a.

To What extent do you think language teachers should strive to respond to

the sociolinguistic backgroundd of students to address the educational needs
of students? What are thedifficulties that the teachers may face in doing so?
INTRODUCTION
This paper discusses the issues of multiculturalism and multilingualism in the teaching of
English as a second language in Malaysian setting. The discussion in this paper is based
on a study entitled The power of perspectives: Building a cross-cultural community of
learners, conducted by Osterling, J.P & Fox, R.K. The study was published in a journal,
Bilingual Education in Bilingualism, volume 7, no. 6, 2004. The study describes a
collaborative action-research project initiated by two professors of multilingual =
multicultural education at a large US university, whose goal was to update a required
first-semester graduate course in a bilingual/second language teacher-education
programme and to adapt it to the needs of students and schools faced with a range of
bilingual learner needs. Through a dialogic approach, the researchers successfully tapped
into their students' own multilingual language acquisition and multicultural experiences
for use as a springboard for learning. The study examines the multidimensional second
language learning pathway between and among teachers and students from diverse
backgrounds that can be applied in the PK-12 classroom
MULTICULTURALISM AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY
Malaysia is a multicultural and multiracial country. This fact is made more so with the
migration of people from other Asian and African countries in the latest decade due to
economic factors. Students from diverse cultural backgrounds continue to inhabit
Malaysian classrooms. It is therefore essential for teachers to take into account this real;
it and efforts should be made to identify effective methods to teach these students. A new
pedagogical approach that is culturally responsive is becoming more important.
According to Gollnick & Chinn, (2002), todays classrooms require teachers to educate
students varying in culture, language, abilities, and many other characteristics To meet
this challenge, teachers must employ not only theoretically sound but also culturally
responsive pedagogy. Teachers must create a classroom culture where all students
regardless of their cultural and linguistic background are welcomed and supported, and
provided with the best opportunity to learn.
Differences between cultures play a very important role in the teaching English language.
Cultural differences interfere with second language acquisition in the differences between
word connotation, ethics, and values from one culture to the other.Teachers will often
work on role plays, teach structures, that mirror the exchanges of their own society rather
than that of the society in which they are teaching. While it is true that teachers should
encourage students to learn to speak English as it is spoken in an English speaking
country, it is equally true that the more teachers are aware of cultural differences the
better they can help students understand - and use - English in native speaking countries.
According to a survey done for the European Year of Languages 2001, 22% of the EU
population do not learn languages because they believe they are not good at them.
Cotterall (1995:195) emphasises the profound influence of students beliefs and
attitudes on their learning behaviour. White (1999:444) also stresses how awareness of

the complexity of learner beliefs and expectations can help us to understand the realities
of the early stages of self-instruction in language.
Cultural difference calls into question notions of appropriateness and effectiveness in
learning and teaching methodology. In independent learning contexts, the emphasis on
autonomy and the acquisition of metacognitive skills may be counter-productive for those
whose expectations of language learning involve reliance on teacher- rather than selfregulation, rote-learning as opposed to creative language use and an emphasis on
accuracy at the expense of fluency. The risk of cultural inappropriateness, or worse, the
charge of cultural imperialism, has to be recognized and addressed through greater
sensitivity on the part of course writers and teachers and a more elastic interpretation of
the concept of autonomy. (Byram 1997)
Another reason why multicultural students perform poorly in ESL classes is because of a
misunderstanding of the English culture which is different, in many aspects, from their
own country of origin. Because they do not have the same cultural values, they cannot
comprehend their meaning, as they do not have the same standards for behavior. If they
fail to understand the meanings, then they will never understand the language.
DIFFICULTIES AND PROBLEMS
Responding to students sociolinguitic background in addressing their educational need
can become problematic for teachers. This is because of many factors such as:
Teachers may not know the cultural values of some of the students.
The racial composition of the students in the classrom is too diversed.
Addressing the cultural need of one group may undermine the cultural values of
another group.
In an ESL lesson, for example, cultural differences can especially cause confusion for
standard situations such as:
What students expect to hear in a conversation
Vocabulary and set phrases students try to use
Degrees of formality / informality
Literal translations from own language into English.
Cultural misunderstandings
Klump, J., McNeir, G. 2005, recommended these steps to help teachers to promote a
culturally responsive pedagogy in a classroom.
A climate of caring, respect, and the valuing of students cultures is fostered in the
school
and classroom.
Bridges are built between academic learning and students prior understanding,
knowledge,
native language and values through thematic teaching.
Educators learn from and about their students culture, language, and learning
styles to make
instruction more meaningful and relevant to their students lives.
Local knowledge, language, and culture are fully integrated into the curriculum,
not added on

 to it. Instruction is delivered in the native language and in English.

