communication skills is an approach entitled ETHNIC.  Individuals can bridge cultural differences through utilizing communication that encompasses the simple concepts set forth by ETHNIC.

E	veryone has a culture
T	ake time to collect relevant cultural information
H	old all judgement - be careful about interpreting a customer's behavior, especially if unfamiliar with the culture
N	otice and negotiate differences in understanding
I	nvolve cultural resources as appropriate
C	ollaborate to develop objectives and strategies