Staff members hold students to high standards and have high expectations for all
students.
Effective classroom practices are challenging, cooperative, and hands-on, with
less emphasis
on rote memorization and lecture formats.
School staff builds trust and partnerships with families, especially with families
marginalized
by schools in the past.
Meaningful language use across the curriculum.
Pair auditory with visuals to reinforce concepts and vocabulary.

b. Do you think it is possible to build a dialogical community of learners in the

multicultural and multilingual Malaysian language classrooms where students [become]
teachers and teacher [become] learners (Osterling & Fox, 2004:492)? What are the
benefits and drawbacks of this approach?
INTRODUCTION
A dialogical approach, according to Osterling & Fox, 2004 is characterised by the
extensive use of dialogic discussions where all parties including those that present
alternative or opposing outlooks interact freely with each other through questioning,
sharing ideas and building new knowledge. Adopting a dialogical approach to teaching
required the instructors to make fundamental shift from being principal performers to
being participants.
Dialogic learning is a theory of learning and teaching. Learning is created through
curiosity, dialogue and consensus. Working in groups, participants are both teachers and
learners. Engaging in meaningful conversation with other people, engages the speakers
critical thinking and learning skills. By developing questioning skills, participants
connect ideas, challenge their assumptions, absorb and reflect on information. Learning
to speak has the reciprocal effect of speaking to learn.
Creating a dialogic learning situation in Malaysian language classroom is not only
possible but essentially necessary. This is due to the nature of multiculturalism and
multiracialism reality of our country. With globalisation in rapid progrees, there is a need
for Malaysia to create a more open, liberal and just society. The current mode of thinking
has changed with the development in IT and communication. Dialogic learning is the
result of a dialogue in which different people provide arguments based on validity claims
and not on power claims. This wiil create a more conducive and encouraging learning
situation which will facilitate a more culturally responsive language pedagogy and
therefore enhance language acquisition among students.

A dialogic learning situation is by no mean contradictory to Malaysian English education

syllabus, instead it is in line with the aspiration of the Ministry of education. This can be
observed in the Malaysian Schools Englsih Language Syllabus. In the section Important
Considerations for Teaching, it is stated that the teaching of English should incorporate a
learner-centredness approach. The learner is at the centre of the learning process.
Teaching approaches, lessons and curriculum materials for learning must be adjusted to
suit the differing needs and abilities of pupils. It is important that appropriate activities
and materials are used with pupils of different learning profiles so that their full potential
can be realized. In addition, moral values should also be infused in lessons through
the selection of appropriate materials and activities. Elements of patriotism,
environmental education, study of the local environment and health education should also
be integrated in lessons.
It is also stated that in terms of the teaching and learning activities, in order to help pupils
learn the language, pupils must be given every opportunity to take part in activities that
require them to use the language taught. Some activities have been suggested in this
document. However, teachers are encouraged to set more creative and challenging tasks
and activities based on the needs and interests of their pupils. As far as possible, teachers
should use the Malaysian setting when planning lessons. Teachers should also use
materials that emphasize the principles of good citizenship, moral values, and the
Malaysian way of life.
Critical and creative thinking skills are incorporated in the learning outcomes to enable
learners to understand information, make decisions, solve problems, and express
themselves accurately and creatively in the target language.
Dialogic learning will also help to prepare learners for the real world outside the
classroom. The learning outcomes prepare learners to meet the challenges of the real
world by focusing on language use in society. To some extent this is achieved through
structuring the curriculum in terms of the Interpersonal, Informational and Aesthetic uses
of language. It is also achieved by making use of real-life issues for classroom activities
and project work. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, learners are encouraged to
meet with people outside of the classroom so that they learn to operate in real-life
situations.

REFERENCES
Byram, M. (1998). Cultural Studies in Foreign Language Education. Clevedon:
Multilingual Matters.
Byram, M. (ed.) (2001). Developing Intercultural Competence in Practice. Clevedon:
Multilingual Matters

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Gollnick, D. M., & Chinn, P. C. (2002). Multicultural education in a pluralistic society
(6th ed.). New York: Merrill.
Klump, J., and McNeir, G. 2005. Culturally responsive practices for student success: A
regional sampler. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
Osterling, J.P. & Fox R.F. (2004). The Power of Perspectives: Building a Cross-Cultural
Community of Learners. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
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